New York DAM and real-time content distribution platform for brands, sports teams and universities.
Mid-marketEnterpriseEU hosting: Unknown
DAM Atlas Mid-market DAM, Photo and media libraries
Third Light DAM Atlas vendor profile
Former Cambridge DAM vendor (Chorus), acquired by PhotoShelter in 2022 and now folded into PhotoShelter.
Merged or retired brandVerified: mediumLast verified 2026-10
In short
Third Light was a Cambridge, UK, DAM vendor whose flagship cloud product, Chorus, served more than 300 organisations. PhotoShelter acquired it in January 2022, and the Third Light brand has since been retired: its website now states 'Third Light is now PhotoShelter'. Buyers should evaluate PhotoShelter for Brands, which inherited its customers and UK office.
Third Light key facts
| Headquarters | Cambridge, United Kingdom 52.21°N 0.12°E |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Ownership | Part of PhotoShelter (majority owned by Boston private equity firm Clearhaven Partners) since January 2022 |
| Status | Merged or retired brand Acquired by PhotoShelter in January 2022. The Third Light website now states 'Third Light is now PhotoShelter', and customers have moved to PhotoShelter for Brands. |
| Market segments | Mid-market |
| Deployment | SaaS |
| EU data hosting | Unknown Former Third Light customers now run on PhotoShelter, which lists primary data centres in New York, California and the United Kingdom; an EU-only residency option is not documented. |
| European offices | Cambridge |
| Certifications | Not published or not verified |
| Pricing | No longer sold under the Third Light brand; new buyers are directed to PhotoShelter for Brands, which uses quote-based tiers and a 30-day free trial. |
| Website | thirdlight.com |
Third Light overview
Third Light, a DAM software company based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, built a cloud media library called Chorus that was known for content exchange, search, desktop sync and marketing technology integrations. Its website footer dates the business to 2002. In January 2022 PhotoShelter, a New York DAM vendor, acquired Third Light together with its investor Clearhaven Partners, gaining more than 300 customers, the Chorus product and a European office in Cambridge. Founder and managing director Michael Wells joined PhotoShelter's leadership team and said Third Light would become part of the PhotoShelter platform.
That integration is now complete. The Third Light website announces that 'Third Light is now PhotoShelter' and directs remaining users to PhotoShelter support, and software directories list the product as PhotoShelter with migration required for existing users. A competitor blog published in June 2026 reports that PhotoShelter auto-migrated remaining customers unless they opted out; DAM Atlas has not verified exit terms independently. The practical consequence is that Chorus is no longer a product a new buyer can select.
Former Third Light customers should review their PhotoShelter for Brands contract, data location and exit terms, because PhotoShelter's infrastructure spans New York, California and the United Kingdom. Organisations replacing Chorus typically compare PhotoShelter for Brands with UK alternatives such as Asset Bank, ResourceSpace and Brandworkz, which offer clearer European hosting statements. Contract renewal is the natural moment to run that comparison, since moving platforms is easiest before a new term starts.
Strengths
- Customers inherited by PhotoShelter gain access to a larger platform with AI tagging, video management and content distribution features.
- PhotoShelter retained a UK office in Cambridge from the acquisition, which gives former Third Light customers a local support presence.
- PhotoShelter holds a SOC 2 Type 2 audit and offers SAML 2.0 single sign-on, which carries over to migrated customers.
Considerations
- Chorus is no longer sold under its own brand, so new buyers should evaluate PhotoShelter for Brands directly.
- Former customers should confirm data residency, because PhotoShelter documents primary data centres in the US and UK and no EU-only option.
- Exit and migration terms after the move to PhotoShelter should be checked contractually before renewal.
Best for
Former Third Light Chorus customers reviewing their PhotoShelter contract or planning a replacement DAM.
Third Light capabilities
- AI auto-taggingNot verified
- Generative AINot verified
- Brand portalNot verified
- Brand guidelinesNot verified
- Video managementNot verified
- Creative workflowNot verified
- TemplatingNot verified
- Rights managementNot verified
- Image CDN and resizingNot verified
- PIM capabilitiesNot verified
- Adobe Creative Cloud pluginNot verified
- Figma pluginNot verified
- Microsoft 365 integrationNot verified
- Headless APINot verified
Recent developments
- 2026-02
By February 2026 software directories listed Third Light as PhotoShelter, with migration required for existing Third Light users.
- 2022-01
PhotoShelter acquired Third Light, adding the Chorus DAM, more than 300 customers and a Cambridge office.
Third Light FAQ
Is Third Light still available?
No. Third Light was acquired by PhotoShelter in January 2022 and its website now states 'Third Light is now PhotoShelter'. New buyers are directed to PhotoShelter for Brands.
Who owns Third Light?
Third Light is part of PhotoShelter, a New York DAM vendor whose majority investor is Boston private equity firm Clearhaven Partners.
Where was Third Light based?
Third Light was based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. PhotoShelter kept the Cambridge office as its European base after the acquisition.
What are alternatives to Third Light Chorus?
Former customers typically compare PhotoShelter for Brands with UK vendors such as Asset Bank, ResourceSpace and Brandworkz, and with cloud DAMs such as Dash.
Third Light alternatives
Buyers who evaluate Third Light typically also shortlist these vendors.
Asset Bank
GBBrighton-built, easy-to-use DAM for marketing, brand and communications teams, with published pricing.
Mid-marketSMBEU hosting: Yes
Open source DAM first built for Oxfam, developed by employee-owned Montala; self-host free or buy hosting.
Mid-marketSMBEU hosting: No
Brandworkz
GBLondon brand management platform combining DAM, online brand guidelines, templates and approvals.
Mid-marketEnterpriseEU hosting: Yes
Dash
GBSimple cloud DAM for e-commerce and consumer brands, with Shopify publishing and unlimited users.
SMBMid-marketEU hosting: Yes
Sources
- Third Light: Third Light is now PhotoShelter
- The Dead Pixels Society: PhotoShelter acquires UK-based Third Light (20 January 2022)
- MarTech: PhotoShelter acquires UK-based DAM provider Third Light
- Toolradar: Third Light listing
- Dash blog: Third Light has been shut down (competitor commentary)
- PhotoShelter: Compliance, privacy and security
Facts verified against the sources above in 2026-10. Vendors can request corrections at editors@digitalassetmanagementsystems.com.