Streaming Libraries from the Cloud?

[james090]

Hope this isn't a daft question, but is it possible to stream libraries yet, from a Cloud based subscription, like Google Drive, or iCloud?

I have an M1 Max Macbook and used a Samsung SSD T9 to stream Kontakt Libraries, and REFX Nexus Library content.

The SSD now seems to be giving errors at times, as I think I'm just unlucky with External SSD's!

So as times move forward with AI, and other tech, I'm just dipping in to see if there was a Cloud alternative to streaming libraries like this? so that you don't need to take a physical SSD Drive around with you, or have connection problems/SSD's dying etc.

If not...
would an alternative be, something like Google Drive with a larger space subscription, and have all the Libraries sitting on here.
This would obviously cost monthly, but they would be backed up and could be downloaded for each project when needed?

And then put back to the Cloud when not needed? freeing up space on the Mac HD? ( i think when putting data back to the cloud, the space would be freed up automatically on a Mac HD?)

I have a small iCloud and Google Drive subscription, and don't use them much, as I haven't dipped into them deeply..
However if this was possible to either stream libraries, or download them when needed (I have a fast M1 Max SSD inside my Mac), I would delve more into Cloud Storage/streaming, and it would be worth paying for a bigger storage setup.

[Luke W]

Generally speaking, internet connections are nowhere near fast enough for it to be practical.

I'm just dipping in to see if there was a Cloud alternative to streaming libraries like this? so that you don't need to take a physical SSD Drive around with you, or have connection problems/SSD's dying etc.

I don't have the facts to back it up, but I'm willing to bet that connections drop out more often than SSDs die!

would an alternative be, something like Google Drive with a larger space subscription, and have all the Libraries sitting on here.
This would obviously cost monthly, but they would be backed up and could be downloaded for each project when needed?

There's nothing to stop you from uploading libraries to a cloud service and downloading them as needed. The obvious limitation is how long downloading and installing/locating it will take when you decide you need it for the project.

And then put back to the Cloud when not needed? freeing up space on the Mac HD? ( i think when putting data back to the cloud, the space would be freed up automatically on a Mac HD?)

Surely you'd leave the cloud-based version there and simply delete it from the local drive? 'Moving' a library from the cloud and back again only means uploading it once your done, which will take more time.

I'd say a MacBook and a T9 sounds like a pretty good solution, personally!

[james090]

Surely you'd leave the cloud-based version there and simply delete it from the local drive? 'Moving' a library from the cloud and back again only means uploading it once you’re done, which will take more time.

Yes apologies I did mean this, uploading the library to the local drive and unloading it again at the end back to the cloud.

[Sam Spoons]

I guess you mean downloading from the cloud before the session but why would you need to upload it back afterwards? Surely, as Luke W says, there would be ni reason to delete it from your cloud storage when you download it for the session?

[Folderol]

I guess you mean downloading from the cloud before the session but why would you need to upload it back afterwards? Surely, as Luke W says, there would be ni reason to delete it from your cloud storage when you download it for the session?

This is all very well, but what do you do when you have a paying customer and your external network goes down. With the low cost of plug-in SSDs these days it seems a daft idea to me.

[ManFromGlass]

The internet in our building went down yesterday all day due to a bad switch somewhere. The guy in the studio down the hall couldn’t write music because of this. For some reason he couldn’t access his music plugs and programs.
I said it’s time to get back to analogue and he said he can’t because his viola is in for repair!

[james090]

Yes i hear you on the internet issue.

My thoughts were to either keep a lot of my libraries for Kontakt on the cloud and pull them in as and when I need them, as I have quite a few.
Then 'remove download' back to the Cloud when I'm not using them.

So as streaming from the cloud isn't possible, the main libraries would be on my local drive.

Also the 'cloud' would be a good back up for my libaries, I'm guessing, incase my Computer went down, or a drive was corrupted? (had issues in the past)

[alexis]

...
Also the 'cloud' would be a good back up for my libaries, I'm guessing, incase my Computer went down, or a drive was corrupted? (had issues in the past)

I do that, have Microsoft OneDrive scrape everything on an ongoing basis.

I wish I knew how to write scripts, I would turn it and half a dozen other programs off with a single click when using Cubase, then back on when I'm done.

[james090]

I do that, have Microsoft OneDrive scrape everything on an ongoing basis.

I wish I knew how to write scripts, I would turn it and half a dozen other programs off with a single click when using Cubase, then back on when I'm done.

That sounds good and exactly what I want to do, incase I forget my drive, or it goes down.
I'd prefer Google Drive or iCloud (still can't decide yet) as I don't know Microsoft OneDrive.

I'm lucky that I went for the 8TB SSD in the Mac (and I'm almost full) so 2TB of libraries on a cloud would be perfect.

- Or.. I keep my Macbook Pro with my Kontakt Libraries 'live' on the SSD for streaming, and back up all of my projects to the Cloud as I move forward, so they are separate?

Good to know though, knowing you can use Libraries, and then 'drop' them back to the cloud (which follows you around) if you have a web connection, and if your laptop goes south, your big libraries are backed up.

[Folderol]

Another thing to consider.
Every time you move a file, you take the risk of it being corrupted in transit - and before you say it checksums are good, but not foolproof.

[ef37a]

Could you not put a shedload of storage in a gash desktop at your base then access that remotely? Just buy that once!

Also. how fast is your upload? My down is 180M wifi and over 300M on copper but upload is just 48M at best on both.

Dave.

[Sam Spoons]

Once the libraries are uploaded* they won't need uploading again, just download to use then delete the download when the project is finished.

* Or can they be loaded straight into the cloud storage on purchase?

[jimjazzdad]

Large, portable HDDs are cheap. Buy two and mirror them, if you're worried about failure. A good HDD will probably outlast SSD (and it's cheaper). I avoid the webverse in all things recorded unless I have to transfer files to a client, and even then I use non-permanent services like We Transfer, where the files are scrubbed after a finite time. My studio computer is sequestered from the internet. But, as the say, "to each his (her/their) own".