ExifTool
ExifTool meta information reader/writer
ExifTool is a battle-tested Perl application for reading, writing, and batch-editing metadata in thousands of file types—images, videos, audio, documents, and more. It understands major standards like EXIF, IPTC, and XMP as well as an enormous range of camera maker notes and container formats (for example, QuickTime/MP4, PDF, TIFF). Typical workflows include extracting metadata to JSON/CSV/XML, renaming files from timestamps or tags, shifting capture times, copying tags between files, and cleaning or normalizing fields for archives. The tool is meticulous about character encodings, time zones, and tag groups, helping avoid silent corruption when moving metadata between ecosystems. It is scriptable and composable, with options to operate recursively, write sidecars, preserve originals, or do dry runs for safety. Professionals rely on ExifTool for digital asset management, forensic workflows, and any pipeline where metadata quality and traceability matter.