Cloud backup and local playback

[Matias]

I am about to back up my music library in the cloud and have multiple computer automatically synched. Dropbox or Google Drive both offer 1TB storage for 10 USD/month.

 

The idea is to keep the music files in the local HDDs of 2 PCs, and each PC has a background program (free from both Dropbox and Google Drive) synching the changes. So every time I add a new album or edit a tag in one computer, the cloud will be automatically synched and the other PC automatically updated too.

 

Cons: more expensive than a NAS in the long run, capacity (1TB is 10USD/month, next is 10TB for 100 USD/month!), large initial upload/download.

 

Pros: the backup is most reliable, can synch music libraries that are remote (like one PC at home and one PC in the office).

 

Any thoughts?

[wgscott]

I have about 8 GB in my (free) dropbox account (none of it is music). The files take forever to upload and sync. You may be in for some hurt.

[Cycleman]

Isn't there a way to store, say, 800GB of music files in Dropbox -- for the safety of off-site storage -- and yet also prevent Dropbox from syncing to other computers?

[Matias]

Yes, you can upload all you library and not install the sync application in your computer. Should work OK for backup only.

I am uploading my library to Google Drive right now but very very slow...

[StephenJK]

I'm deeply suspicious of cloud storage. I just can't see myself entrusting critical data to anyone else. I agree that it would appear to be a great solution, but then think of having conversations that go like this.

 

"I'm sorry sir, we appear to have lost all of your data. We are prepared to offer you three months free storage in compensation, as well as your choice of a terrific and very cool T-shirt".

 

I just can't do it. I'll buy another couple of whatever TB drives before I ever do the cloud thing.

[Matias]

Stephen, funny how perceptions go. Mine is the opposite, I would buy a brand new NAS, install both drives, move my library, and then one day "failure, drive 1 and drive 2 needed to initialize, 0% space used". I would go crazy!

But I don't see cloud based backup doing that. Go figure.

[Cycleman]

Too much either/or here.

 

I've spent over 10 years ripping CDs, downloading music, tweaking metadata, adding covers -- this is the center of my music life now, and I gotta protect it in various ways.

 

So...

 

• Cloud storage backup = potentially safe place away from home.
  
• Local hard drive backups = potentially safe places in my home.
  
• Hard drive in safe deposit box = potentially safe place near but away from home.
  
• Hard drive mailed to close friend who lives 600 miles away = potentially safe place far away from home.
  

All backup solutions have potential drawbacks, so I choose all solutions for backup.

 

Dave, the belt and suspenders guy who also has a spare pair of pants and wonders about that cool T-shirt

 

I'm deeply suspicious of cloud storage. I just can't see myself entrusting critical data to anyone else. I agree that it would appear to be a great solution, but then think of having conversations that go like this.

 

"I'm sorry sir, we appear to have lost all of your data. We are prepared to offer you three months free storage in compensation, as well as your choice of a terrific and very cool T-shirt".

 

I just can't do it. I'll buy another couple of whatever TB drives before I ever do the cloud thing.

 

Stephen, funny how perceptions go. Mine is the opposite, I would buy a brand new NAS, install both drives, move my library, and then one day "failure, drive 1 and drive 2 needed to initialize, 0% space used". I would go crazy!

But I don't see cloud based backup doing that. Go figure.

[Matias]

After 1 week the sync tool only uploaded 67GB. It will take months to upload everything.

Test cancelled, gonna try again in a couple of years when internet speeds increase.

[Audio_ELF]

Just another consideration... I've heard (unverified) reports of cloud storage services deleting media files of "copyrighted" material. Admittedly this was on web server services rather than pure storage but if true it suggests they scan your files...

[Matias]

I have heard that they tag the media as copyrighted and do not allow you to share it with other users, which I find fair enough, but have not heard of them automatically deleting the files.

[dongtalsce]

The files take forever to upload and sync. You may be in for some hurt.

[Matias]

I am retrying the experiment using Dropbox instead of Google Drive. Let's see if it is any faster.

[hdls]

I agree with Cycleman - the cloud is one solution but by no means should it be the only backup. All my music (>300GB) sits in my Dropbox account, yet I have other backups at home and other locations.

Matias: beware of sync softwares, even though Dropbox / Google drive are probably among the safest: there have been cases where people lost all their data, be it a human or software error anything erased will be erased at the other end as well, irreversibly. So definitely do not rely only on the folder which is automatically sync'd, at least have another copy that you manually "sync" each time (painful but necessary IMO).