Experience a unified asset management and media review platform that eliminates the chaos of scattered feedback, version confusion, endless approval delays, and runaway storage costs.

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It’s 4 PM on a Friday. Your campaign launches Monday. Your client’s in New York. The colorist is in London. The editor’s in Denver. And you’re juggling feedback across three platforms and seventeen versions. Sound familiar?

That ends today.

Today, we're thrilled to announce that Iconik's new media review features are now live in public beta, building upon our industry-leading media asset management platform to create an even more powerful, all-in-one platform to manage, review, and approve every piece of creative.

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Beyond traditional review: Where asset management meets collaboration

Unlike standalone review tools that treat your content as isolated files, Iconik's new review capabilities are built directly into our comprehensive media management platform. This isn't just another commenting tool; it's a rethinking of how creative teams collaborate, building on years of media management expertise to deliver something new.

The result? One platform for your entire content lifecycle, from initial ingestion to final approval. Iconik’s comprehensive metadata, search, and audit capabilities keep your projects organized, your team aligned, and your storage bills low.

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The beta features you can try today

Real-time review: Sync up with your team

‍No more "whose screen are we looking at?" moments. Iconik's synchronized review connects your entire team in real-time, pixel-perfect collaboration. Whether your team is hybrid, remote, or spanning continents, when you play, pause, scrub, zoom, or change assets; everyone sees the same frame at the exact same moment. Projects continue to move forward without compromise, and approvals happen in hours, not days.

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PDF, video, and image annotation in one place

‍Bring all your creative assets — scripts, storyboards, design mockups, brand guidelines — into one review environment. With full annotation capabilities across PDFs, video, and stills, you can consolidate feedback on every piece of your creative puzzle. No more juggling multiple tools or losing critical input in email chains.

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Share collections and playlists, not just single assets

‍Instead of sharing isolated clips, curate and share dynamic playlists that maintain story flow and creative intent. Stakeholders, colleagues, and collaborators see the complete picture, feedback becomes more meaningful, and approvals accelerate because everyone has the context they need to make decisions.

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My Shares, for total visibility into what’s shared, with whom

‍My Shares is a new, centralized hub where every user can manage, track, and recall every piece of content they’ve shared or that’s been shared with them. They can gain visibility into who has access to what, when shares expire, and how content is consumed. It’s all your shares, at your fingertips.

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Internal-only comments

Logged-in Iconik users can mark comments as internal. These comments won’t appear in any share or review with external collaborators or clients; only your Iconik team will see them. They’re great for separating internal thinking from client-facing notes.

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A new player built for creative work

‍Build sequences, instantly switch between versions or media types, and access asset metadata, all within a dynamic, intuitive player designed for creative professionals. 

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The vision ahead: What's coming to Iconik and Backlight media review in 2025

These new collaborative review features are just the first phase of a new and improved journey for creative teams using Iconik. In 2025, we’re evolving Iconik into a fully integrated platform that helps creative teams move faster, collaborate more closely, and deliver higher-quality work under pressure.

Because you’re not just managing massive libraries and assets — you’re up against deadlines, dispersed teams, and rising expectations for flawless output. That’s why the next version of Iconik will eliminate key friction points and elevate your end-to-end review workflow even further:

• Pixel-perfect master reviews via our new desktop player. Our new desktop player will handle content that browsers can't. Even when looking at the same asset, your colorist views native 32-bit EXR, DPX, or ProRes 4444 files at full resolution while clients review lightweight proxies on any device. Everyone sees exactly what they need, with no quality trade-offs, ensuring final approvals are accurate and fast.
• iOS app to join on the go. Join review sessions from your iPhone. Leave frame-specific feedback, approve edits, and stay in sync on the go. Wherever you are, you can move production forward — no waiting to get back to your computer.
• A unified experience across devices: Your comments and annotations sync accurately between Iconik’s desktop, browser, and iOS apps. Everyone stays aligned, whether in the suite, in the field, or on the move.

This isn't just feature development; it's our commitment to continuously breaking down the barriers that slow creative teams down.

