Context and question

I recorded a video with my MotoG3 phone Android phone and the resulting video (perhaps due to shaking the phone) plays rotated, that is, vertically, which is not something that I want. The video was saved in an MP4 container.

Upon inspecting the file that was recorded, I saw (using both ffprobe and mediainfo) that it contains a flag that indicates that the video stream is rotated 90 degrees, which explains the rotation while playing the video. Here is the output from ffprobe:

$ ffprobe -hide_banner ~/Pictures/2016/06/19/vid_20160619_170845475.mp4 

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/home/rbrito/Pictures/2016/06/19/vid_20160619_170845475.mp4':

  Metadata:

    major_brand     : mp42

    minor_version   : 0

    compatible_brands: isommp42

    creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

    com.android.version: 6.0

  Duration: 00:17:01.96, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 17134 kb/s

    Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1920x1080, 17000 kb/s, SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9, 29 fps, 29.42 tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc (default)

    Metadata:

      rotate          : 90

      creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

      handler_name    : VideoHandle

      encoder         : MOTO

    Side data:

      displaymatrix: rotation of -90.00 degrees

    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default)

    Metadata:

      creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

      handler_name    : SoundHandle

Since this video is from one rare event with my son, I would like to minimally change the video file, preferrably, only removing the rotation metadata and nothing else.

Unfortunately, using information from other answers didn't help. I tried using:

ffmpeg -i ~/Pictures/2016/06/19/vid_20160619_170845475.mp4 -c copy -metadata:s:v:0 rotate=0 -an vid_20160619_170845475_unrotated.mp4

But other metadata, like the date etc. are not present in the resulting file. This, in particular, makes organizer programs be confused while showing the files by date, among other things.

Is there any way of minimally changing the input data (possibly remuxing it) so as to keep it as close as possible to the original data? In particular, I don't want to reencode the file.

Any tools that are available under Linux are preferred.

Extra information

Since the full output of ffmpeg was asked, here it goes. This is a pure Debian testing userland.

As a side note, ffmpeg is complaining about mismatched libraries because it is compiled two times in Debian, once without potentially problematic codecs and another with some extra codecs. I'm using the version with extra codecs, but I suppose that that doesn't matter, since only the muxing is being used here.

Metadata before remuxing

$ ffprobe ~/Pictures/2016/06/19/vid_20160619_170845475.mp4 

ffprobe version 3.0.2-4 Copyright (c) 2007-2016 the FFmpeg developers

  built with gcc 5.4.0 (Debian 5.4.0-3) 20160603

  configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=4 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --cc=cc --cxx=g++ --enable-gpl --enable-shared --disable-stripping --disable-decoder=libopenjpeg --disable-decoder=libschroedinger --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librubberband --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzvbi --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libiec61883 --enable-libzmq --enable-frei0r --enable-chromaprint --enable-libx264

  WARNING: library configuration mismatch

  avcodec     configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=4 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --cc=cc --cxx=g++ --enable-gpl --enable-shared --disable-stripping --disable-decoder=libopenjpeg --disable-decoder=libschroedinger --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librubberband --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzvbi --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libiec61883 --enable-libzmq --enable-frei0r --enable-chromaprint --enable-libx264 --enable-version3 --disable-doc --disable-programs --disable-avdevice --disable-avfilter --disable-avformat --disable-avresample --disable-postproc --disable-swscale --enable-libopencore_amrnb --enable-libopencore_amrwb --enable-libvo_amrwbenc

  libavutil      55. 17.103 / 55. 17.103

  libavcodec     57. 24.102 / 57. 24.102

  libavformat    57. 25.100 / 57. 25.100

  libavdevice    57.  0.101 / 57.  0.101

  libavfilter     6. 31.100 /  6. 31.100

  libavresample   3.  0.  0 /  3.  0.  0

  libswscale      4.  0.100 /  4.  0.100

  libswresample   2.  0.101 /  2.  0.101

  libpostproc    54.  0.100 / 54.  0.100

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/home/rbrito/Pictures/2016/06/19/vid_20160619_170845475.mp4':

  Metadata:

    major_brand     : mp42

    minor_version   : 0

    compatible_brands: isommp42

    creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

    com.android.version: 6.0

  Duration: 00:17:01.96, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 17134 kb/s

    Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1920x1080, 17000 kb/s, SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9, 29 fps, 29.42 tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc (default)

    Metadata:

      rotate          : 90

      creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

      handler_name    : VideoHandle

      encoder         : MOTO

    Side data:

      displaymatrix: rotation of -90.00 degrees

    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default)

    Metadata:

      creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

      handler_name    : SoundHandle

The remuxing process

Note here that the audio metadata is not copied (which I expected, due to the -metadata:s:v:0 option) and ffmpeg tells me that it is copying the video metadata (without the rotation setting).

