Do you find yourself in the unenviable position of having to manage a large library of video files? That is often the situation many people find themselves in when they record and create video content, or even enjoy capturing lots of home movies.
Keeping track of all your video files can be difficult when you’re dealing with so many of them, and finding the specific one that you need can end up taking lots of time. That is why it is important to manage your video files effectively, and there are a few useful tips that can help with that:
Create a uniform organizational structure for files and folders
The first step to manage your video files effectively is to make sure they are all organized using the same structure. That includes both the folder structure as well as the filename convention that is used.
Typically filenames are best if they include the date the video was recorded, as well as other key details such as the event, place, or subject name.
The folder structure can then be used to categorize the videos. For example for videos from a trip, the main folder could be the name of the trip with subfolders for videos shot on different days or at different locations.
Add tags to video files with other information
Filenames and folders alone often aren’t enough to really organize videos files effectively. That is where adding tags to the files can help to include other information that makes it easier to search for the right video later on.
The exact tags that you’ll want to add will vary from video to video. Unlike the files and folder structure however there is no need to use the same exact tags across all videos – and you should just aim to include as much relevant information as necessary.
Backup videos using the 3-2-1 rule
It is important that you at least have one backup of your video files just in case something happens to the original files. However if you want to really be safe you should use the 3-2-1 backup rule.
To summarize it in simple terms what you need to do is create three copies of your videos in total. One copy can be stored on your computer, one on an external storage such as a USB or external hard drive, and one in a separate location (such as the cloud or an external hard drive that you keep in your office).
Be sure to update your backups on a regular basis so that they are always current.
Store video in the right format
As a general rule it is best to store your videos in the highest quality copy available – which is normally the original copy. The exceptions to that are if you know your videos need to be in a certain format for you to use them, or if you need to compress them to conserve space.
However for any old videos in obscure formats, it may be best to convert them to a format that you can definitely use without any issues. For example you can use Online Video Converter and follow the steps at https://www.videoconverter.com/how-to-convert-mov-to-mpeg.html.
If you use all of the tips described above you should find it much easier to manage your video files, and in a much more effective manner as well. At the end of the day that will enable you to find videos that you need far more easily and without wasting any time.
At first it may seem difficult to keep videos organized and manage them effectively. However in time it will get easier as you get used to the system that you’ve put in place.
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