Best Metadata Editors

To edit metadata, use one of the apps below. To convert your files, try Movavi Video Converter.

  • Convert files with ease at incredible speed
  • Compress videos without quality loss
  • Trim and merge your video creations
Edited by Ben Jacklin
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To keep files organized and appear at the top of video searches, it’s essential to edit video metadata. Use this list of the best metadata video editors to update your files in bulk or individually. Anyone searching for your files will thank you later!

  1. OpenShot – best for producing videos and animation on a desktop or laptop for free
  2. GroupDocs.Metadata – best for users who don’t want to download software
  3. MP4 Video and Audio Tag Editor – best for editors who work with MP4 files
  4. Avidemux – best for users editing video files in multiple formats
  5. VLC – playing and ripping media
  6. ExifTool – suitable for editors who like a video tagging tool with many options
  7. VSDC Free Video Editor – best for professional video editors
  8. tinyMediaManager – best for users editing tags for multiple media platforms
  9. abcAVI – best for editors who work with AVI files
  10. MyMeta – best for users working with various databases
  11. MetaDoctor – best for editors working with iTunes
  12. TigoTago – best for users who like working in spreadsheets
  13. MP4 Auto Tag – best for mac users working with MP4 files
  14. TagSpaces – best for creating sidecar files
  15. EXIF Date Changer – suitable for anyone who needs to change timestamp metadata
  16. Jaikoz – best for users working with audio files
  17. Canto digital asset management – best for companies working with large amounts of data
  18. Metadata++ – best for users who like hotkeys over using the mouse
  19. Media Center Master – best for editors who work with lots of external formats
  20. FFmpeg – suitable for users who need an all-around media organization tool

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Video metadata editors

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5, 20 reviews

This software is a free and open-source video editor, so it will provide you with much more functionality than just the ability to edit metadata tags in your videos. The software features a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to find your way around, especially if you will be using it primarily to change video tags. Because it is open-source software, OpenShot supports all major desktop operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Pros

  • Open-source video tagging tool

  • Multi-track timeline

  • Neat interface

Cons

  • For some users, the number of features might seem insufficient

Compatibility: Online tool

ITQlick rating: 4.6 out of 5

GroupDocs is a simple, easy-to-use online metadata editor for video, documents, audio, and images. On the homepage, the program has a simple drag-and-drop window so you can get started fast.

The software limits video files formats to AVI, MOV, and QT. So, users who need to change metadata on video files will have to use another program.

Pros

  • Online video metadata editor freeware

  • Batch metadata editor

  • Drop and drag feature

Cons

  • Doesn’t support MP4 files

Compatibility: Windows

This dedicated video tag editor is a commercial product with a free trial download available. Because it is a commercial offering and is dedicated solely to editing tags for video and audio, the software brings with it a number of powerful features for that purpose. You can allow the software to connect to the Movie DB and automatically pull in tag data for all of your videos. It will also rename your videos according to their tag data so you can be assured that the names are correct for all of your movie files. Once your files have their tags in place, you can browse through all of them or search for them by tags. This MP4 tag editor is Windows only.

Pros

  • Easy to use interface

  • A highly developed search tab

Cons

  • No support of audio files

  • No multiple tag editing

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

TechRadar rating: 4 out of 5

This simple video editor will allow you to perform basic video editing tasks, including the editing of video metadata. It is a free and open-source software product licensed under the GNU GPL. It is available for Linux, BSD, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows. Although the tasks it performs are basic, it has powerful automation functionality, which includes scripting capabilities.

Pros

  • Compatible with many video types

  • OS compatibility is also great

Cons

  • Bugs are reported frequently

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

TechRadar rating: 4.5 out of 5

Although billed as a media player, VLC is in many ways the Swiss Army knife of video software. VLC is free, open-source, and works with just about any operating system you can think of. It has a very powerful media playback engine that is able to play a wider range of video formats than many other video players can. It allows for very easy editing of the file's metadata by simply selecting to view the media information from the menu bar and then editing the fields that you wish to edit.

Pros

  • Completely free

  • Supports a lot of input formats

Cons

  • The interface may seem outdated

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Unix

MacUpdate rating: 3.1 out of 5, 11 reviews

The ExifTool by Phil Harvey is one of the most well-known metadata editors for video and other image files. It has a powerful video EXIF editor that can manipulate video file metadata data in a few seconds. It also works for batch editing.

Pros

  • Free video metadata editor

  • Edit metadata for video on any OS

  • Can read and write creator notes for many raw files

Cons

  • Almost too many options when editing, so it can seem confusing for beginners

Compatibility: Windows

PCMag rating: 3 out of 5

The VSDC suite of free video tools will provide you with a wide range of video-related software. You'll be able to edit your metadata with the VSDC Free Video Editor program, but the suite also contains tools that you can use for screen recording, video capture, conversion of both audio and video files, as well as ripping audio CDs. The software is available for Windows only.

