Axle AI launches Mac mini M4 bundles for powerful on-premise AI media search
Axle AI’s new Mac mini bundles leverage on-premise AI, provide massive throughput for securely cataloging hundreds of terabytes of video, image and audio media
Axle AI, the leader in AI-powered media asset management software, today launched three powerful bundles including Apple’s new Mac mini M4 hardware. Unlike other media management systems which run partly or exclusively in the cloud, these systems allow full unattended operation where most of today’s video content is stored – on premise, in the same network as editing workstations and NAS storage. Further, the included Axle AI MAM software supports integrations with all the most used video editing solutions: Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve, and, via an optional module, Avid Media Composer.
A key component of Axle AI’s growing appeal is the privacy and affordability of running AI-powered video search tools onsite, without the potential of exposing valuable footage to possible cloud security breaches or the ‘scraping’ often used to train AI large language models in the cloud. In Axle’s bundles, all training as well as searchable metadata is kept local to the on-premise system, and is not shared with other locations or users. The cost advantages are also dramatic, as per-hour cloud processing costs that can often exceed $10/hour are replaced by predictable, fixed purchases and monthly budgets for unlimited use.
Three versions of the bundle are available, priced at $5,995 (including Axle software and a highly configured version of the new Mac mini M4, with 2 users of browser-based local access, installation and support), $6,995 (including Axle software and a highly configured version of the the new Mac mini M4 Pro, with 2 users of browser-based local access, installation and support), and $8,995 (including Axle software and a highly configured version of the new Mac mini M4 Pro, plus an NVIDIA-powered HP 15L tower system for on premise AI, with 2 users of browser-based local access, installation and support, plus a 30 day license for Axle Tags™ AI engines.
Axle AI CEO Sam Bogoch said “All 3 of these bundles represent amazing performance and value, especially the Mac Mini M4 Pro-NVIDIA bundle which also includes 30 days of our Tags™ on-premise AI autotagging suite. If you have a lot of video storage and can’t seem to find anything, this system is for you.”
Until now, systems with state-of-the-art media management and AI tagging and transcription were only available with expensive cloud subscriptions. Axle AI’s Mac mini M4 bundles bring these previously high-end capabilities directly to the workstations and local networks of the vast majority of video teams.
Axle AI’s included MAM media cataloging software, already deployed at over 1,000 sites worldwide, makes the new Mac Mini M4 bundles incredibly useful. Based on Axle’s modular Platform architecture™, the software can scan one or more volumes or folder structures (known as Catalogs) on any network storage device, and includes:
1) Radically simple browser interface for searching, browsing and playing media
2) Drag-and-drop integrations with Premiere Pro®, Resolve®, Final Cut® and Avid®
3) Elastic Search for Google-style search capabilities across media files
4) Automatic proxy generation for all files saved to connected network storage
5) Highly flexible user permissions which can be specified across one or more catalogs
6) 1,000 hours of bundled Axle Speech™ cloud transcription
7) Integrated user interface for editing transcripts and annotating subclips
8) Custom metadata fields definable on a per-catalog basis
9) 2 named user access, upgradeable to additional users
10) Local network access
Axle’s Mac mini M4 bundles also support a range of add-on functionality from Axle AI and its third-party partners. These include remote access via Reverse Proxy technology, Axle AI Connectr™ workflow automation, Axle Tags™ on-premise AI processing including semantic search, scene understanding and face, object and logo recognition, Axledit™ collaborative browser-based editing, and archiving interfaces to many leading cloud and LTO storage providers. Direct video capture can also be supported via Softron, ToolsOnAir, and other workstation ingest software.
With the unprecedented computing power and compact packaging of Apple’s new Mac mini M4, these systems are able to catalog and search very large network storage volumes. All of the configurations are available from Axle AI as well as its partner resellers and integrators.
Pricing, Configurations and Availability
Axle Mac mini M4 bundle – $5,995, available Nov. 8th, includes Axle software and Mac mini M4 / 32GB RAM / 1TB SSD / 10GigE network hardware.
Axle Mac mini M4 Pro bundle – $6,995, available Nov. 8th, includes Axle software and Mac mini M4 Pro / 64GB RAM / 1TB SSD / 10GigE network hardware
Axle Mac mini M4 Pro-NVIDIA bundle – $8,995, available Nov. 8th, includes Axle software and includes Axle software and Mac mini M4 Pro / 64GB RAM / 1TB SSD / 10GigE network hardware, HP Victus 15L tower system with NVIDIA 4060 GPU, 8GB VRAM, Intel i7, 32 GB RAM / 512GB SSD hardware, plus a 30-day license for Axle Tags™ AI engines.
Further licenses for Axle Tags™ on premise AI software modules which run on the Mac Mini M4 Pro-NVIDIA bundle are priced separately, at $200 per month each, billed quarterly. Tags licensing can include one or more of the following 4 modules: Scene Understanding with Semantic Search, Face Recognition, Object Recognition, and Logo Recognition.