Metadata is descriptive information which is added to content (often visual content like images or video).
Adding metadata helps to record the source, rights and the meaning of a file. This makes it searchable. Metadata is often seen in the File Info or Document Properties box found in many software applications, eg. Adobe Creative Suite or Microsoft Office. Many digital asset management systems capture some metadata and display this to you. In modern operating systems, metadata is used to allow desktop searches.
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Adding metadata to files allows them to be retrieved by searching, instead of browsing. As soon as a collection of content becomes sufficiently large that not every file is familiar, finding your content is a process of search and categorisation. It is also essential to have complete flexibility in defining your own metadata – it must be simple to add checkboxes, pull-downs, trees and free text fields to match your particular requirements
A closer look at metadata
Many digital asset management systems capture and display metadata, but there is a need to understand how this information is stored, moved and retrieved.
Sign up for our free white paper to learn more about this critical area of any digital asset management project.
- Our whitepaper will teach you how metadata is stored
- Learn how to use the right kind of metadata fields for your data
- Understand the pitfalls and the reality of tagging your digital media.
If you need to have the foundations of a metadata system right first time, this white paper is for you.
What is Metadata and XMP?
Metadata helps to describe the contents of a file. Basic metadata is often referred to as captions, or keywords – but in fact metadata can be much more extensive, and used with many different kinds of digital media. Metadata is seen in the File Info or Document Properties box found in professional software applications, eg. Adobe Creative Suite. Digital asset management software captures metadata and make this editable, searchable and portable for you. In modern operating systems, metadata is used to allow desktop searches, too.
XMP stands for Extensible Metadata Platform and is a standard pioneered by Adobe to make metadata portable between all applications, and ensure that metadata can be extended whenever the need arises.
Tagging files allows them to be retrieved by searching, instead of browsing. As soon as a collection of media becomes sufficiently large that not every file is familiar, finding your content is a process of search and categorisation. It is also essential to have complete flexibility in defining your own metadata – it must be simple to add checkboxes, pull-downs, trees and free text fields to match your particular requirements.
XMP is an open-source technology, available to all developers, which means that XMP is widely-adopted. It is also extensible, and can accommodate existing metadata schemas as well as new and emerging standards.
Third Light IMS includes a powerful image search engine, with a standard and advanced mode to suit all users. It is based around industry standards like XMP, and ensures future-proof keywording as well as efficient and intuitive searching. IMS also gives you feedback on searches that have been run, so that you can refine your keywords based on real-world use, and supports a wide range of different data types like trees and pull-down lists.
How can I add metadata?
One way to do this would be to use our free online image converter, which allows you to add captions, keywords or copyright notices to one image at a time. Our full product also supports bulk tagging, custom fields and the full range of industry-standard metadata fields built-in, with support for all other forms of digital media as well as images.
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