--- title: "ffprobe Guide: Show Video Metadata | metadata.video" description: "How to use ffprobe to show video metadata: commands for streams, JSON, frame rate, HDR and rotation, plus ffmpeg -map_metadata -1 to strip tags. Free guide." url: https://metadata.video/how-to-use-ffprobe --- Free · runs in your browser # How to use ffprobe to read video metadata The commands worth remembering, what each line of output means, and how to strip tags with ffmpeg without re-encoding. To see a video’s metadata with ffprobe, run `ffprobe -hide_banner video.mp4` for a readable summary, or `ffprobe -v error -show_format -show_streams -of json video.mp4` for every field as JSON. ffprobe ships with FFmpeg, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and only reads files; to change or remove metadata you use `ffmpeg` itself. This guide gives the commands that answer the questions people actually ask (which codec, which frame rate, is it HDR, is it rotated, where was it filmed) and explains the output line by line. Every option below was checked against the current FFmpeg documentation. If you can’t install anything, or you want the same facts with explanations and a map, the browser [video file info report](https://metadata.video/video-file-info) reads the file on your device and offers JSON as well. Both approaches are covered at the end. ## Read a video’s metadata with ffprobe You need FFmpeg installed; ffprobe comes with it. Then open a terminal in the folder that holds the video. 1. ### Install FFmpeg Download a build from the links on ffmpeg.org, or use a package manager: `brew install ffmpeg` on a Mac with Homebrew, `sudo apt install ffmpeg` on Debian or Ubuntu. Check it works with `ffprobe -version`. 2. ### Print the summary Run `ffprobe -hide_banner clip.mov`. `-hide_banner` skips the copyright and build options, leaving the container, duration, overall bitrate, tags and one line per stream. 3. ### Get everything as JSON Run `ffprobe -v error -show_format -show_streams -of json clip.mov`. `-v error` silences the log, `-show_format` prints the container section, `-show_streams` prints one section per stream, and `-of json` chooses the output writer. 4. ### Pick only the fields you need Use `-select_streams v:0` for the first video stream and `-show_entries` to list fields, for example `-show_entries stream=codec_name,width,height,avg_frame_rate`. 5. ### Strip metadata with ffmpeg if you need to Run `ffmpeg -i clip.mov -map 0:v -map 0:a? -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 -c copy clean.mov`. The streams are copied, not re-encoded, and the global and per-stream tags are not carried over. ## Reading the summary line by line Here is a shortened summary for a phone clip. The layout varies a little between FFmpeg versions, but the pieces are always in this order: the container, its tags, the duration line, then one line per stream with that stream’s own tags and side data underneath. `Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from "clip.mov": Metadata: major_brand : qt creation_time : 2026-03-03T18:42:10.000000Z com.apple.quicktime.make: Apple com.apple.quicktime.model: iPhone 16 Pro com.apple.quicktime.software: 26.3 com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709: +51.4769-000.0005+046.000/ Duration: 00:00:12.48, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 50614 kb/s Stream #0:0[0x1]: Video: hevc (Main 10) (hvc1 / 0x31637668), yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67), 3840x2160, 50112 kb/s, 59.94 fps, 59.94 tbr, 600 tbn (default) Side data: DOVI configuration record: version: 1.0, profile: 8, level: 9, ... Stream #0:1[0x2]: Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 191 kb/s (default)` __What each part of the ffprobe summary means.__ | Piece | What it tells you | | --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2 | The demuxer that opened the file. MP4 and MOV share one, so this does not tell you which of the two it is; major\_brand does (qt is QuickTime MOV, isom or mp42 is MP4). | | creation\_time | The date in the movie header, always in UTC. Apple’s creationdate key next to it keeps the local time zone. | | com.apple.quicktime.\* | Apple’s metadata keys: make, model, iOS version and the location as an ISO 6709 string (latitude, longitude, altitude). | | Duration … bitrate | Length of the file and the overall bitrate of everything in it, audio included. | | hevc (Main 10) (hvc1 / …) | Codec, profile and the codec tag. hvc1 plays on Apple devices; hev1 often does not. | | yuv420p10le(tv, bt2020nc/bt2020/arib-std-b67) | Pixel format (10-bit 4:2:0), range (tv is limited), then matrix, primaries and transfer. arib-std-b67 is HLG; smpte2084 is PQ, used by HDR10 and Dolby Vision. | | 59.94 fps, 59.94 tbr, 600 tbn | Average frame rate, the guessed base rate, and the time base the timestamps count in. | | DOVI configuration record | Dolby Vision is present; profile 8 is the