Photo Metadata

IPTC Photo Metadata sets the industry standard for administrative, descriptive, and copyright information about images.

Diagram

Critical to Photo and Related Businesses

Photo metadata is key to protecting images' copyright and licensing information online. It is also essential for managing digital assets. Detailed and accurate descriptions about images ensure they can be easily and efficiently retrieved via search, by users or machine-readable code. This results in smoother workflow within organizations, more precise tracking of images, and increased licensing opportunities.

The IPTC Standard

The IPTC Photo Metadata standard is the most widely used standard because of its universal acceptance among photographers, distributors, news organizations, archivists, and developers. The schema defines metadata structure, properties, and fields, so that images are optimally described and easily accessed later.

Guidelines & Support

See our user guides and support documents for guidance in implementing an efficient metadata workflow. The IPTC Core and Extension Guidelines give instructions and descriptions for all IPTC Standard fields, which helps maximize information stored with images. Also available: Toolkit for Adobe software; users forum; and sample image files.

Research

IPTC not only defines the standard for photo metadata, but also conducts research about how it is used in the real world. We examine metadata in commonly used software, social media platforms, and more. The removal of rights information as images are transferred is of particular concern. Here are our most recent studies, tests, and findings.

 

Upcoming Events

  • IPTC Spring Meeting 2023 - for IPTC members

    Location
    Tallinn, Estonia (with an online attendance option for part of the event)
    Date(s)
    15 - 17, May 2023

  • Photo Metadata Conference 2023 - open to the public

    Location
    To be confirmed
    Date(s)
    To be confirmed

  • IPTC Autumn Meeting 2023 - for IPTC members

    Location
    Online
    Date(s)
    16 - 18 October, 2023
Latest News

Nov 15 Video recordings from IPTC Photo Metadata Conference 2022 now available

We had a great Photo Metadata Conference last Thursday. Thanks to those who attended. For those who didn’t, or those who would like to go over some detail again, here we publish full recordings of all sessions. First up, Brendan Quinn, IPTC Managing Director introduced the day and gave an overview of what was to […]