I found a Mac App in the App Store called Metadata Pro. It lets me edit an mp4’s metadata for pretty much everything. I have a video with chapter splits I was able to edit the chapters for, and Plex seemed to read that after scanning the library the video is in, but it didn’t read what I Titled the video, or really anything else other than the chapter names. I tried scanning for library changed and refreshing all metadata. Am I missing something, or is Plex not going to read a video file’s metadata it already has?
Subler can do that job for you on a Mac as well… incl. looking up the data on iTunes, The Movie Database etc 
Plex won’t use embedded metadata by default. This is mostly done if you use the “Other Video” category (or the personal movie agent). Otherwise Plex will only use the embedded title to match the movie to an online repository (e.g. The Movie Database).
Plex Media Server 1.20.0 (currently in beta) is introducing a new version of the movie agent that allows to configure if you want to use embedded metadata over that from online sources.
The videos I am wanting Plex to read metadata from are added as “Other Video.” I also have “Local Media Assets” enabled under Settings > Agents > Movies > Personal Media. And when I go to Edit the library the “Other Video” videos are under, under Advanced of editing the library, I have Personal Media enabled next to Agents. Is there something I’m missing for this to work?
Can you confirm the metadata is properly added to the file (e.g. using VLC or a different metadata editor)?
So far I’ve not run into problems with other video / personal videos and embedded metadata in mp4 files.
Speaking of mp4 files… you did not actually mention what format you’re using for those files. Plex will only read embedded metadata from a number of containers (e.g. mp4, m4v, mov) – it won’t read metadata from mkv files.
Here is a screen shot of the video in MetaDoctor Pro on OS X. I had already updated the file’s Title, added a Release Date, and changed the names of a few of the Chapter Titles, then clicked to Save Metadata. When playing the .mp4 file itself in QuickTime, you see just the title at the top, and the different chapter titles. Also, all my video files are .mp4 files.
The name of this file is 03 - WrestleMania 12. Right now, that’s exactly how Plex reads it. It’s not picking up any of its Metadata, but it is picking up the background image file of 03 - WrestleMania 12-fanart.jpg in the same folder properly. And I’m testing this on an Apple TV with the latest version of tvOS installed on it.
Did you make those changes after you initially added the files to Plex?
If you did… try refreshing the metadata (scanning the library files will only look for new files).
If you added the metadata after adding the files to Plex and refreshing metadata doesn’t work you could try the “Plex Dance”… which basically translates to:
- remove the files from the folder linked to Plex
- scan library files
- empty trash / clear bundles
- return the files to their target location
- scan library files
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I wanted to change what folders were included in the library that video file was in anyway. So, what I did was remove that initial folder from Plex, and went to Update Libraries. Once that was done, I created a new “Other Video” Library and re-added one of the folders from that original library back into it, which includes the video file I showed. Once that was done scanning, I click to Refresh Metadata, but still, my Apple TV, or my iPhone 11 Pro Max don’t show the Title or Release Date being accepted as “Originally Available” in Plex. The video is in the same location on my external hard drive, I just chose to re-add the folder in a new library in Plex. Should this have done the trick, or do I actually need to completely remove the file from its current destination on my computer, then Update Libraries, then put the file back in the folder, then Update Libraries again?
If you create a new library that should have loaded the metadata from your files (mp4/m4v/mov).
I did do that, and it did for the few files I checked before calling it a night last night. But then when I checked those same files again, they were back to being displayed as the file names, but still kept the chapter title changes I made.
I’m adding more files, then I’ll try removing and re-adding the library again and reply back with an update.
Just got a hint from an expert.
Plex will only read embedded metadata when first adding a file – so my remark about trying to refresh metadata was incorrect.
If you add metadata to a file already catalogued inside Plex, you’ll need to add it anew for Plex to pick this information up (as in: “doing the Plex Dance”):
- remove the files from the folder linked to your Plex library
- scan library files
- empty trash, clean bundles
- verify the file’s metadata and return it to its destination folder
- scan library files
To clarify, when you say, “remove the files from the folder linked to your Plex library,” are you talking about taking the physical mp4 files completely out of the folder they’re living in on my computer before moving onto step 2, or is deleting the Library they’re in Plex while I move onto step 2?
Move the files to a place outside the folder your Plex server is monitoring
OK, I’ll do that in a few days once I’m done uploading other videos, try this, and report back!
I did what you said. I moved the files out of the folder, and scanned that folder for changes. After the scan was done, I put the files back into the folder, and scanned for changes, and Plex still just shows the file names instead of the Title I changed the videos to in the Meta Doctor Mac app.
To add, when I Refresh All Metadata, it will pickup changes to the Description and Chapter Titles I made, but not the Title or Release Date. But I did only change Title and not Sort Title, I leave that field blank. Could that be an issue, and if so, maybe Plex just isn’t reading the Release Date from the Meta Doctor Mac app I’m using?
That’s certainly a possibility. Hence the question earlier if you can see the all of the added metadata when using other apps.
A post was split to a new topic: New movie agent and embedded metadata
You missed a few steps - and The Plex Dance won’t work without doing them:
If you don’t dump the old bundle - Plex stupidly keeps right on using it.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that step, but I did empty the trash as well, but I will try it again to make sure. Here’s something interesting to add. I replaced a few of the files with newer versions, but the file names of those files stayed the same. With the original files, I had added a custom poster to those files manually editing within Plex. And after replacing those video files with new versions, but leaving the file names the same, Plex was still seeing those custom poster images. Does that mean anything?
I figured out my issue. I had change the position of the Agents in Settings. I started with Local Media Assets (Movies) above Personal Media under the Movies category, but flipped them around to see if that helped. Now putting them back in this position is allowing Plex to read the Title and Date from the video file’s Metadata. Only now, it’s reading the Release Year, but not the full date, which I need for sorting purposes. It’s reading the year, but then just putting the videos in alphabetical order. Am I missing something else here? When I go check those videos in Plex, it reads the Release Date correctly as Originally Aired. So I’m not sure why it wouldn’t put them in order by release date. So right now, I just need to know if I can sort by release date while in folder view. If not, I can always add the date to the Sort Title.
