As of Drupal 8.7, the Media and Media Library modules can be enabled and used out-of-box. Below, you'll find a quick tutorial on enabling and using these features.

out-of-box before media and media library

In the past there were two different ways to add an image to a page.

  1. An image could be added via a field, with the developer given control over its size and placement:
     

    Image field before media library
  2. An image could be added via the WYSIWYG editor, with the editor given some control over its size and placement:
     

    Image field upload choices screen

A very straightforward process, but these images could not be reused, as they were not part of a reusable media library.

reusing uploaded media Before Drupal 8.7

Overcoming image placement limitations in prior versions of Drupal required the use of several modules, a lot of configuration, and time. Sites could be set up to reference a media library that allowed editors to select and reuse images that had previously been uploaded, which we explained here.

This was a great time to be alive.

What is available with Media Library

Enabling the Media and Media Library modules extends a site's image functionality. First, ensure that the Media and Media Library core modules are enabled.