Pros

  • It is compatible with all recent 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Microsoft Windows OS

  • It allows you to burn video files to DVD

Cons

  • It does not support all media devices (e.g., iPhone and Android)

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

Lifehacker review

Though the tinyMediaManager is set up to change video metadata for online media centers, it works to change metadata for any purpose. The platform works on any OS and is easily one of the best metadata editors available.

Pros

  • Comes with an automatic updating system

  • Focused as a movie metadata editor and organizes data as such

  • Support for command-line arguments

Cons

  • The free version does a lot but has limitations on file types

Compatibility: Windows

A freeware application for Windows computers, abcAVI is designed to work only with AVI files. It supports RIFF INFO tags, MovieID tags, IDivX tags and allows you to edit over 40 different tag fields. You can query the Internet Movie Database right from within the software to help you find information for filling in your tags quickly.

Pros

  • A wide variety of supported tags

  • Allows changing playback speed and frame size

Cons

  • Works with AVI only

  • The last update was in 2005

Compatibility: Windows

This is another commercial video tag editor for Windows users. Unlike some of the other commercial products on the list, this one does not provide a free trial version. It does allow you to connect to various databases in an effort to automatically tag your files though. MyMeta can connect to TheMovieDB.org, TheTVDB.com, and tagChimp to find the tags for your video files. It can tag MP4, M4V, and MOV video files.

Pros

  • Has the AutoTag feature

  • Integrates seamlessly with internet metadata providers

Cons

  • Works only with MP4, M4V, and MOV

Compatibility: Mac

If you are a Mac user looking to add tags that match up with those that iTunes uses, then MetaDoctor might be the program you are looking for. This is another commercial offering. Although specifically designed as a video metadata editor, a unique feature of this application is the ability to load the video in and scrub through the file so you can quickly identify and copy timestamps. This makes it much easier to add chapter data to your tags than it is with other programs.

Pros

  • Can add chapters to videos

  • Can alter date stamps

Cons

  • You can only work with one file at a time

  • The layout can be tricky at first sight

Compatibility: Windows

Softpedia rating: 3.5 out of 5

If you’re looking for a spreadsheet-based video tag editor freeware, then TigoTago can be very helpful. This program will help you quickly edit keywords and tags in bulk, so it’s one of the most solid Windows metadata editors.

Pros

  • Very easy-to-use interface

  • A comprehensive meta tag reader

  • Perfect for bulk editing

Cons

  • Not a lot of advanced features

Compatibility: Mac

A Mac-only program, MP4 Auto Tag can open and tag almost any video file, making it a very versatile option for Mac users. It can also, as the name suggests, automatically search for and apply tags to your video files. The program is freeware and therefore not signed with a commercial Mac development certificate. This means you'll need to add an exception for it in your Mac's security settings so that it can run.

Pros

  • Provides tagging information for mobile devices

  • Completely free

Cons

  • Isn’t completely autonomous

  • Sometimes bugs are reported

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

G2 rating: 3.5 out of 5, 1 review

TagSpaces takes a slightly different approach to tagging videos. TagSpaces is a file browser that allows you to tag any file on your computer with tags or descriptions. It does this by creating a separate file, called a sidecar file, that is connected to the tagged file. This sidecar file allows you to store the tags that you want to be associated with its parent file.

Pros

  • Free and open source

  • Can work completely offline

Cons

  • Renames your files to tag them

Compatibility: Windows

CNET rating: 3.6 out of 5, 7 reviews

Many metadata editors can edit a limited scope of video file metadata. Many times, you won’t be able to edit the date and time on the file. With the EXIF Date Changer, you’ll be able to correct your dates and times quickly and with ease.

The program seems limited, but you’ll find that this is one of the most useful tools out there for changing metadata.

Pros

  • Changes the date and time metadata in case your time zone doesn’t match your actual time

  • Simple, fast, and easy-to-use

Cons

  • Only works on Windows

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

Although it supports tagging of several video file formats, Jaikoz is primarily an audio file tagger. Like MP4 Video and Audio Tag Editor, it is a commercial product that is available in a free trial version. The software can connect to several databases for automatic tagging purposes. These include MusicBrainz, Discogs, and Acoustid. Its simple spreadsheet view makes it easy to search for audio files by their metadata and to edit the tags in any of the files.

Pros

  • Does album artwork lookup

  • Supports a wide range of MP3 tags

Cons

  • Some may find the layout confusing

Compatibility: Windows, Mac

G2 rating: 4.3 out of 5, 432 reviews

If you work with large-scale digital asset management, then you know Canto’s DAM software is one of the few programs out there that can handle the job. This program is the premier software for auto-bulk editing large amounts of metadata in a short timeframe.

Pros

  • Automated, large-scale metadata editor for Mac or Windows

  • Tags files and sorts large amounts of data in a way that’s realistic and easy to find

Cons

  • Not the software for individual users. They designed this program for companies with large amounts of data to organize.

