Upload video, audio, or pictures to an Asset Library
Applies ToSharePoint Server Subscription Edition SharePoint Server 2019 SharePoint Server 2016 SharePoint Server 2013 SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise SharePoint in Microsoft 365 SharePoint Foundation 2013

An Asset Library is a type of document library that you can upload video, audio, or pictures and have additional functionality to support the storage and organization of rich media. To create an Asset Library, see Set up an Asset Library to store images, audios, and videos.

There are file size limits for uploading. See File size limits for more information.

Note: As video experiences are enhanced in SharePoint Online as part of the new version of Microsoft Stream, Asset Libraries will not be used. Enhanced video experiences will be available for any video file uploaded to a normal document library in SharePoint, in Microsoft Teams, Yammer, or OneDrive. 

Upload an image or an audio file to an Asset Library

  1. Select the Asset library from the Quick Launch bar on the left, or click Settings Small Settings gear that took the place of Site Settings., click Site contents and then select the Asset Library.

  2. Click +Newor +New document.

    Create a document dialog box from the +New button
  3. In the Add a document dialog box, click Browse or Choose File.

  4. Find the file that you want, select it, and then click Open.

  5. Click OK.

  6. In the dialog box that opens, you can add metadata values such as Name, Keywords, or Copyright.

    Add a document dialog box for images

  1. Select the Asset library from the Quick Launch bar on the left, or click Settings Small Settings gear that took the place of Site Settings., click Site contents and then select the Asset Library.

  2. Click +New and then select Video.

    Create a document dialog box from the +New button
  3. On the video option page, do one of the following:

    Create a new video dialog box with Upload hightlighted
    • Check Upload a video from my computer, and then browse to the file that you want.

    • Check Provide a link to a video, and then paste the hyperlink to the video.

    • Check Provide an embed code to a video that lives on the web, and then type the name of the video and paste the embed code for it.

    Note: The Length (seconds) column may be populated automatically for video files. This column is left blank for audio and image files.

  4. Click OK.

  5. The video properties dialog will open so you can add or change metadata values. You can also specify whether users will see a download or embed link for the video when they view it.

    Video property page

    To change the thumbnail image for a video, see Capture or change a video thumbnail.

To get back to your library when in the preview screen, click the Asset Library name above the video.

Note: If your file has metadata associated with it, you may notice that some fields are pre-populated for you.

  1. Select each file that you want to delete by hovering over the file and then clicking the check box.

    Note: Make sure the files that you want to delete are not checked out by refreshing the browser and noting the icon in the Type column. Files must be checked back in by the person who checked them out before you can delete them.

  2. In the header, click Files and then click Delete Document.

    Delete Document on the File tab

Alternately, to delete files one at a time do this:

  1. Hover over the thumbnail of the file you want to delete and click the ellipses ...

  2. In the pop-out dialog box, click the ellipses (...) again, and then click Delete.

  3. Click OK to confirm the deletion.

You can also manage files by using the Open with Explorer command. From the Asset Library, click Library, and then click Open with explorer. Follow the prompts. Just close explorer when you're done, and refresh your Asset Library screen.

If you delete files by mistake, you may be able to restore your files to the site, depending on how your site was set up. See Empty the recycle bin or restore your files for more details.

When you pause on a thumbnail in an Asset Library, an overlay scrolls up with more information, such as the file type and duration.Thumbnail with ellipses highlighted

  1. Navigate to the Asset Library where your file is located.

  2. In Thumbnails view, hover the pointer over the thumbnail for the image, audio file or video.

  3. On the overlay that scrolls up, click the ellipses () to open a detail callout for the file.

    Image properties
  4. On the detail callout for an audio or video file, you can choose to Play or Download the file. For an image file, you can choose Edit Renditions (if enabled) or Download. To open a menu with more options, click the ellipsis (…).

    Note: Renditions are only available for SharePoint when publishing is enabled. You can enable publishing under Settings > Site Settings > Manage site features > SharePoint Server Publishing. The option will not appear otherwise.

  5. To edit or view properties, click Properties.

This is a way you can see what your team members are adding to an Asset Library. Viewers can also stream audio and video for podcasts.

  1. Click the name or title of the library.

  2. Click the Library tab at the top of the page, and then click RSS Feed.

    Library tab with RSS alert highlighted
  3. When the feed for the Asset Library opens, click Subscribe to this RSS feed.

    RSS Feed subcribe to feed page
  4. In Internet Explorer, you'll get a dialog to give the feed a different name, or create and add it to a folder.

    RSS Subscribe dialog where you can change folders for feeds to come to

    Once you subscribe, you can view your RSS feeds in Internet Explorer through the Favorite's dropdown.

    Internet Explorer Feed button

    Depending on the browser you're using, the experience of adding an RSS feed can vary. Other browsers may ask you which RSS reader or mail client you want to use.

File size limits

If the file that you want to upload is very large, you might want to contact your administrator to see what the file size limit is for uploaded files on this site. The maximum file size allowed for upload can vary.

References for administrators include SharePoint Online Limits and Software boundaries and limits for SharePoint Server.

Versioning, metadata navigation, and workflow

You can set up these same features for an Asset Library as you can for a document library. For more information, see:

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