Many GoPro users wonder if they need to keep the THM files that are generated along with their MP4 video files. THM files contain thumbnail images and metadata to help GoPro import and manage video files. Here’s a quick rundown of what THM files are and whether you need to keep them:
What are THM files?
THM stands for Thumbnail. These small files are generated automatically when you record video on a GoPro camera. For each MP4 video file, the camera creates a corresponding THM file in the same folder.
The THM file contains a low-resolution thumbnail image of the first frame of the video. It also includes basic metadata about the video such as the resolution, frame rate, duration, orientation, and more.
When you connect your GoPro to import files, software like the GoPro Quik app uses the THM files to quickly display an image preview and details about each video without having to open the large video files themselves.
Do you need to keep THM files?
Whether you need to keep the THM files depends on how you manage and edit your GoPro videos after importing them.
If you only use the GoPro Quik app
If you primarily import and edit your videos through the Quik app, then you do not need to keep the THM files after import.
The Quik app copies the thumbnail image and metadata from each THM file into its own library when you first connect your GoPro. Once this data is extracted, the THM files are no longer needed for previewing or editing in Quik.
You can safely delete the THM files from your SD card after importing to regain storage space.
If you use professional editing software
If you use advanced editing software like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro, it’s a good idea to keep the THM files.
Unlike Quik, professional editors maintain their own central media libraries and do not extract thumbnail images on import. The editing software will continue looking for the THM files to display video previews and metadata in its library.
If you delete the THM files, you may lose the ability to conveniently view video thumbnails and details when editing. Your clips may appear as generic icons or placeholders without associated metadata.
If you manage files yourself
Some users like to manually manage their GoPro files by moving them out of the DCIM folder on the SD card and into their own storage system. In this case, THM files can still be useful for visually identifying video files when browsing folders on your computer.
The thumbnail acts like a preview so you can easily recognize the content of each video without opening it. If file names alone aren’t enough for you to identify clips, keeping the THMs can be helpful.
Tips for managing THM files
Here are some tips for effectively managing THM files:
- After importing to Quik, delete THMs from your SD card to free up space.
- When using professional editing software, keep THMs with the video files for best performance.
- If manually managing files, decide if THMs are useful visual identifiers for you or not.
- Store THMs and videos together in the same folders for organization.
- Use the ‘convert to DNG’ option in Quik to remove THMs and optimize files.
- Disable THM creation in camera settings if you never use them.
Do THM files take up significant space?
THM files are much smaller than video files, typically under 1 MB each. Deleting them can recover some storage space but not a significant amount compared to large MP4 files.
For example, if you shoot a 5 minute video at 4K resolution, the MP4 file may be around 500 MB, while the THM for the same clip is usually less than 1 MB.
Managing THM files is more about keeping things organized and optimized rather than recovering a lot of storage capacity.
Can you play back or edit THM files?
No, THM files cannot be played, viewed or edited like normal image or video files. They contain low-resolution thumbnails not meant for direct use.
THM files are only designed to be used indirectly by GoPro software and editing applications. If you try to open a THM file directly, you’ll get an error that the file type is unsupported.
Do other camera brands have THM files?
THM files are unique to GoPro cameras. Other brands like Sony, Canon, or Nikon do not create THM files.
Different camera manufacturers use their own systems to generate thumbnails and metadata. For example, Canon creates .THM files on some models, while Sony uses .XML files instead.
Can you create THM files manually?
There is no official way to manually generate THM files for GoPro videos as a user.
The THM format is proprietary to GoPro, and the files contain more detailed metadata than just thumbnails. This data can only be created by GoPro cameras.
If you need to replace missing THM files, your only option is to re-import the video files on your GoPro which will regenerate the THMs.
Do you need THM files for editing?
As discussed above, whether you need THM files or not depends on your video editing workflow:
- GoPro Quik app – THM files NOT needed for editing
- Professional editors like Premiere Pro – Keep THM files for best performance
- Manual file management – Optional for identifying clips
For quick edits and trimming in Quik, THMs are not essential once the files are imported. But more advanced software relies on THMs to display metadata and previews, so they are recommended for professional editing.
Can you recover deleted THM files?
It may be possible to recover deleted THM files using file recovery software as long as the storage device has not been overwritten. However, since THM files are much smaller than videos, they are often overwritten quite quickly as new data is added.
If you cannot recover the original THMs, your best option is to re-import the videos into GoPro Quik which will generate new THM files.
Do THM files take up space on your phone?
When you transfer GoPro video files to your phone, only the MP4s are copied over. The THM files do not take up any extra space on your phone storage.
Apps like Quik for mobile build their thumbnail previews using the image frames extracted from the video files. So THM files are not needed and do not get transferred from the camera.
Should you delete THM files before editing?
For most users, it is fine to delete THM files before editing if you only use the Quik app. Quik maintains its own preview library and does not require the THMs after initial import.
However, as noted above, professional editing software like Premiere Pro relies on THMs for optimal performance when editing. So for advanced editing, it’s best to keep the THMs with your video files.
Conclusion
THM files provide small conveniences when organizing and editing GoPro videos, but are not strictly necessary. Whether you should keep or delete them depends on your specific workflow.
For quick Quik edits, feel free to remove THMs to recover space after importing. But more professional users will want to maintain THM files alongside their video clips for the best experience in dedicated editing programs.
Understanding what THM files are and how different pieces of software use them allows you to create an effective file management strategy for your needs.
| Software | Keep THM Files? |
|---|---|
| GoPro Quik App | No |
| Adobe Premiere Pro | Yes |
| Final Cut Pro X | Yes |
| Manual File Management | Optional |
By selectively keeping or deleting THM files based on your editing workflow, you can strike the right balance of convenience and optimal storage use when working with GoPro videos.