Metadata-aware file conversion across formats
Every file family stores its data in its own containers — EXIF for images, ID3 for audio, MP4 atoms for video, OOXML properties for documents. Pick the right tool below, or read the matrix to see which container holds the field you care about before you convert anything.
Drag & drop a file here, or click to select
Drop a file up to 100 MB. Image conversion is supported today; audio, video, and document conversion are coming soon.
Conversion doesn't strip GPS or identifying data. Use the metadata remover instead.
Metadata containers across file families
Metadata is not one universal standard. Every file family stores its data in its own containers — EXIF, XMP, ID3, Vorbis comments, Matroska tags, OOXML properties, and so on. Converting between formats means moving fields from one container to another, with whatever loss the target's container model imposes. The matrix below shows where each container actually lives.
A few patterns are visible in the matrix. XMP is the closest thing to a cross-family standard — it shows up across images, video, and documents. EXIF is image-native with only minimal spillover into video. Audio containers and document containers share nothing at all. That's why "metadata-aware conversion" means something different in each family.
| Container | Image | Audio | Video | Document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
EXIF | JPG, TIFF, WEBP, AVIF, HEIC, PNG (eXIf chunk) | — | MP4/MOV (rare, uuid box) | — |
XMP | All major image formats | FLAC (rare) | MP4, MOV | |
IPTC (IIM legacy) | JPG, TIFF | — | — | — |
ICC color profile | JPG, PNG, TIFF, WEBP, AVIF, HEIC | — | MP4, MOV (rare) | |
ID3 | — | MP3, WAV (id3 chunk) | — | — |
Vorbis comments | — | FLAC, OGG, OPUS | — | — |
MP4/iTunes-style atoms (udta, ilst) | — | M4A | MP4, MOV | — |
Matroska tags | — | — | MKV, WEBM | — |
RIFF INFO chunks | — | WAV | AVI | — |
PDF Info dict + XMP stream | — | — | — | |
OOXML properties (core/app/custom) | — | — | — | DOCX, XLSX, PPTX |
Image
EXIF
JPG, TIFF, WEBP, AVIF, HEIC, PNG (eXIf chunk)
XMP
All major image formats
IPTC (IIM legacy)
JPG, TIFF
ICC color profile
JPG, PNG, TIFF, WEBP, AVIF, HEIC
Audio
XMP
FLAC (rare)
ID3
MP3, WAV (id3 chunk)
Vorbis comments
FLAC, OGG, OPUS
MP4/iTunes-style atoms (udta, ilst)
M4A
RIFF INFO chunks
WAV
Video
EXIF
MP4/MOV (rare, uuid box)
XMP
MP4, MOV
ICC color profile
MP4, MOV (rare)
MP4/iTunes-style atoms (udta, ilst)
MP4, MOV
Matroska tags
MKV, WEBM
RIFF INFO chunks
AVI
Document
XMP
ICC color profile
PDF Info dict + XMP stream
OOXML properties (core/app/custom)
DOCX, XLSX, PPTX
Which converter do I need?
Stripping identifying data from a photo before sharing
Use the metadata remover, not a converter. A format change keeps GPS coordinates, camera serial numbers, and capture timestamps embedded in EXIF — none of those fields are stripped on the way through.
Migrating a music library to a different format
An audio converter is on the roadmap and will land at the audio card below. Until it ships, a desktop tool that preserves ID3 frames and Vorbis comments is the right pick for bulk library work.
Converting an image for web delivery while keeping copyright intact
Use the image converter. XMP and IPTC rights fields ride through every supported source-target pair, so author, credit, and copyright notices reach the rendered file unchanged.
Reducing a PDF or sharing a DOCX without revision history
A document converter is on the roadmap and will land at the documents card below. For the privacy half — stripping author identity and revision history before sharing — the document metadata remover is the right tool today.
Stripping identifying data? Use the metadata remover.
Conversion preserves EXIF, GPS, ID3, and document author fields by default — the remover is the tool that strips them.
Open the metadata removerBrowse by file type
Image conversion is live today. Audio, video, and document conversion are on the roadmap.
Audio
Tags translate cleanly between modern containers; the gotchas are per-codec channel layout and embedded album art.
MP3, FLAC, WAV, M4A, OPUS
Coming soon
Video
Containers and codecs are separate concerns. Container changes (MP4 ↔ MOV) usually preserve metadata; codec changes are where things drop.
MP4, MOV, MKV, WEBM
Coming soon
Documents
Author names, revision history, and tracked changes are the highest-risk fields for accidental disclosure. Always check before sharing.
PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX
Coming soon
Frequently asked questions about file conversion and metadata
Why does converting a file change its metadata at all?
Metadata lives inside the file's format, not next to it. Change the format and you're moving every field into a new container with its own rules about what it can store. Some fields fit, some get translated, some don't fit at all, and some get rewritten by the new encoder. That's true even for lossless conversions.
Does metadata behave the same way across images, audio, video, and documents?
The behaviors are the same everywhere, but the fields are different. Images carry EXIF, GPS, and color profiles. Audio carries ID3 tags and channel info. Video carries container timestamps, chapters, and per-track data. Documents carry author info, revision history, and comments. Once you know which container the source and target use, you can usually predict what'll survive.
Which metadata fields tend to survive almost any file conversion?
Descriptive stuff travels well: titles, copyright, timestamps, and information about the device or software that made the file. Modern formats all have somewhere to put it. The fields that don't travel are usually the technical, format-specific ones — codec settings, color encoding modes, document-specific tracking data.
Does a converted file get a new creation date?
Two dates, two answers. The filesystem date (what your OS shows) always resets to when the converted file was written. The date embedded inside the file — the one a camera, recorder, or editing app stamped in — usually survives the conversion. People often assume the OS date is the real one, then get caught out when a forensic tool or photo library shows the original capture time anyway.
Can conversion add metadata that wasn't in the source file?
Yes, and most encoders do. They'll write their own name into the output, add a default color profile if the source didn't have one, or generate fresh thumbnails and waveform previews. A converted file isn't a clean subset of the original — it's the surviving fields plus whatever the encoder added on its way out.
Does converting a file strip watermarks, DRM, or copy protection?
No, and converters aren't built for that. Visible watermarks are part of the picture or audio itself, so the encoder re-encodes them right along with the rest. DRM is a separate layer — many encoders won't even open protected files, and the ones that can usually drop the protection wrapper because the new format has nowhere to put it. Either way, conversion isn't the right tool here.
How do I check what metadata my file carries before and after I convert it?
Run it through the metadata viewer once before, once after. You'll see exactly which fields survived, which changed, and which disappeared. It's a more honest answer than reading format docs, because real files usually carry fields you didn't know were in there.