Can Lightroom write metadata changes directly to original files, or only to XMP sidecars?
Asked 7/27/2013
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I corrected an incorrect capture time in Lightroom using Metadata > Edit Capture Time > Shift by set number of hours. Lightroom shows the metadata as changed, and when I choose Save Metadata to File it creates .xmp sidecar files next to my photos instead of changing the original file.
Is there a way to make Lightroom permanently write metadata changes like capture time directly into the original image files? Or does Lightroom always keep these changes in its catalog or sidecars? I'm especially wondering whether this depends on the file type, such as RAW versus JPEG.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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What depends here is the type of file you are working with. If you simply make the change you suggested in LightRoom then click Ctrl+S or Metadata> Save Metadata to File you will be presented with the following prompt:
So from this message it is pretty easy to tell that RAW files will be saved to sidecar XMP files, and the other formats will be written directly to the originals. I tested this with JPEG's and it worked as prescribed.
If your images are RAW, you could simply export JPEG versions of them and make this destructive edit to the JPEGs. It might defeat the purpose of this exercise, but keep in mind, you are defeating the entire purpose of RAW!
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
13y ago
0
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It depends on the file type.
In Lightroom, metadata changes such as capture time can be saved with Ctrl+S or Metadata > Save Metadata to File. For RAW files, Lightroom does not write those changes into the original RAW file; it stores them in an XMP sidecar instead. For non-RAW formats such as JPEG, Lightroom can write the metadata directly into the original file.
So if you are working with RAW files, what you are seeing is normal behavior: Lightroom preserves the original RAW and saves the metadata separately. If you are working with JPEGs, the metadata can be written into the file itself.
If your goal is a permanently altered file rather than sidecars, you’d need to use a format Lightroom can write directly, such as JPEG, or export a new file. But for RAW originals, Lightroom’s non-destructive workflow means sidecars are the expected method.
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