kind phones record, with a base layer other players can show. | ffprobe’s output mirrors the file: the container line first, then each stream inside it with its own codec, tags and side data. ## Commands for common questions ### Codec, size and frame rate of the video `ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries "stream=codec_name,profile,width,height,pix_fmt,r_frame_rate,avg_frame_rate" -of json clip.mov` `r_frame_rate` is the lowest rate that can represent every timestamp, while `avg_frame_rate` is frames divided by duration. On a constant-rate file they match. When they differ, as they often do on phone footage, the file is probably variable frame rate; the [frame rate checker](https://metadata.video/video-frame-rate-checker) measures the real spread. ### Just the duration, as a bare number `ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration -of default=nokey=1:noprint_wrappers=1 clip.mov` `nokey=1` drops the field name and `noprint_wrappers=1` drops the section header and footer, so the output is a single value you can use in a script. ### Every tag in the file `ffprobe -v error -show_entries "format_tags:stream_tags" -of json clip.mov` This is the quickest privacy check. Look for `location`, `location-eng` or `com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709` (where it was filmed), `make` and `model` keys, `encoder` (the app that wrote the file) and `creation_time`. MKV files keep their tags here too, including per-track `DURATION` and `title`. ### Rotation and Dolby Vision (side data) `ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_streams -of json clip.mov` In the stream’s `side_data_list`, an entry with `"side_data_type": "Display Matrix"` carries a `rotation` value such as `-90`: the picture is stored landscape and players turn it. An entry of type `DOVI configuration record` carries `dv_profile` and `dv_level`. HDR10 files may also carry `Mastering display metadata` and `Content light level metadata` entries; the [HDR checker](https://metadata.video/hdr-video-checker) explains what those numbers mean. ### Count frames and packets `ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -count_packets -show_entries stream=nb_read_packets -of csv=p=0 clip.mov ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -count_frames -show_entries stream=nb_read_frames -of csv=p=0 clip.mov` `-count_packets` reads the file without decoding and is fast. `-count_frames` decodes every frame, which is exact but slow on a long 4K file. For video the two numbers are normally the same. `csv=p=0` prints the bare value without the section name. ### Frame timestamps for the first five seconds `ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -read_intervals %+5 -show_entries packet=pts_time,duration_time -of csv=p=0 clip.mov` `-read_intervals %+5` reads only from the start to five seconds in. Uneven gaps between the `pts_time` values are what variable frame rate looks like in raw form. ### Chapters `ffprobe -v error -show_chapters -of json clip.mp4` ## Stripping or changing metadata with ffmpeg ffprobe never writes to a file. To remove tags you remux with `ffmpeg`, copying the streams into a new container and telling it not to bring the metadata along: `ffmpeg -i clip.mov -map 0:v -map 0:a? -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 -c copy -fflags +bitexact clean.mov` __Options checked against the ffmpeg and format documentation on 7 November 2026.__ | Option | What it does | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | \-map 0:v -map 0:a? | Keeps the video and audio streams only. The ? makes the audio map optional, so a silent clip does not fail. Data tracks such as GPS telemetry and timecode are left behind. | | \-map\_metadata -1 | A negative file index disables the automatic copying of global and per-stream metadata. | | \-map\_chapters -1 | Does the same for chapters, whose titles can contain names or places. | | \-c copy | Copies the compressed streams as they are. No re-encode, no quality loss, and it runs at disk speed. | | \-fflags +bitexact | Asks the muxer to write only build- and time-independent data, which keeps it from stamping its own version string into the file. | Before and after a metadata strip: the location, device and date tags are gone, while the video and audio streams are copied across untouched. Always inspect the result. What survives a remux depends on the container and the FFmpeg version: the muxer writes its own default handler names, and the rotation flag is kept because it is side data, which is usually what you want. Run the tags command above on the new file, or open it with [the browser report](https://metadata.video/video-file-info), before you share it. ### Setting a tag instead `ffmpeg -i clip.mp4 -map 0:v -map 0:a? -c copy -metadata title="Harbour at dusk" -metadata:s:a:0 language=eng tagged.mp4` `-metadata key=value` sets a global tag and `-metadata:s:a:0` targets the first audio stream. An empty value deletes a tag. MP4 only stores keys it has a box for unless you add `-movflags use_metadata_tags`, which writes arbitrary keys in the `mdta` style Apple uses. For everyday edits with field names you can read, the [video metadata editor](https://metadata.video/video-metadata-editor) does the same lossless rewrite in the browser. ## ffprobe or a browser report? __Pick by the job, not by habit.