Galleries and channels - what are the differences?


About

Galleries and channels are both spaces for organizing and sharing media in Content Hubs. While they may seem similar, they serve different purposes.

Galleries vs Channels

Galleries

Galleries help define the structure and taxonomy of your Content Hubs site. They are usually used for broader, organization-wide content areas, such as departments, regions, programs, or topics.

Galleries are created and managed by administrators in the Rich Media Content Management System (Rich Media CMS). They can also be organized in a hierarchy using sub-galleries.

Depending on your site configuration, galleries may appear in the site navigation and can contain media, related channels, and other site content.

Channels

Channels are usually created for more focused or collaborative purposes, such as projects, teams, courses, events, or individual trainers.

Channels can be created and managed directly in Content Hubs, without access to the Rich Media CMS. Users can access channels from the site navigation, the Channels page, or My Channels in the user menu, depending on your site configuration.

Channels are more dynamic and customizable. Channel managers may be able to:

  • Add thumbnails or banners
  • Customize the channel page layout
  • Create playlists and channel collections
  • Allow users to subscribe to channel updates
  • Manage members and permissions
  • Add or manage content
  • Associate the channel with one or more galleries

When a channel is associated with a gallery, it can appear under the gallery’s Channels tab.

Similarities

Both galleries and channels can be configured with different access levels. For example, they may be:

  • Public and available to guests
  • Restricted to logged-in users
  • Private and available only to specific members or groups

Both galleries and channels can also support content moderation, so submitted media must be approved before publication.

Managers and administrators can control who can view, contribute, moderate, or manage content in each space. Users with the appropriate permissions may also be able to access analytics.

Both galleries and channels support:

  • Public, restricted, or private access
  • Content moderation workflows
  • Permissions and member management
  • Analytics access for managers/admins

Key differences

Galleries Channels
Define the structure and taxonomy of the site Used for focused or collaborative purposes
Created and managed by administrators in the Rich Media CMS Created and managed directly in Content Hubs
Can be organized in hierarchies with sub-galleries More dynamic and customizable
Typically used for broader organizational purposes Support playlists and channel collections
May appear in site navigation Users can subscribe and follow updates
Help organize site-wide media and content Can include thumbnails, banners, and custom layouts

Can be associated with one or more galleries

Summary

  • Use galleries to organize broad site structure and taxonomy.
  • Use channels for more focused, flexible, and collaborative content spaces.

To learn more, see Introduction to galleries in Content Hubs and Introduction to channels in Content Hubs.

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