How should I set EXIF data on video files for correct import in Photos app?

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Level 1

19 points

How should I set EXIF data on video files for correct import in Photos app?

I am manually importing video files into the Photos app from an iPhoto library. The video files all have correct creation and modification data in Finder but they end up on the date of import when dragging them into Photos.

I have understood that this have been an issue for some time but I haven't been able to find a solution when searching in the forum.

I suppose I should use tools like "A Better Finder Attributes" or "SetEXIFdata" (I have downloaded both) in order to modify the EXIF data of the video files in some way, making Photos understand the correct date, but there seems to be lots of different options and I wonder which modification is effective. If any.

The video files are .avi and .mov files.

I am using Photos 5.0 and Mac OS Catalina 10.15.7.

MacBook Air

Posted on Nov 2, 2020 4:54 AM

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Answer 1

Mats Lewan Author

Level 1

19 points

Nov 2, 2020 5:51 AM in response to léonie

Thanks for advice Léonie. However, since I am importing 1,000 video files it is a bit cumbersome to do this manually.

Since the files already have correct time and date in the file information, it would a huge advantage if I could apply a modification of the EXIF data before import, and doing this on all video files at once, or at least 100 files at a time, using the file creation data, in order to avoid manually adjusting date and time for every video.

However, I still don't know how to adjust the EXIF data for Photos to use it.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

194,767 points

Nov 2, 2020 6:34 AM in response to Mats Lewan

As described by Matti, you can use GraphicConverter to batch write the file creation date to the filename. and then batch change the exif with exiftool to write the date from the filename to QuickTimeUTC exif tag.

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Answer 3

Mats Lewan Author

Level 1

19 points

Nov 2, 2020 6:36 AM in response to léonie

Ok, so the QuickTimeUTC exif tag os the one the Photos app reads? Maybe I could find a tool that reads the file creation date and writes directly to the QuickTimeUTC exif tag.

I normally try not to change the file name in order to find files, compare them etc.

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Answer 4

Mats Lewan Author

Level 1

19 points

Nov 2, 2020 8:47 AM in response to Mats Lewan

UPDATE:

I now noticed that all the videos that the Photos app puts in the timeline at the date of import are .AVI files, whereas .MOV files and .MP4 files all seem to find their way to the date corresponding to the file system creation date.

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Answer 5

Mats Lewan Author

Level 1

19 points

Nov 2, 2020 9:24 AM in response to Mats Lewan

I think that one way could be converting the .AVI files into .MOV files and then set the QuickTime Create date of the .MOV file to the same date as the file system creation date. Anyone knows how to do that in an easy way, with some tool, without knowing how to use terminal commands etc?

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Answer 6

Nov 2, 2020 10:50 AM in response to Mats Lewan

You can add the date to the beginning of the filename and keep the rest (GraphicConverter can add the file create date before or after the existing filename via its GUI). But if you want to preserve the original filename intact you might have to use the Terminal:

If the existing .mov (.avi is a different matter) file create date is correct, you can use the following exiftool command to set QuickTime:CreateDate to match it for all movies in that folder:

exiftool -m -P -overwrite_original_in_place -wm w -api QuickTimeUTC=1 '-CreateDate<FileCreateDate' .

I use a similar command that sets all existing metadata dates (other unimportant QuickTime date tags, file modify date, possible Keys and Userdata dates that iOS devices use) the same but I tried to keep that example simple.

That works for movies after 1904 for Photos.app (and after 1970 for Google Photos). For older movies you must use Keys:CreationDate (described in the link léonie posted).

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Answer 7

Nov 2, 2020 10:02 PM in response to Mats Lewan

AFAIR older iPhoto and Photos versions used the file creation date for movies. But newer versions get the movie date from 1. Keys tag, 2. QuickTime tag, and 3. as a last resort from the file creation date when importing.

I guess .avi files lack Keys and QuickTime tags so they use the file creation date. I have all my old .avi files converted to QuickTime based .mov, .mp4 and .m4v.

(BTW File creation & modification dates can be set as far as 1904 but they very easily then revert to 1970 or sometimes to some random weird future date after rebooting etc.)

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Answer 8

léonie

Level 10

194,767 points

Nov 2, 2020 5:18 AM in response to Mats Lewan

You can adjust the date in Photos after importing the videos with "Image > Adjust Date and Time".

For an automatic way see Matti Haveri's User Tip: Movie dates and Photos.app - Apple Community

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Answer 9

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,314 points

Nov 2, 2020 5:55 AM in response to Mats Lewan

Video files - or at least the very vast majority of them, do not have Exif metadata. There is no where to write this information to the file.

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Answer 10

Mats Lewan Author

Level 1

19 points

Nov 2, 2020 6:03 AM in response to Yer_Man

Right, but there is data fields such as "content creation date" and a series of other fields. The question is whether the Photos app reads any of these fields, and in that case which.

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How should I set EXIF data on video files for correct import in Photos app?

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