Everything You Need to Know About XMP Files
If you've ever received unit stills photography from a photographer and noticed mysterious ".xmp" files sitting alongside your images, you're not alone. These small files play a crucial role in preserving your photographer's creative work, yet they're often misunderstood, accidentally deleted, or improperly managed—resulting in images that look nothing like what your photographer intended.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll demystify XMP files and explain why they're essential for maintaining the quality and consistency of your production stills throughout the talent approval process and final delivery.
What are XMP Files?
XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) files are small text files that store editing information for your images. Think of them as a recipe card that tells photo editing software exactly how to display an image—including exposure adjustments, color corrections, cropping, sharpening, and hundreds of other potential edits.
XMP files are what we call "sidecar files" because they sit alongside your RAW image files, containing all the editing instructions without actually modifying the original image file itself. This non-destructive approach is one of the cornerstones of professional photography workflows.
Key Fact
XMP files are plain text files that you can even open in a text editor (though we don't recommend editing them manually!). They use XML formatting to store metadata and editing parameters in a way that photo editing software can read and interpret.
What's Inside an XMP File?
An XMP file contains structured data that looks something like this:
<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/">
<rdf:RDF>
<rdf:Description>
<crs:Exposure2012>+0.50</crs:Exposure2012>
<crs:Contrast2012>+15</crs:Contrast2012>
<crs:Highlights2012>-45</crs:Highlights2012>
<crs:Shadows2012>+25</crs:Shadows2012>
<crs:Saturation>+10</crs:Saturation>
<crs:Temperature>5500</crs:Temperature>
</rdf:Description>
</rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>Why XMP Files Matter in Unit Photography
When a unit stills photographer delivers their work, they've poetntially spent considerable time editing each image to look its best. These edits are stored in XMP files (or embedded in some file formats). Without these files, you lose all of that creative work.
Professional Quality Control
Your photographer has color-corrected images to match the film's look, adjusted exposure for consistency, and fine-tuned each shot. XMP files preserve this work so images look professional when shown to talent and distributors.
Consistency Across Devices
Without XMP files, the same RAW image will look completely different depending on which software opens it. XMP files ensure everyone sees the images as the photographer intended.
Talent Approval Accuracy
When talent are reviewing images for approval, they need to see professionally edited versions—not raw, unprocessed files that may look flat, underexposed, or uncorrected. Losing XMP files means talent see inferior versions and may kill otherwise great shots.
Warning: The Cost of Missing XMP Files
We've seen productions lose thousands of pounds worth of photography work because XMP files were deleted or omitted by teams unsure of what they are. The images were technically there, but they looked nothing like what the photographer delivered - flat, incorrectly exposed, and unprofessional. The production had to either accept inferior images or pay for re-editing.
How XMP Files Work
Understanding the relationship between RAW files, XMP files, and JPGs is essential for managing your unit photography properly.
The File Relationship
When a photographer edits a RAW file in Adobe Lightroom or Camera Raw, the software creates an XMP sidecar file with the same filename as the image:
The RAW file and XMP file must stay together. If you move, rename, or organize files, both must be kept in sync or the editing information will be lost.
Sidecar XMP Files
RAW formats (NEF, CR2, ARW, RAF, etc.) cannot have editing data embedded, so they always use sidecar .xmp files. These files must be managed separately and kept with their corresponding images.
Embedded XMP Data
DNG, JPEG, TIFF, and PSD files can have XMP data embedded directly inside them, so no separate sidecar file is needed. However, some software still creates sidecar files even for these formats.
Common Problems with XMP Files
Based on working with over 120 film and TV productions, we've seen the same XMP-related problems occur repeatedly. Here are the most common issues:
XMP Files Get Separated from Images
This happens when files are organized into folders (e.g., by actor, by scene, by approval status) but the XMP files aren't moved along with the RAW files.
Result: You end up with RAW files that look completely different than what the photographer delivered.
File Renaming Breaks the Connection
If you rename IMAGE_001.NEF to "ActorName_Scene5.NEF" but don't also rename IMAGE_001.xmp to "ActorName_Scene5.xmp", the software can't find the editing instructions anymore. When renaming, use programs like Adobe Lightroom or Bridge as these will automatically rename any XMPs inline with the changes you make to your RAW files.
