Why worry about metadata?
Any time you create media, you need to create accompanying data.
All the written material you create about your audio or video product makes it easier for you and your audience to find, and the best place to store it is in metadata. This is the data that’s actually encoded with your video or audio file, the stuff you can see if you view the properties of a file.
When you edit a file and export it, most editing software gives you the opportunity to edit the metadata on the file. Here is where you want to add your details as the copyright holder, plus any identifying notes like the name of the file, a series name if there is one, or the release date. Not only is this useful for other people using the file, it’s vital for you, for storage and reuse.
The simplest, most effective way to help yourself make the most of your media material, is to store it properly. If you don’t know what you have, you won’t use it! So try to establish a routine in how you name files, rather than leaving them with a string of numbers. It doesn’t have to be complicated. If your video series has a name, the initials of the series, plus a number will do. If you’re working on a podcast, names the parts before you edit them together - ‘ep6 intro’ is far easier to find than ‘4508912349.mp3’. Trust me, you’ll thank me one day.
More broadly speaking, metadata is vital for helping people to find your recordings once they are out in the world. Searchable show notes for your podcast should be included on your website. This is a simple way to increase the SEO of your podcast. Include an embedded player or a Podfollow link to the episode to make it easier for people to find the episode in question and subscribe. Videos should be properly named, yet again, to help with searches, if you can add a transcript to your site, even better.
