Tony Barker Writes About the State of Media Management in Drupal CMS

Tony Barker is spearheading the Media Management Track for Drupal CMS, an upcoming product set to launch in January, with a significant focus on media management capabilities. In a recent article published by Annertech, Tony writes about the process and latest developments

During DrupalCon Barcelona, Tony shared insights from the discovery phase, outlining plans to create a seamless experience for managing media assets—like images, videos, and documents—within Drupal.  Media optimization has become a critical factor for CMS users, impacting website performance, SEO, and accessibility. Tony's approach extends beyond traditional media types in Drupal, incorporating features for social embeds, SVGs, and responsive image styles.

The discovery phase involved surveys, discussions, and research, which revealed strong user satisfaction with Drupal’s current media tools, yet highlighted areas for improvement, particularly in creating an intuitive editor experience. Guided by the Starshot Product Strategy, the team aims to reduce editor friction while enhancing media handling capabilities to appeal to a broader audience. 

Future development includes a vision document detailing long-term goals and technical strategies, along with “recipes” for early features. These advancements promise to benefit the entire Drupal ecosystem, with a focus on accessibility, performance, and a streamlined user experience. Tony is excited to see these efforts realized with the product’s official release in early 2025.