MovieTagger 1.5

MovieTagger 1.5 makes metadata writes safer and removes the extra confirmation: clicking Write Metadata now starts the operation immediately.

Changes

• Writes are prepared in a temporary copy and replace the original only after completion. APFS uses a fast copy-on-write clone when available; other volumes may need space for a full copy.
• Fixed handling of extended MP4 atom headers and open-ended media atoms. Malformed or unsupported layouts are rejected without changing the original.
• Editing the year now updates the embedded date as well as the filename.
• Unrelated metadata tags are preserved, along with existing artwork when no replacement poster is available.
• Writes survive window navigation without restarting. File selection and app updates are blocked while a write is in progress.
• API keys now use macOS Keychain, with automatic migration from the previous encrypted-file storage.
• Added 22 automated tests and macOS CI, including a real H.264 MP4 test that verifies encoded video samples and duration survive tagging unchanged.

Compatibility

Requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. The download contains a universal app for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, signed with Developer ID, notarized by Apple, and stapled for offline verification.

Some uncommon MP4 layouts are intentionally rejected safely: fragmented movies, non-iTunes metadata handlers in udta/meta, movie indexes over 256 MB, and open-ended terminal atoms over 4 GB that need resizing. Ordinary large MP4 files with explicitly sized media atoms remain supported.

Install

Download MovieTagger-1.5.zip, unzip it, and move MovieTagger.app into Applications. Existing installations can also use Check for Updates. A SHA-256 checksum file is attached for download verification.

MovieTagger 1.4

Fixes automatic updates getting stuck at "Installing…".

If you're updating from 1.3, please read this

Version 1.3 has a bug in its updater, so this one last update may appear to hang at "Installing…" and never reopen the app. If that happens: quit MovieTagger and open it again — the update has already installed correctly. Nothing is lost or damaged. From 1.4 onward updates complete and relaunch on their own.

What was wrong

Accepting an update downloaded, verified, and installed the new version correctly, but the app couldn't quit itself afterwards, so it sat on the "Installing…" screen and never reopened. macOS refuses an app's request to quit while a window like the update panel is still on screen — and the updater was asking from behind exactly that panel.

What's fixed

• The update panel closes before the app quits, so the app now exits and reopens on its own.
• If macOS still declines, the app exits anyway rather than sitting there — the update is already installed at that point.
• The previous version is kept safely on disk until the new one has launched, then cleaned up.
• Updates are refused while metadata is being written to one of your files, so an update can never interrupt a write.
• If the relaunch helper can't start, you get a clear message instead of the app simply disappearing.

Install

Download MovieTagger-1.4.zip below, unzip, and drag MovieTagger.app to your Applications folder. Requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. Signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple — no security warnings.

MovieTagger 1.3

Choosing a movie is now essentially instant. If you're on 1.2, MovieTagger will offer you this update automatically.

Faster movie selection

Picking a movie from the search results used to pause — sometimes for a noticeable beat — before the metadata screen appeared. Three separate things were responsible, and all three are fixed:

• Movie details now load ahead of time. As soon as you click a result, its details start downloading in the background, so by the time you press Choose they're usually already there.
• The metadata screen appears immediately. It used to build the entire form before it could draw anything — measured at over half a second on a large cast. It now appears at once and fills in.
• No more stalling on your movie's disk. The rename preview checked your movie folder for filename conflicts on the main thread. On a NAS or an external drive that had just spun down, that alone could freeze the app for seconds. Those checks now happen in the background and can never block the interface.

Also improved

• The poster image is decoded once instead of on every keystroke, so typing in the metadata fields stays smooth.
• Cancelling a movie that's still loading now actually stops the request.
• The poster chooser becomes available sooner.
• The write confirmation always names the exact file the write will produce, even while you're editing.

Install

Download MovieTagger-1.3.zip below, unzip, and drag MovieTagger.app to your Applications folder. Requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. Signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple — no security warnings.

MovieTagger 1.2

MovieTagger now updates itself. This is the last release you'll need to download by hand — from 1.2 onward, the app checks for new versions and offers to install them for you.

Install

1. Download MovieTagger-1.2.zip below and unzip it.
2. Drag MovieTagger.app to your Applications folder (replace the old version).

Requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. Signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple — no security warnings.

Automatic updates

• MovieTagger checks this repo's releases about once a day (toggle it off in Settings if you prefer), and there's a Check for Updates… item in the app menu plus a Check Now button in Settings.
• When a new version is available you'll see the release notes and choose Update Now or Later — nothing ever installs without your say-so, and downloads can be cancelled mid-flight.
• Security: every downloaded update is cryptographically verified against this developer's signing identity before it's installed — a tampered or re-signed download is rejected and discarded. Older versions are never offered (no downgrades).
• If anything goes wrong mid-install, the running version is restored automatically.

Also in this release

• The repository is now public — release pages and download links work for everyone.

MovieTagger 1.1

A major usability release: a redesigned app icon and 40+ fixes from a full UX and accessibility review. Signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple — installs with no Gatekeeper warning.

Install

1. Download MovieTagger-1.1.zip below and unzip it.
2. Drag MovieTagger.app to your Applications folder (replace 1.0 if present).

Requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later and a free TMDb API key.

New icon

A clean, modern clapperboard that finally looks at home in the Dock — and stays legible all the way down to 16px.

Safer file handling

• No more surprise " (1)" renames: re-tagging a file already named to your pattern keeps its name; the rename preview now shows exactly what will happen, including collision handling.
• Confirmation before the irreversible in-place metadata write, with the exact rename spelled out.
• Empty or invalid naming patterns can no longer rename files to invisible dotfiles.
• Unreadable files are rejected when selected, not after a wasted trip through the whole flow.
• A rename failure after a successful write is now reported accurately.

Smoother workflow

• Search results survive Back navigation; the results list supports real keyboard use (arrows, Return, Escape) and the search field is focused on entry.
• Going Back from Review & Edit no longer destroys your edits; Cancel asks before discarding.
• Loading a movie can be cancelled and never yanks you to a screen you already left.
• File → Open MP4… (Cmd+O), a window title that shows the file being tagged, and no more confusing duplicate windows.
• Genres are now editable like every other field; failed poster loads get a retry button.

Settings that behave like macOS

• Your TMDb API key is verified live against TMDb before saving — with whitespace trimming and a clear message if you pasted the (wrong) v4 token.
• Settings apply instantly; keys can be revealed while typing and removed entirely.
• Closing Settings can no longer silently lose a freshly pasted key.

Accessibility

• VoiceOver labels across the app: drop zone, search results, poster picker (with selection state), settings, and all form fields.
• Bigger hit targets for tag-remove buttons; Escape/Return keyboard shortcuts on every screen where they're safe.

MovieTagger 1.0

First public release — a native macOS app that tags MP4 video files with rich movie metadata from TMDb, writing directly into the MP4 atoms with no re-encoding.

Install

1. Download MovieTagger-1.0.zip below and unzip it.
2. Drag MovieTagger.app to your Applications folder.
3. Launch it — signed with Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it opens with no Gatekeeper warning.

Requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. You'll need a free TMDb API key (enter it in Settings).

Highlights

• Lossless metadata written straight to the MP4 moov atom — audio/video untouched
• TMDb search with poster art embedded into the file
• Token-based renaming (e.g. {title} ({year})) with live preview
• Encrypted local API-key storage (ChaCha20-Poly1305)
• No third-party dependencies — pure Apple frameworks