$ ffmpeg -i ~/Pictures/2016/06/19/vid_20160619_170845475.mp4 -c copy -metadata:s:v:0 rotate=0 -an vid_20160619_170845475_unrotated.mp4 

ffmpeg version 3.0.2-4 Copyright (c) 2000-2016 the FFmpeg developers

  built with gcc 5.4.0 (Debian 5.4.0-3) 20160603

  configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=4 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --cc=cc --cxx=g++ --enable-gpl --enable-shared --disable-stripping --disable-decoder=libopenjpeg --disable-decoder=libschroedinger --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librubberband --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzvbi --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libiec61883 --enable-libzmq --enable-frei0r --enable-chromaprint --enable-libx264

  WARNING: library configuration mismatch

  avcodec     configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=4 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --cc=cc --cxx=g++ --enable-gpl --enable-shared --disable-stripping --disable-decoder=libopenjpeg --disable-decoder=libschroedinger --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librubberband --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzvbi --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libiec61883 --enable-libzmq --enable-frei0r --enable-chromaprint --enable-libx264 --enable-version3 --disable-doc --disable-programs --disable-avdevice --disable-avfilter --disable-avformat --disable-avresample --disable-postproc --disable-swscale --enable-libopencore_amrnb --enable-libopencore_amrwb --enable-libvo_amrwbenc

  libavutil      55. 17.103 / 55. 17.103

  libavcodec     57. 24.102 / 57. 24.102

  libavformat    57. 25.100 / 57. 25.100

  libavdevice    57.  0.101 / 57.  0.101

  libavfilter     6. 31.100 /  6. 31.100

  libavresample   3.  0.  0 /  3.  0.  0

  libswscale      4.  0.100 /  4.  0.100

  libswresample   2.  0.101 /  2.  0.101

  libpostproc    54.  0.100 / 54.  0.100

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/home/rbrito/Pictures/2016/06/19/vid_20160619_170845475.mp4':

  Metadata:

    major_brand     : mp42

    minor_version   : 0

    compatible_brands: isommp42

    creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

    com.android.version: 6.0

  Duration: 00:17:01.96, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 17134 kb/s

    Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1920x1080, 17000 kb/s, SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9, 29 fps, 29.42 tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc (default)

    Metadata:

      rotate          : 90

      creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

      handler_name    : VideoHandle

      encoder         : MOTO

    Side data:

      displaymatrix: rotation of -90.00 degrees

    Stream #0:1(eng): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default)

    Metadata:

      creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

      handler_name    : SoundHandle

Output #0, mp4, to 'vid_20160619_170845475_unrotated.mp4':

  Metadata:

    major_brand     : mp42

    minor_version   : 0

    compatible_brands: isommp42

    com.android.version: 6.0

    encoder         : Lavf57.25.100

    Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 ([33][0][0][0] / 0x0021), yuv420p, 1920x1080 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=2-31, 17000 kb/s, 29 fps, 29.42 tbr, 90k tbn, 90k tbc (default)

    Metadata:

      encoder         : MOTO

      creation_time   : 2016-06-19 20:25:49

      handler_name    : VideoHandle

      rotate          : 0

Stream mapping:

  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (copy)

Press [q] to stop, [?] for help

frame=29640 fps=403 q=-1.0 Lsize= 2121038kB time=00:17:01.91 bitrate=17003.0kbits/s speed=13.9x    

video:2120800kB audio:0kB subtitle:0kB other streams:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead: 0.011211%

Metadata after remuxing

Note here that there is no video metadata in the output, only container-level metadata.

$ ffprobe vid_20160619_170845475_unrotated.mp4 

ffprobe version 3.0.2-4 Copyright (c) 2007-2016 the FFmpeg developers

  built with gcc 5.4.0 (Debian 5.4.0-3) 20160603

  configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=4 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --cc=cc --cxx=g++ --enable-gpl --enable-shared --disable-stripping --disable-decoder=libopenjpeg --disable-decoder=libschroedinger --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librubberband --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzvbi --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libiec61883 --enable-libzmq --enable-frei0r --enable-chromaprint --enable-libx264

