Install exiftool with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage

Commands and aliases

• exiftool

Project history

ExifTool's first public release was version 1.00 on November 19, 2003, extracting metadata from JPEG and GIF images with Canon, FujiFilm, and Pentax maker-note support. Within weeks it added XMP, TIFF, RAW extraction, GPS recognition, thumbnail extraction, and support for more camera makers.

The project grew through constant format work rather than big rewrites. By 2006 it had a standalone Windows executable; by 2008 it had broad XMP and EXIF-writing improvements; by 2023 it celebrated its 20th anniversary while adding newer metadata domains such as C2PA JUMBF and JPH support.

The release stream remains unusually active for a metadata tool. The official history page lists production and development releases, with version 13.59 published on May 27, 2026 and version 13.55 identified as a production release.

Adoption history

ExifTool is distributed in several forms: source archives, CPAN-oriented Perl module packaging, a Windows executable bundle, and a macOS package that installs the command-line application and libraries under /usr/local/bin. Package managers carry it because scripts, photographers, archivists, forensics workflows, and media pipelines rely on the same executable contract.

Its adoption is reinforced by breadth. The homepage lists support for EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, JFIF, GeoTIFF, ICC profiles, Photoshop IRB, FlashPix, AFCP, ID3, maker notes from many camera vendors, timed video metadata, and tens of thousands of tags.

How it is used

Typical use starts with reading tags from files, but ExifTool's real command-line culture is batch work: writing or deleting metadata, copying metadata between files, exporting CSV/JSON/XML, geotagging from track logs, shifting timestamps, extracting previews, validating metadata, and renaming or organizing files from tag expressions.

The application documentation and configuration support make it script-friendly. Users can define custom tags, use config files, process directory trees, format output for other tools, and combine many operations into repeatable media-cleanup or archival workflows.

Why package nerds care

ExifTool is the metadata utility people install when the format list or maker-note edge cases matter more than a small dependency graph. It is a package-manager staple because the same command works across Unix, macOS, and Windows, while the upstream project continually tracks new cameras, phones, containers, standards, and malformed real-world files.

For maintainers, ExifTool is also a reminder that metadata tooling ages only if it stops moving. The package stays relevant by shipping frequent tag-table updates, compatibility fixes, security updates, and support for new file types long after the basic EXIF problem looked solved.

Timeline

• 2003-11-19: ExifTool 1.00 is initially released.
• 2006-11-19: ExifTool 6.57 includes the first standalone Windows executable.
• 2008-11-19: ExifTool 7.53 adds read/write support for EXIF files and block EXIF writing.
• 2023-11-19: ExifTool 12.70 marks the project's 20th anniversary.
• 2026-04-07: ExifTool 13.55 is listed as a production release.
• 2026-05-27: ExifTool 13.59 is released.

Related projects

• ExifTool overlaps with libexif, Exempi, Image::ExifTool on MetaCPAN, camera maker-note ecosystems, IPTC/XMP standards, and metadata-heavy workflows in photography, digital preservation, and media forensics.

Sources

• https://exiftool.org/
• https://exiftool.org/exiftool_pod.html
• https://exiftool.org/history.html
• https://exiftool.org/ancient_history.html
• https://exiftool.org/config.html
• https://github.com/exiftool/exiftool