ExifTool

Reads, writes and edits metadata in almost every image, audio and video format there is, and is the reference tool for the job.

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About ExifTool

ExifTool is Phil Harvey's Perl library and command-line tool for metadata, and it is the standard: EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, ICC profiles and the manufacturer-specific makernotes that every camera vendor implements differently. When another program cannot read a tag, this one usually can.

It reads and writes, so it also strips metadata before publishing a photo, shifts dates across a whole shoot, renames files based on their embedded date, and copies metadata between files. It runs on Windows, macOS and any Unix system, as a standalone Windows executable or a Perl distribution.

It is a command-line tool with an enormous option list; the documentation is comprehensive but dense.

Strengths

  • Reads and writes EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP and vendor makernotes across a vast range of formats
  • Strips metadata before publishing, shifts dates in bulk and renames files from their embedded dates
  • Standalone Windows executable as well as a Perl distribution for everything else
  • The reference implementation that other tools are checked against

Limitations

  • Command line only, with a very large option list
  • Writing metadata always risks damaging a file; keep originals
  • Its own website has had hosting problems, with downloads pointed at SourceForge
  • No graphical interface from the project itself

Details

Pricing
Free · Free and open source, dual licensed under the same terms as Perl itself: the GPL or the Artistic Licence.
License
GPL-3.0
Developer
Phil Harvey
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
How it runs
Downloadable app
Account
Not required
Works offline
Yes
Best suited for
Reading or removing metadata that no other tool will touch
Categories
Photo editing and viewing
Last verified
Added
Provenance
Selected from the TechWalrus downloads catalog (Photos); facts checked against the developer's own pages, 2 sources on file.

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