Which file formats can Lightroom write metadata into, and when does it use XMP sidecar files?
Asked 3/30/2012
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I’m documenting how Lightroom metadata can be migrated to another DAM via XMP. Beyond JPEG and TIFF, which file types can Lightroom write metadata directly into? Also, for which formats does Lightroom store metadata in separate .xmp sidecar files instead of embedding it in the original file?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
2
Lightroom stores metadata in the XMP format and supports EXIF, IPTC (IIM), and TIFF metadata definitions (it converts and stores those as XMP as well). Where the information is stored depends on the format of the image the metadata describes. If the the original format supports XMP, it is embedded in the file. If not (proprietary RAW formats are an example), you will see a "sidecar" file generated with the .xmp extension.
Originally by user9316. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user9316
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Lightroom stores metadata in XMP. It can embed metadata directly into files that support XMP internally, including JPEG, TIFF, and PSD. Community answers also note that Lightroom can embed develop settings in JPEG, TIFF, and PSD files.
For formats that do not support embedded XMP—commonly proprietary RAW formats—Lightroom writes the metadata to a separate .xmp sidecar file instead of modifying the original image file.
In short:
- Embedded metadata: file types that support XMP, such as JPEG, TIFF, and PSD
- Sidecar metadata: formats that don’t support embedded XMP, especially many proprietary RAW files
Lightroom’s metadata model is XMP-based, and it maps information from standards such as EXIF, IPTC, and TIFF into XMP for storage.
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