Access media items

REST

Here is a GET request:

GET https://photoslibrary.googleapis.com/v1/mediaItems/media-item-id
Content-type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer oauth2-token

The response for a photo media item looks like this. The photo property contains metadata for photo items.

{
  "id": "media-item-id",
  "description": "item-description",
  "productUrl": "url-to-open-in-google-photos",
  "baseUrl": "base-url_do-not-use-directly",
  "mimeType": "mime-type-of-media",
  "filename": "item-filename",
  "mediaMetadata": {
    "width": "media-item-width",
    "height": "media-item-height",
    "creationTime": "media-item-creation-time",
    "photo": {
       "cameraMake": "make-of-the-camera",
       "cameraModel": "model-of-the-camera",
       "focalLength": "focal-length-of-the-camera-lens",
       "apertureFNumber": "aperture-f-number-of-the-camera-lens",
       "isoEquivalent": "iso-of-the-camera",
       "exposureTime": "exposure-time-of-the-camera-aperture"
    }
  },
  "contributorInfo": {
    "profilePictureBaseUrl": "profile-picture-base-url_do-not-use-directly",
    "displayName": "name-of-user"
  }
}

The response for a video media item looks like this. The video property contains metadata for video items.

{
  "id": "media-item-id",
  "description": "item-description",
  "productUrl": "url-to-open-in-google-photos",
  "baseUrl": "base-url_do-not-use-directly",
  "mimeType": "mime-type-of-media",
  "filename": "item-filename",
  "mediaMetadata": {
    "width": "media-item-width",
    "height": "media-item-height",
    "creationTime": "media-item-creation-time",
    "video": {
     "cameraMake": "make-of-the-camera",
     "cameraModel": "model-of-the-camera",
     "fps": "frame-rate-of-the-video",
     "status": "READY"
    },
  },
  "contributorInfo": {
    "profilePictureBaseUrl": "profile-picture-base-url_do-not-use-directly",
    "displayName": "name-of-user"
  }
}

Java

The photo property contains metadata for photo items.

try {
  // Get a media item using its ID
  String mediaItemId = "...";
  MediaItem item = photosLibraryClient.getMediaItem(mediaItemId);
  // Get some properties from the retrieved media item
  String id = item.getId();
  String description = item.getDescription();
  String baseUrl = item.getBaseUrl();
  String productUrl = item.getProductUrl();
  // ...
  if (item.hasMediaMetadata()) {
    // The media item contains additional metadata, such as the height and width
    MediaMetadata metadata = item.getMediaMetadata();
    long height = metadata.getHeight();
    long width = metadata.getWidth();
    Timestamp creationTime = metadata.getCreationTime();
    // ...
    if (metadata.hasPhoto()) {
      // This media item is a photo and has additional photo metadata
      Photo photoMetadata = metadata.getPhoto();
      String cameraMake = photoMetadata.getCameraMake();
      String cameraModel = photoMetadata.getCameraModel();
      float aperture = photoMetadata.getApertureFNumber();
      int isoEquivalent = photoMetadata.getIsoEquivalent();
      // ...
    }
  }
  if (item.hasContributorInfo()) {
    // A user has contributed this media item  to a shared album
    ContributorInfo contributorInfo = item.getContributorInfo();
    String profilePictureBaseUrl = contributorInfo.getProfilePictureBaseUrl();
    String displayName = contributorInfo.getDisplayName();
  }
} catch (ApiException e) {
  // Handle error
}

The video property contains metadata for video items.

try {
  // Get a media item using its ID
  String mediaItemId = "...";
  MediaItem item = photosLibraryClient.getMediaItem(mediaItemId);
  // Get some properties from the retrieved media item
  String id = item.getId();
  String description = item.getDescription();
  String baseUrl = item.getBaseUrl();
  String productUrl = item.getProductUrl();
  // ...
  if (item.hasMediaMetadata()) {
    // The media item contains additional metadata, such as the height and width
    MediaMetadata metadata = item.getMediaMetadata();
    long height = metadata.getHeight();
    long width = metadata.getWidth();
    Timestamp creationTime = metadata.getCreationTime();
    // ...

    if (metadata.hasVideo()) {
      // This media item is a video and has additional video metadata
      Video videoMetadata = metadata.getVideo();
      VideoProcessingStatus status = videoMetadata.getStatus();
      if (status.equals(VideoProcessingStatus.READY)) {
        // This video media item has been processed
        String cameraMake = videoMetadata.getCameraMake();
        String cameraModel = videoMetadata.getCameraModel();
        double fps = videoMetadata.getFps();
        // ...
      }
    }
  }

  if (item.hasContributorInfo()) {
    // A user has contributed this media item  to a shared album
    ContributorInfo contributorInfo = item.getContributorInfo();
    String profilePictureBaseUrl = contributorInfo.getProfilePictureBaseUrl();
    String displayName = contributorInfo.getDisplayName();
  }
} catch (ApiException e) {
  // Handle error
}

PHP

The photo property contains metadata for photo items.