__ | You want to… | Better tool | | ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Check hundreds of files in a script or CI job | ffprobe, with \-of json and a shell loop | | Dump every packet or frame with timestamps | ffprobe (\-show\_packets, \-show\_frames) | | Understand one file, with each value explained | The browser report | | See where a clip was filmed on a map | The browser [location view](https://metadata.video/where-was-this-video-taken) | | Inspect a file on a phone or a locked work PC | The browser report; nothing to install | | Strip or edit tags without re-encoding | Either: ffmpeg \-c copy, or **Remove all metadata** here | In the browser, open the file, go to **Report** and you get a MediaInfo text report, JSON and an MP4/MOV box tree, with **Download JSON** for scripts. The [remove metadata page](https://metadata.video/remove-metadata-from-video) covers the browser equivalent of the ffmpeg strip, including exactly which fields it clears and how **What changed** confirms the result. ### Looping over a folder `for f in *.mp4; do ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name,width,height,avg_frame_rate -of csv=p=0 "$f" done` In bash or zsh this prints one line of codec, width, height and frame rate per file. In PowerShell a similar loop that prints each duration is `Get-ChildItem *.mp4 | ForEach-Object { ffprobe -v error -show_entries format=duration -of csv=p=0 $_.FullName }`. ## ffprobe: common questions ### What is the difference between ffprobe and ffmpeg -i? `ffmpeg -i file` prints a similar summary but then stops with “At least one output file must be specified”, because ffmpeg expects to convert something. ffprobe is built to inspect: it has machine-readable writers (JSON, XML, CSV) and options such as `-show_entries` and `-count_frames`. ### Why does ffprobe show N/A for a stream’s duration or bitrate? Some containers do not store those values per stream. Matroska (MKV, WebM) keeps the duration at file level and often in a `DURATION` tag, and many files leave stream bitrates out. Use `-show_format` for the file-level figures, or `-count_packets` for an exact count. ### Why is creation\_time different from when I filmed it? It is stored in UTC. A clip recorded at 19:42 in summer in London shows 18:42Z. Apple’s `com.apple.quicktime.creationdate` keeps the local offset; files that went through a messaging app may have a new date or none at all. ### Can ffprobe change or remove metadata? No, it only reads. Use ffmpeg with `-map_metadata -1 -c copy` to strip, or `-metadata key=value` to set a tag, writing to a new file. ### Does -map\_metadata -1 remove everything? It stops ffmpeg copying the tags, but you still need `-map_chapters -1` for chapters and careful `-map` choices to leave data tracks behind. The muxer may write a few defaults of its own, so check the output. ### Is ffprobe’s frame count exact? With `-count_frames` it decodes every frame, so yes, but it is slow. `nb_frames` from `-show_streams` is read from the container and is usually right for MP4, but can be missing for MKV or broken files. ### Can I run ffprobe on a phone? Not without a terminal app and a self-built FFmpeg. On a phone, open the file in the browser and go to **Report** for the same kind of information. ## Related metadata guides * [ Video metadata viewer See, explain, edit and remove everything a video or photo says about itself. ](https://metadata.video/) * [ Full video file info report A MediaInfo-style text report, JSON and box tree for any video, with hashes on request. ](https://metadata.video/video-file-info) * [ Remove metadata from a video Strip location, device, dates, XMP and telemetry from MP4, MOV and MKV files without re-encoding. ](https://metadata.video/remove-metadata-from-video) * [ Check which codec a video uses See the video and audio codec, profile, level, bit depth, chroma and codec tag of any file. ](https://metadata.video/video-codec-checker) * [ Check a video’s frame rate Average, minimum and maximum fps from real frame timing, with variable frame rate detection. ](https://metadata.video/video-frame-rate-checker) * [ Check if a video is HDR SDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG or Dolby Vision, with profile, bit depth, primaries and MaxCLL explained. ](https://metadata.video/hdr-video-checker) * [ Video forensics with metadata Dates, encoder tags, GOP and bitrate changes and C2PA history that reveal re-saving. ](https://metadata.video/video-forensics)