How to Remove Metadata from Video Files Easily?

Creating videos (mp4) and uploading them on platform like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram has become a widely adopted practice. This blog explains what video metadata is, why it matters, and how to remove metadata from video files before sharing them online.

As digital-forensics experts often highlight, embedded metadata in files can unintentionally expose sensitive information live device information, timestamps, and even GPS coordinates.

To protect your privacy and maintain digital safety, understanding and removing metadata is important.

What is Embedded Metadata in Video Files?

Metadata is hidden information recorded within your video file during the creation. Metadata includes details like:

• Device model
• Recording date/time
• Copyright information
• Codec details
• Creator information
• GPS coordinates

Such information can reveal more that intended and may be misused by cyber attackers and scammers. So, it is recommended to always verify and clean metadata from video files before sharing online.

Why You Should Remove Metadata from Video Files?

• Improve privacy: Metadata in a video may contain important information about the recording location, date and time of creation, and even about the device used to record that video. To prevent this information from being disclosed to others, it is necessary to clean Video metadata to protect privacy.
• Security: Metadata in a video can give unauthorized access to personal information as well as individual features in that video in the wrong hands. Hence, scanning before appearing online is an additional layer of security.
• Reduce file size: In some cases, metadata can increase the overall size of mp4 files, making them difficult to share. Editing delete metadata from video files can help you reduce file size and make it easier to distribute.
• Prevent tracking: Because metadata may contain the creator’s location, it can be used for tracking by unknown people. Therefore, removing location type metadata enables you to reduce the risk of tracking.

How to Scrub Metadata from Video Files?

You can remove metadata from video files using these three manual techniques:

1. Clean Video Metadata Using Windows Explorer

• Step 1: First, right-click the video and select Properties.
• Step 2:When a box appears, go to the “Details” option.
• Step 3: Select “Remove Personal Properties and Information” from the bottom.
• Step 4: Next, select the boxes next to “Remove the following properties from this file”.
• Step 5: You can check specific attributes such as title or subtitle or you can “Select All“.
• Step 6: Finally, click the OK

2. Remove Video Metadata Using VLC Media Player

VLC is basically a media player that you can download for free from Google play store. After downloading it, please follow the steps given.

• Step 1: Firstly; Open VLC and select the “Media” then Convert/Save.
• Step 2: Now add your video file and select “Edit Selected Profile“.
• Step 3: Next, go to “Packaging” and uncheck Save Metadata.
• Step 4: Click Save, and browse the location to save the final file.
• Step 5: Finally, click the “Start” button to strip video metadata.

Method. Strip Video Metadata Using Preview App (Mac)

You can use the Preview app on macOS to edit or completely clean all metadata from mp4 files. Check out the easy steps to use the preview app.

• Step 1: Open the video file (mp4) in the Preview app.
• Step 2: Next, go to Tools, then select “Show Inspector“.
• Step 3: Then click the “i” icon to view, edit, and modify the associated metadata.

Pros and Cons of Manual Metadata Removal

Pros:

• These methods are completely free to use to remove video metadata
• They are easy to use and do not require high technical knowledge

Cons:

• Using manual methods to remove video metadata is time consuming and requires a lot of effort from you.
• They can only remove metadata from one mp4 file at a time.

If you need to batch remove metadata from video files in a short time, these methods are not for you and you should resort to our next time-saving method.

How to Batch Remove Metadata from Video Files at Once? 

• Step 1: Download, install and start the Video metadata remover on Windows.
  
• Step 2: Click the Open menu >> MP4 Files >> Choose Files / Choose Folders.
  
• Step 3: Browse and Import mp4 files into the software panel.
  
• Step 4: Then, click Action >> Clear Metadata.
  
• StepClick Browse button and specify location to save files. Finally click the Save button.
  

Why Video Metadata Remover Over Manual Methods?

• This Mp4 metadata remover has a friendly interface that even non-technical users can use.
• With this Video Metadata Remover, one can easily remove metadata from multiple Video files at the same time.
• The application allows users to save final files to internal as well as external storage.
• It is compatible with Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and earlier edition.
• Also, the app provides the preview of MP4 files before removing metadata from it.
• The application maintains the other content while batch removing metadata from Video files.
• This application is completely safe and secure to clean hidden data from Video files.
• Video Metadata Remover software has a very simple and intuitive graphical user interface for ease.

The Conclusion

Metadata may seen like harmless information. But it often contains sensitive information that can easily compromise your privacy and security. Now, that you know various manual ways and a reliable professional software, you can easily and confidently remove metadata from video files before sharing online.

Manual methods work well for few files, but for bulk metadata removal, reliable and professional metadata removal software ensures faster performance, security, and peace of mind.