  WARNING: library configuration mismatch

  avcodec     configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=4 --toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --cc=cc --cxx=g++ --enable-gpl --enable-shared --disable-stripping --disable-decoder=libopenjpeg --disable-decoder=libschroedinger --enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca --enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse --enable-librubberband --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libshine --enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzvbi --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-libiec61883 --enable-libzmq --enable-frei0r --enable-chromaprint --enable-libx264 --enable-version3 --disable-doc --disable-programs --disable-avdevice --disable-avfilter --disable-avformat --disable-avresample --disable-postproc --disable-swscale --enable-libopencore_amrnb --enable-libopencore_amrwb --enable-libvo_amrwbenc

  libavutil      55. 17.103 / 55. 17.103

  libavcodec     57. 24.102 / 57. 24.102

  libavformat    57. 25.100 / 57. 25.100

  libavdevice    57.  0.101 / 57.  0.101

  libavfilter     6. 31.100 /  6. 31.100

  libavresample   3.  0.  0 /  3.  0.  0

  libswscale      4.  0.100 /  4.  0.100

  libswresample   2.  0.101 /  2.  0.101

  libpostproc    54.  0.100 / 54.  0.100

Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'vid_20160619_170845475_unrotated.mp4':

  Metadata:

    major_brand     : isom

    minor_version   : 512

    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41

    encoder         : Lavf57.25.100

  Duration: 00:17:01.95, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 17002 kb/s

    Stream #0:0(eng): Video: h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p, 1920x1080, 17000 kb/s, 29 fps, 29.42 tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc (default)

    Metadata:

      handler_name    : VideoHandler

FFmpeg by default doesn't transfer most user metadata over, but it does transfer fields like rotation tag.

The command below instructs FFmpeg to transfer all metadata over but then overrides the rotation tag value.

ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -c copy -map_metadata 0 -metadata:s:v:0 rotate=0 -an out.mp4

• 
  

  Install mutagen python library:

  
  
  

  python3.6 -m pip install --user mutagen
  
  

  
  
  

  or:

  
  
  

  python2.7 -m pip install --user mutagen
  
  

  
  
  

  Mutagen is a Python module to handle audio metadata.

  
  



• Save the below content as metadata_cleaner.py but you can name it anything.




• Change the VIDEO_FOLDER = 'your_full_path_for_your_videos_folder' variable.




• Modify the attributes you want to overwrite between the lines where it says "Your changes".




• Run python metadata_cleaner.py anywhere.

Here is the script:

import os

from mutagen.mp4 import MP4

## Can import MP3 as well if you want to modify MP3 files



## Folder full path to the files you want to modify:



FILES_FOLDER = "/media/removable/64GB-Micro/FilesToClean"



def get_all_files(path):

    """Returns all the files in the path as a list

    """

    return os.listdir(path)



def clean_metadata(videos_dir, files):

    """

    Receives two variables videos_dir (full file folder path) and files (list)

    Iterates over all the files in the directory and creates full paths for 

    every file using the videos_dir path and os.path.join function.

    """

    for file_name in files:

        file_path = os.path.join(videos_dir, file_name)



        ## create MP4 video_file instance



        video_file = MP4(file_path)



        ## This line will print out all key-value for the video_file-s:

        ## Useful if you don't know which attributes you want to modify yet



        print(video_file)



        ## In this example I wanted to clean the ART, aArt = Artist metadata

        ## and nam = Song Name metadata

        ## These prints will show artists and titles for each file before clean

        ## -------------------------- Your changes ---------------------------

        print("file_name: {}".format(file_name))

        print("Old ART: {}".format(video_file.get('xa9ART', "Key not found")))

        print("Old aArt: {}".format(video_file.get('aART', "Key not found")))

        print("Old nam: {}".format(video_file.get('xa9nam', "Key not found")))



        ## clean artist and name

        ## This part will overwrite the artist and song name attributes



        video_file['xa9ART'] = ''

        video_file['aART'] = ''

        video_file['xa9nam'] = ''

        ## -------------------------- Your changes ---------------------------

        ## save new metadata



        video_file.save()



        ## show video_file artist and title after clean

        ## Just to see if our actions were successful print out song metadata

        ## again after the changes



        print("New ART: {}".format(video_file.get('xa9ART', "Key not found")))

        print("New aArt: {}".format(video_file.get('aART', "Key not found")))

        print("New nam: {}".format(video_file.get('xa9nam', "Key not found")))





if __name__ == '__main__':

    ## load all the files into files variable as a list



    files = get_all_files(FILES_FOLDER)



    ## run clean_metadata function to clean all the files in the VIDEO_FOLDER

    ## path

    clean_metadata(videos_dir=FILES_FOLDER, files=files)