Compatibility: Windows

Softpedia rating: 4.5 out of 5

Do you need solid metadata software for Windows 10? Metadata++ can help you edit your metadata quickly and reliably. It’s a freeware program that will make your metadata editing process go smoothly, and it comes with some hotkeys to keep you from clicking around too much.

Pros

  • Has a good amount of hotkeys to keep you from making a mistake with the mouse

  • Helps to create sidecars for files that may not contain metadata

  • One of the fastest metadata editors available

Cons

  • The interface is a little cluttered

Compatibility: Windows

Down10 rating: 2.5 out of 5

The Media Center Master is quickly becoming one of the most popular programs to help you organize your media. It comes equipped with a solid interface and easy-to-use meta tag viewer and editor. With this program, you’ll be able to sift through your files and get your tags set up in a searchable format.

Pros

  • Has a lot of automated features

  • Supports the most popular external metadata formats

Cons

  • Only works with Windows

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux

G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5, 19 reviews

FFmpeg can definitely help you edit your metadata, but it can do so much more! If you need to record, stream, convert, or do anything else to a video or audio file, FFmpeg can handle it. This program works on any OS and many other popular paid programs based their code on this freeware.

Pros

  • Has additional features that make it an all-around great media organizer

  • Comes with a lot of user support from the community

Cons

  • Definitely has a learning curve

How to manually edit video metadata

Sometimes it isn’t necessary to use a program to edit video metadata, especially if you just want to change one file. If you’re a user who rarely needs to alter metadata in video and images files, follow these instructions to learn how to edit video metadata manually in any file – Windows or Mac.

Windows

  1. Find your file.

  2. Right-click on the file and select Properties from the menu.

  3. Select the Details tab at the top.

  4. From here, accessibility to edit specific metadata is relative to the type of file.

    Hover your mouse down the Value column and different options will appear for you to Add text. Some appear as dropdown menus and others appear as text boxes. Sometimes, you won’t be able to change any data, but you can always remove it using the link at the bottom that reads Remove Properties and Personal Information.

  5. Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

Not all file types work this way, so if you can’t change anything, then it’s best to use one of the metadata editors listed above.

Mac

Mac users default to metadata editors often, but the process isn’t that different from Windows.

  1. Open Photos and find your image.

  2. Right-click on the image file and select Get info from the menu.

  3. In the next window, change the metadata where the system allows.

Summary

Editing video metadata shouldn’t be a big chore. With the programs listed above, you can edit easily in bulk.

You've now found a great tool for editing the metadata in your video file, but what if you need your video is in MP4 and you need it in MKV or AVI? You'll now need a tool that can convert between the different formats. Many can do it, but they require some technical understanding of the formats. Which bitrate do you need? Which audio compression to choose? If you are not technically inclined, you might not even know what the best resolution for your conversion is. That's why we created Movavi Video Converter.

Movavi Video Converter was designed from the start to make converting videos a breeze, even if you do not know very much about video file formats. You'll be able to quickly tell the program which devices you are targeting or which formats you need the video in and it will automatically create the best settings so you get a flawless conversion the first time without any of the guesswork or do-overs. The software works for both Windows 10 and Mac computers and a free trial is available so you can see if Movavi Video Converter fits your video conversion needs.

Pros

  • Convert files with ease at incredible speed

  • Compress videos without quality loss

  • Trim and merge your video creations

Cons

  • The free trial version has limitations

Program

OS

Best for

Download

Windows, Mac, Linux

Users who need various editing tools

Online tool

Users who don’t want to download software

Windows

Editors who work with MP4 files

Frequently asked questions

What is video metadata?

In the world of digital video, metadata encompasses all the information – author, date, camera, location, upload date, etc. – related to a specific digital video file. It helps anyone working with the files to keep organized and easily find the file they want when searching.

Some programs or devices embed the metadata directly into a file, and others include it as a separate file.

How do I get metadata from a video?

Some programs or devices embed the metadata directly into a file, and others include it as a separate file.

To get the video file metadata for most files, follow these steps:

  1. Find the file where you want to get the video metadata.

  2. Right-click and then select Properties from the menu.

  3. You’ll notice some basic metadata like date created and file size under the tab labeled General.

  4. Click the tab labeled Details to get the rest of the metadata.

How do I edit metadata in VLC?

VLC player actually can edit metadata in a movie. To change metadata on video files, open your file in VLC. Click the Tools menu and select Media Information. The General and Additional Metadata tabs allow you to edit or add various tags to the container. Once you're ready, click Save Metadata.

What is the best meta tag viewer?

Any of the metadata editors above will act as a meta tag reader for video files. Which one is the best is relative to your needs. Review the table above under the column labeled "Best for" to see which one may work best for you!

Or try one of these:

What is the best metadata editor for a Mac?

Whether you need a full metadata editor or just an MP4 tag editor for Mac, these programs can all help you edit metadata on macOS:

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