XMP sidecar files are small files that Narrative saves next to your RAW photos. They hold your ratings and other changes, so Narrative never has to change your original RAW files.
What does an XMP file look like?
Each XMP file has the same name as its photo, with .xmp on the end. For example, a RAW photo called IMG_1234.CR3 has an XMP file called IMG_1234.xmp in the same folder.
XMP files are very small, so they won't take up much space on your drive.
Why does Narrative use XMP files?
Narrative uses XMP files because they're more reliable than writing to RAW files. There are dozens of RAW formats, and each one stores information slightly differently. With XMP files, Narrative only reads your original RAW files and never changes them.
What does Narrative save in an XMP file?
Narrative saves these changes in XMP files as you work:
Star ratings, color labels, tags and rejects.
Crop and rotation.
Changes to capture time.
For RAW files (including DNG) and HEIC files, Narrative saves these changes in an XMP file. For JPEGs, Narrative saves them inside the JPEG file itself, like other photo programs do. It doesn't create an XMP file. Narrative doesn't save keywords.
Why do I need to keep XMP files with my photos?
You need to keep each XMP file in the same folder as its RAW photo, or you'll lose your ratings and other changes. This matters when you copy, move, rename or back up your photos.
To keep them together, use Narrative to move or copy your photos and to rename them. Narrative moves, copies and renames the XMP files with them.
Important: Before you delete photos or format a memory card, check your photos and their XMP files have copied safely.
Can I turn off XMP files?
You can't turn off XMP files for RAW photos. Narrative needs them to save your changes without touching your original RAW files. You don't need to open or edit XMP files yourself.
Are XMP files a backup of my photos?
XMP files aren't a backup. They don't contain your photos. They also don't hold Scenes, AI assessments or People Filter information, which Narrative keeps in the project.
Keep backups of your original photos and their XMP files. Learn how Narrative saves your progress.
Can every editing program read my XMP files?
Editing programs read different information from XMP files. For example, some programs don't show tags or rejects. To find out more, see My editing program can't see the tags or reject labels I apply in Narrative and Why are my ratings, tags or AI Presets not appearing inside of Lightroom?