Video metadata
Also known as: metadata, file metadata, EXIF for video
Extra information stored in a video file besides picture and sound, such as date, camera model, settings, rotation, GPS and color tags.
Updated
What it means
Every video file carries data about itself. Basic metadata includes the creation date, duration, resolution, frame rate and codec. Cameras add their model, lens mode, exposure settings and sometimes GPS position and motion data. Color tags tell players which color space and curve to use.
Some metadata is essential for correct playback, like rotation flags that tell a player to show a phone clip upright. Some is useful for organizing and editing, like dates and locations. Some powers advanced tools, like the gyro streams in GPMF that stabilization software reads.
Metadata usually lives inside the container, not in the compressed picture itself.
How it works in practice
Editors and photo libraries sort clips by date and camera using metadata, which makes multi-camera trips much easier to organize. Setting the correct date and time on every camera before a trip keeps everything in order.
Tools like media info viewers show metadata in detail, which helps when a clip refuses to import or plays strangely. Camera-specific apps also read extra fields, such as HiLight tags on GoPro files.
When sharing videos publicly, it is worth knowing that some files contain the exact GPS location where they were recorded, down to a few meters.
What to watch out for
Many conversions and messaging apps strip metadata. A clip shared through a chat app may lose its date, location and camera data, and arrive with the wrong date. For important footage, transfer original files rather than shared copies.
Wrong camera clocks are a classic problem. If one camera is set to a different time zone, its clips sort hours away from the others, and multicam syncing becomes harder. Check clocks before you start filming, and again after any battery swap on cameras that lose the time without power.
Privacy matters too: remove location data before posting raw files publicly if you do not want to share where you live or ride.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip works from the video itself and does not need GPS or telemetry metadata. Upload original files with their dates intact, and the AI builds one highlight from all the clips in your order.