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Why creative teams choose Iconik: flexibility, savings, results

While other collaboration solutions lock you into expensive cloud storage models and proxy-only review experiences, Iconik gives you the freedom to work your way. Our customers are seeing remarkable results:

• NowThis reduced their post-production budget by 33% after switching from fragmented tool chains
• The Philadelphia 76ers achieved 60% savings on cloud storage costs while increasing footage access by 75%
• Urban Brew Studios cut their review cycles in half with unified asset management and collaboration

The difference? Iconik works with your existing storage infrastructure, whether that's SAN, S3, Wasabi, or Azure, without forcing costly migrations or hidden fees. You gain much more control over where your content lives, how it scales, and what it costs.

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Want to join the beta?

This beta is your opportunity to directly influence the evolution of reviewin Iconik. As a beta participant, your feedback will actively shape the final product; we’d love to hear from you as we co-create the future of creative workflows.

Experience firsthand how unified media management and real-time review can transform your creative process. No capacity limits, no waiting lists, just immediate access to the tools that revolutionize how your team collaborates.

Ready to eliminate the chaos of scattered feedback and fragmented workflows?

Please submit a support ticket asking for access: support@iconik.io

‍Please note: The public beta is for paid Iconik customers only. Only system administrators can enable the new review features. If you’re not an administrator but would like access, please contact your system administrator directly.

Already given the new features a go? Please share your thoughts. Your feedback drives where we take these features next. Give your feedback here.

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What to expect once you've signed up

Once the new features are activated, each user on your domain will be able to choose whether to use the new review features when creating a share, whether it’s for individual assets, multiple assets, or entire collections.

What happens when a user switches to the new review experience?

When a user switches to the new review experience, all new shares they create will use the updated review functionality. Any existing shares they’ve created or been added to will remain unchanged.

Here’s how new shares will work in the beta:

• Single asset shares will create a new playlist for that asset.
• Multiple asset shares will generate a playlist containing all selected assets.
• Collection shares will behave as shared collections, just like they do in the current Iconik experience.
• Playlist shares will allow synchronized review sessions with up to two additional participants, enabling real-time playback and annotation.

Users can request to leave the beta at any time by sending a support ticket. Once they do, any new shares they create will revert to using the standard review experience.

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Built on a foundation of innovation

For years, Iconik has been the trusted technological partner for creative teams who demand more than basic file storage. 

Now, we're extending that same innovation and reliability to transform how teams collaborate on content. Every feature is designed with the understanding that creative work is collaborative work, and collaboration should be fun, intuitive, and empowering.

The future of media collaboration isn't coming: it's here, it's live in beta, and it's waiting for you.

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FAQ:

What is the Gallery view?

The Gallery view is the first screen users see when they open a shared playlist or collection in the new review experience. It displays all the assets included in the share in a visual, scrollable layout, before diving into the review itself.

What is a playlist?

A playlist is an ordered list of assets and/or asset versions. Playlists can be viewed at the top of the player in playlist shares.

What is the difference between a playlist and a collection?

Both playlists and collections group assets into a list, but they behave differently when shared:

Collections:

• Automatically update in the shared view when modified in Iconik
• Ideal for fast-moving content like dailies
• Can optionally allow participants to upload assets

Playlists:

• Must be manually updated with selected assets and versions
• Great for sharing a fixed, definitive set of content for review
• Supports a playlist-style navigation in the asset player
• Enable synchronized playback and annotation with participants

When will documentation be available?

We plan to publish full documentation once the new review features are released out of beta. Because features are still evolving during the beta, documentation will follow when things are more stable.

When will new features and fixes be released during the beta?

New updates will be rolled out continuously over the coming weeks.

When will the beta become part of the main product?

We’re aiming to release as soon as the features are ready, and your feedback plays a big role in determining that. However, we don’t have a confirmed public release date yet.

Can I control which users can access the new review experience?

Once your domain is enrolled in the beta, all users will be able to choose for themselves whether to switch to the new review experience.

Where can I give feedback on the new features?

We’d love your input! As a beta participant, your feedback directly shapes how the final product evolves. Please use this feedback form to share your thoughts.