try {
    // Get a media item using its ID
    $mediaItemId = "...";
    $item = $photosLibraryClient->getMediaItem($mediaItemId);
    // Get some properties from the retrieved media item
    $id = $item->getId();
    $description = $item->getDescription();
    $baseUrl = $item->getBaseUrl();
    $productUrl = $item->getProductUrl();
    // ...
    $metadata = $item->getMediaMetadata();
    if (!is_null($metadata)) {
        // The media item contains additional metadata, such as the height and width
        $height = $metadata->getHeight();
        $width = $metadata->getWidth();
        $creationTime = $metadata->getCreationTime();
        // ...
        $photoMetadata = $metadata->getPhoto();
        if (!is_null($photoMetadata)) {
            // This media item is a photo and has additional photo metadata
            $cameraMake = $photoMetadata->getCameraMake();
            $cameraModel = $photoMetadata->getCameraModel();
            $aperture = $photoMetadata->getApertureFNumber();
            $isoEquivalent = $photoMetadata->getIsoEquivalent();
            // ...
        }
    }
    $contributorInfo = $item->getContributorInfo();
    if (!is_null($contributorInfo)) {
        // A user has contributed this media item to a shared album
        $profilePictureBaseUrl = $contributorInfo->getProfilePictureBaseUrl();
        $displayName = $contributorInfo->getDisplayName();
    }
} catch (\Google\ApiCore\ApiException $e) {
    // Handle error
}

The video property contains metadata for video items.

  try {
    // Get a media item using its ID
    $mediaItemId = "...";
    $item = $photosLibraryClient->getMediaItem($mediaItemId);
    // Get some properties from the retrieved media item
    $id = $item->getId();
    $description = $item->getDescription();
    $baseUrl = $item->getBaseUrl();
    $productUrl = $item->getProductUrl();
    // ...
    $metadata = $item->getMediaMetadata();
    if (!is_null($metadata)) {
        // The media item contains additional metadata, such as the height and width
        $height = $metadata->getHeight();
        $width = $metadata->getWidth();
        $creationTime = $metadata->getCreationTime();
        // ...
        $videoMetadata = $metadata->getVideo();
        if (!is_null($videoMetadata)) {
            // This media item is a video and has additional video metadata
            if (VideoProcessingStatus::READY == $videoMetadata->getStatus()) {
            // This video media item has been processed
                $cameraMake = $videoMetadata->getCameraMake();
                $cameraModel = $videoMetadata->getCameraModel();
                $fps = $videoMetadata->getFps();
                // ...
            }
        }
    }
    $contributorInfo = $item->getContributorInfo();
    if (!is_null($contributorInfo)) {
        // A user has contributed this media item to a shared album
        $profilePictureBaseUrl = $contributorInfo->getProfilePictureBaseUrl();
        $displayName = $contributorInfo->getDisplayName();
    }
} catch (\Google\ApiCore\ApiException $e) {
    // Handle error
}

REST

Here is a GET request that shows successful and unsuccessful access of media items. Specify each media item identifier as a new mediaItemIds query parameter as part of the request:

GET https://photoslibrary.googleapis.com/v1/mediaItems:batchGet?mediaItemIds=media-item-id&mediaItemIds=another-media-item-id&mediaItemIds=incorrect-media-item-id
Content-type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer oauth2-token

The GET request returns the following response:

{
  "mediaItemResults": [
    {
      "mediaItem": {
        "id": "media-item-id",
        ...
      }
    },
    {
      "mediaItem": {
        "id": "another-media-item-id",
        ...
      }
    },
    {
      "status": {
        "code": 3,
        "message": "Invalid media item ID."
      }
    }
  ]
}

Java

try {
  // List of media item IDs to retrieve
  List<String> mediaItemIds = Arrays
      .asList("MEDIA_ITEM_ID", "ANOTHER_MEDIA_ITEM_ID", "INCORRECT_MEDIA_ITEM_ID");

  // Get a list of media items using their IDs
  BatchGetMediaItemsResponse response = photosLibraryClient
      .batchGetMediaItems(mediaItemIds);

  // Loop over each result
  for (MediaItemResult result : response.getMediaItemResultsList()) {

    // Each MediaItemresult contains a status and a media item
    if (result.hasMediaItem()) {
      // The media item was successfully retrieved, get some properties
      MediaItem item = result.getMediaItem();
      String id = item.getId();
      // ...
    } else {
      // If the media item is not set, an error occurred and the item could not be loaded
      // Check the status and handle the error
      Status status = result.getStatus();
      // ...
    }

  }
} catch (ApiException e) {
  // Handle error
}

PHP

try {

    // List of media item IDs to retrieve
    $mediaItemIds = ["MEDIA_ITEM_ID", "ANOTHER_MEDIA_ITEM_ID", "INCORRECT_MEDIA_ITEM_ID"];

    // Get a list of media items using their IDs
    $response = $photosLibraryClient->batchGetMediaItems($mediaItemIds);

    // Loop over each result
    foreach ($response->getMediaItemResults() as $itemResult) {

        // Each MediaItemresult contains a status and a media item
        $mediaItem = $itemResult->getMediaItem();

        if(!is_null($mediaItem)){
            // The media item was successfully retrieved, get some properties
            $id = $mediaItem->getId();
            // ...
        } else {
            // If the media item is null, an error occurred and the item could not be loaded
        }
    }

} catch (\Google\ApiCore\ApiException $e) {
    // Handle error
}