SOLVED: Can't add METADATA to MP4 exports from Premiere Pro

[Michael L at UNCP]

I want to be able to add metadata to finished videos exported from Premiere Pro. We export in H.264 MP4 files primariliy. When I try to add keywords or other metadata using Adobe Bridge, I get an error, "... cannot store XMP metadata. No changes will occur."

If I take that same MP4 from Premiere and put it through Handbrake, creating a new MP4, that new MP4 takes metadata like a champ, takes it all in and holds it tight.

I've tried several different export presets in Premiere (Facebook 1080p, YouTube 1080p, HQ 1080p, Mobile Divice 1080p) all with the same error.  What should I be doing differently at export that would create an MP4 that can hold metadata? Why do Premiere's defaults seem unable to do so?

Thank you.

I seem to have found a solution to the problem using custom export settings rather than one of the presets.

[Mike Dziennik]

You say you are trying to add metadata in Bridge, after exporting the file?

Have you tried clicking on the 'Metadata...' button at the bottom of the Export Settings dialog when you export from Premiere? This is where you can insert metadata as you export the file.

[Michael L at UNCP]

Entering metadata on export doesn't allow for inserting metadata. I can create a sidecar but embeded metadata is grayed out even though some implimentations of mp4 support it. The only option is XMP sidecar. Also, manually entering keywords for every export without the ability to update and modify metadata after export is tedious, inconvenient and leads to inconsistent tagging.

I have a keyword tree built in Bridge that's pretty extensive that I use for photos and want to use for video products on like-projects across the university where I work. Using the tree keeps keywords consistent for my users searching for images and videos. 

Even if I did manually enter keywords for every export and re-export any time I wanted to update them, For some reason Premiere doesn't have the IPTC Core metadata field Keywords used by our online catalog for importing keywords. Bridge has it, Premiere doesn't.

Premiere's metadata implementation feels broken.

Is there a similar compressed delivery format that I could be using instead of MP4 for which Adobe does support embeded metadata? I don't have the hard drive space for ucompressed.

[Michael L at UNCP · Accepted solution]

SOLUTION:

Weird.

I used a custom h.264 preset last night to transcode some clips and, as a test, tried to add keywords to those. 

It worked.

None of the h.264 presets I tried worked but a custom preset like this did.

I went back and re-exported a project I'd exported yesterday in several presets. This time I used the custom preset and I was able to add keyword metadata with Bridge after export.

I don't know if this will keep working but it's a good first step.

Here are the custom settings I used.

[Mike Dziennik]

Weird. It almost sounds like the presets aren't writing in a 'header' or 'placeholder' for metadata into the file, but custom settings are.

[Michael L at UNCP]

I agree. Weird. And, because the implementation of the MP4 container is inconsistend, I hesitate to say my work-around will be reliable. It's entirely possible that it'll work today and not tomorrow.

It would be great to have a knowledgable Adobe developer weigh in with some kind of explanation about how it's supposed to work.