Media Asset Manager (MAM) - File Naming Standard Convention

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  3. Media Asset Manager (MAM) - File Naming Standard Convention

Media Asset Management (MAM) Naming Standard Documentation

This document defines the strict, future-proof naming convention for all audio and media assets. This standard ensures files remain perfectly organized, searchable, and cross-platform compatible over decades of local storage and cloud usage.

1. The Core Naming Formula

Every file name must be an unbroken string of structured data using only lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores.

Plaintext

[project]_[year/id]_[category]_[asset-description]_[version].[ext]

Element Breakdown

Component

Description

Example

[project]

A strict 3–4 letter unique prefix for the show/brand.

guyf (Guyanese Food)

[year/id]

Use YYYY for chronological archive or s01e01 for episodic series.

2026

[category]

A 3-letter code to instantly group similar content types together.

sci (Science)

[asset-description]

Short, lowercase description. Use hyphens to separate words.

custard-pie

[version]

Version padding (_v01) to protect links and allow future revisions.

v01

2. Universal Code Index

To maintain consistency, use these standardized codes across all files:

Category Codes ([category])

  • sci = Science & Chemistry focuses

  • eng = Engineering & Structural focuses

  • rec = Recipes, methods, and cooking processes

  • sec = Secrets, deep dives, or hidden history

Version Codes ([version])

  • _v01, _v02 = Standard working master archive copies. Always start with _v01.

  • _teaser, _clip = Cut-down versions exported for social media.

3. The Golden Rules of Media Assets

  1. Strict Lowercase Only: Never use capital letters. Some operating systems and web servers treat File.m4a and file.m4a as completely separate paths, causing system bugs.

  2. No Spaces or Special Characters: Never use spaces, periods (except before the extension), parentheses, or brackets.

    • Use underscores (_) to separate metadata blocks.

    • Use hyphens (-) to separate words within a block.

  3. Strip the "Filler" Words: Completely remove conjunctions and articles like "the", "of", "and", or "with". (e.g., the-science-of-custard becomes sci_custard).

  4. Never Overwrite a Linked File: If you modify an audio file that is already used in a project or uploaded, save the edit as _v02. This prevents broken links and data loss.

4. Examples for Reference

Standard Archive Set

Plaintext

guyf_2026_rec_20-minute-sweet-rice_v01.m4a
guyf_2026_sci_custard-pie_v01.m4a
guyf_2026_eng_beef-patty_v01.m4a

Handling Multi-Format Duplicates

If you have the exact same track saved as a raw production master and a compressed delivery file, keep the string identical. The extension handles the rest:

Plaintext

guyf_2026_eng_chicken-ball_v01.m4a  <- Raw High-Quality Archive Master
guyf_2026_eng_chicken-ball_v01.mp3  <- Compressed Delivery File

Handling Future Revisions

If you need to re-record an intro or fix an audio glitch next year, increment the version block without changing anything else:

Plaintext

guyf_2026_sci_custard-pie_v01.m4a  <- Original 2026 Version
guyf_2026_sci_custard-pie_v02.m4a  <- New Edited Version (Original remains safe)