XMP Files Look Like "Junk" and Get Deleted
To someone unfamiliar with photography workflows, .xmp files look like random technical files that can be deleted to "clean up" the folder. This is disastrous and usually isn't discovered until it's too late to recover them.
Best Practices for Managing XMP Files
If you're managing unit photography yourself, here are professional best practices to avoid losing editing information:
1. Never Separate RAW and XMP Files
When moving, copying, or organizing RAW files, always ensure their corresponding .xmp files move with them and remain in the same folder alongside their RAW counterparts. Use software designed for photo management rather than manual file operations.
2. Rename Files in Pairs
If you must rename files, use batch renaming tools that automatically rename both the RAW file and its XMP sidecar file simultaneously while maintaining the connection.
3. Back Up Everything
Always back up both RAW files AND their XMP files together. A backup of just the RAW files is essentially useless if you lose the editing data.
4. Don't Filter Out XMP Files
When transferring files via cloud storage, WeTransfer, or other methods, ensure .xmp files aren't being filtered out or blocked. Some systems only transfer common file types by default.
5. Verify After File Operations
After copying, moving, or transferring files, open a few random images in Lightroom or Camera Raw to verify that the edits are still applied. If images suddenly look "raw" and unedited, the XMP files were lost.
6. Educate Your Team
Make sure everyone handling the files understands what XMP files are and why they're essential. One well-meaning team member trying to "clean up" a folder can destroy thousands of pounds worth of editing work.
Convert to DNG for Simplicity
If you're struggling to manage RAW + XMP file pairs, consider converting RAW files to Adobe's DNG format, which embeds all editing data inside the file itself. However, this should only be done with photographer approval and proper backup procedures in place.
XMP Files vs. Capture One Settings
While Adobe products use XMP files, Capture One (another professional photo editing application popular with unit photographers) uses a different system. Instead of .xmp files, Capture One stores editing settings in:
Capture One Settings files for individual images
A catalog database that contains all editing information
Editing Instructions Package files
Important Difference
Capture One's editing data is typically stored in a catalog file, not as individual sidecar files. This means if you receive files from a Capture One user, you need the catalog file or exported settings files—not XMP files. Always clarify with your photographer which software they use and how their editing data is structured.
If your photographer uses Capture One and has made editing adjustments, ask them to ensure their CaptureOne settings files are included in the delivery along with a catalog or sessions db file.
Overwhelmed by XMP Files and Technical File Management?
This is exactly why Image Approvals includes comprehensive technical file handling as standard. We manage RAW files, XMP files, Capture One settings, file organization, and everything else so you never have to worry about losing your photographer's work.
How Image Approvals Handles XMP Files
At Image Approvals, technical file management is included as standard in every talent approvals package. Here's how we handle XMP files (and all other technical aspects of unit photography) for you:
Professional Ingest & Audit
We verify that all RAW files have their corresponding XMP or settings files upon receipt. We check for file corruption, missing files, and compatibility issues before any other work begins.
Synchronized File Operations
When we rename, organize, or tag files, our systems automatically keep RAW files and their XMP files in perfect sync. We never separate them.
Editing Preservation
We maintain the integrity of your photographer's edits throughout the entire talent approval process. When distributors receive final deliverables, all editing data is preserved and documented.
Cross-Reference Systems
Our systems maintain cross-references between RAW files, XMP files, JPG previews, and renamed versions. If you need to pull out approved RAW files later, we can match them instantly.
Format Conversion
If needed, we can convert files to different formats (RAW to DNG, RAW to JPG, etc.) while preserving editing data and maintaining full traceability.
Complete Documentation
We provide detailed reports showing the relationship between all file formats and versions, ensuring you have complete transparency and traceability for your deliverables.
Why This Matters for Your Production
Without proper XMP file management:
- Talent see inferior versions of images and may kill shots that would have been approved if shown properly
- Distributors receive inconsistent quality because some images have edits and some don't
- You waste time and money either accepting subpar images or paying for re-editing work
- Your photographer's professional reputation suffers when images appear poorly edited
- Post-production teams struggle to match the look of images if some have lost their color corrections
Our technical file handling eliminates all of these risks. You get professionally managed photography assets with complete confidence that editing data is preserved, files are organized correctly, and your stills will look exactly as your photographer intended—from first talent review through final delivery.
Related Topics
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