Media Management

DJ Press uses the built-in Django media management system that allows you to upload, manage, and use various types of media files in your content.

Overview

The Media management feature provides:

File uploads with automatic date-based organisation
Custom upload paths, configurable through the settings
Support for different media types (images, documents, audio, video, etc.)
Admin interface for managing uploaded files
Easy insertion of media into content using markdown syntax
Support for image alt text and descriptions for accessibility

Media Model

The Media model is designed to store information about uploaded files and handle various media types.

Media Types

DJ Press supports the following media types:

image: Image files (jpg, png, gif, etc.)
document: Document files (pdf, doc, txt, etc.)
audio: Audio files (mp3, wav, etc.)
video: Video files (mp4, mov, etc.)
other: Other file types

Key Fields

title: A descriptive title for the media file
file: The actual uploaded file
media_type: The type of media (image, document, audio, video, other)
alt_text: Alternative text for images (for accessibility)
description: A description of the media file
uploaded_by: The user who uploaded the file
date: The upload date and time
uploaded_at: The upload date and time
updated_at: The last modification date and time

Configuration

Media Upload Path

You can configure the upload path for media files using the MEDIA_UPLOAD_PATH setting:

DJPRESS_SETTINGS = {
    # ... other settings ...
    "MEDIA_UPLOAD_PATH": "djpress/{{ year }}/{{ month }}/{{ day }}",
}

This setting supports the following variables:

{{ year }}: The current year (e.g., 2025)
{{ month }}: The current month (e.g., 04)
{{ day }}: The current day (e.g., 29)

The default path is djpress/{{ year }}/{{ month }}/{{ day }}, which creates a directory structure like djpress/2025/04/29/.

Using Media in Content

Markdown Syntax

Once you’ve uploaded media files, you can use them in your content using markdown syntax:

Images

![Alt text](/media/path/to/image.jpg "Optional title")

Other Media

[File Title](/media/path/to/file.pdf)

Getting Markdown URLs

For convenience, the Media model provides a markdown_url property that generates the correct markdown syntax for the file, which you can copy directly from the admin interface:

Images: ![alt_text](/media/path/to/image.jpg "title")
Other files: [title](/media/path/to/file.pdf)

Admin Interface

The Media admin interface provides a user-friendly way to manage your media files:

Features

List view showing all media files with filters for type, date, and uploader
Search functionality for finding files by title, description, or alt text
Preview thumbnail for image files
Automatic capture of metadata (file size, dates)
Ready-to-use markdown syntax for easy embedding in content

Permissions

Media uploads and management follow Django’s permissions system:

Superusers and staff with appropriate permissions can upload and manage all media
The user who uploads a file is automatically set as the uploaded_by field

Best Practices

Use Alt Text: Always provide descriptive alt text for images to improve accessibility
Organise With Titles: Use clear, descriptive titles to make files easy to find
Optimise Images: Optimise large images before uploading to improve page load times
Use Appropriate Types: Select the correct media type when uploading files
Consider File Size: Be mindful of file sizes, especially for images and videos