Cloud service for client videos

[Jeff Cook]

I really want to upload all videos onto a cloud service such as Google drive or dropbox. Are there any other services such as these that allow us to upload videos for the clients to download? I guess I could signup ffo the 1tb storage with drop box which would allow me to keep the videos up for a long period of time so that the clients could share their videos as well as download them. I was just wwondering ifthere were other services for vvideographers to store all their final videos. This would eliminate dvds and would allow newly weds to share their video world wide with other family members. If they wanted a dvd they could download the video and take it to Costco or similar store. I believe this is the way of the future since some dvds and blurays lose their contentat times.

[Jim Michael]

Vimeo has a pro level account where you can set up a dedicated web page for each client with their own password. That's more of a streaming account versus download, so not sure if it meets your requirements.

[Noa Put]

I have used copy.com before.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Jeff

I wonder what brides think of the idea?? Have you asked some? It might be great (and super easy) for us to simply upload to a cloud instead of producing a physical product but brides just might feel the whole thing loses value if it's just a download. Brides here still want a DVD in a case! They are happy to get HD on USB drives and online stuff BUT they also want something physical in their hands to show what they have paid all that money for. The concept for us is awesome .. just edit and let the stuff upload while you sleep ..no disks, no printing and no delivery but I really do wonder if it might not reduce your product's value?

[Dan Tolbertson]

I use Vimeo for the all the time (Vimeo Plus) as it has an option for the client to download the video file. The only limitation is I can only upload a max of 5 GB per week so any file would have to be less than that. Not sure about the Vimeo Pro account but don't see why the option to download the video file would not be there?

[Christopher Young]

I've used Sendspace using their Pro account now for the last three years nearly and never had an issue from my side. Not one client has ever reported an issue when downloading our clips from Sendspace. Importantly in all that time Sendspace has only ever been down once and that was for about two hours for maintenance. An important point to consider as you don't want clients complaining to you that your downloads were unavailable.

Every clip I have uploaded over those three years is still there as it lifetime storage. All the clips I've uploaded for DVInfo posts have been download in excess of 1500 times by various DVInfo readers and not one has posted that the downloads were unavailable. Single file uploads can be up to 4GB if you download and install their Sendspace Wizard.

The Wizard works like Explorer where you can create folders, sub-folders etc for all your various clients. Full housekeeping, cut, paste, delete, rename etc like as though you were working on a local PC. You can upload up to 100GB month on the Pro account. Clients can be emailed directly from your address book in the Wizard with unique download URLs. Or if you wish once a clip has uploaded you can retrieve it's download URL and email that through your regular personalized email client to as many people you wish to inform about the download. You can also attach descriptions to uploads if you wish. Also clients don't get advertising / promotional rubbish in the notification emails which is good.

If you need more like 10GB single uploads and up to a 300GB month upload limit then there is the Pro Plus account.

All in all I find the Pro account at $9.00 a month to be a pretty good deal.

Do I sound like an advocate? I sure do as I think it's a great service for the price.

Check it out:

https://www.sendspace.com/premium_upgrade.html

It actually saved my bacon on one time tight job as someone had deleted a master render on our end. Luckily it had already been uploaded so I just downloaded it back onto the system.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Aaron J. Yates]

Have you considered Amazon S3 storage? It's extremely cheap and you can send the client a download link. Pricing is based on upload/download/storage, but I spend less than a dollar a month.

I have changed my catalog for 2016 to show USB drives as the primary method of delivery, with DVD or BluRay discs being an extra markup. We'll see how it plays out!

[Jim Michael]

Yes you can enable download for videos on Vimeo Pro. Looks like it defaults to enabled under My Settings / Videos.

[Jeff Cook]

Thanks guys for all the great feedback. We could use Vimeo, bit it compresses the file more than what I would like. Disc are so incompatible that I thought this would be a great solution. Also it would cut down on cost. I made a post on facebook the other day regarding no more disc and no one responded. I wonder if that is because no one cares? We are in the age of the younger generation who want things fast and accessible.

[Jeff Cook]

Originally Posted by Christopher Young

I've used Sendspace using their Pro account now for the last three years nearly and never had an issue from my side. Not one client has ever reported an issue when downloading our clips from Sendspace. Importantly in all that time Sendspace has only ever been down once and that was for about two hours for maintenance. An important point to consider as you don't want clients complaining to you that your downloads were unavailable.

Every clip I have uploaded over those three years is still there as it lifetime storage. All the clips I've uploaded for DVInfo posts have been download in excess of 1500 times by various DVInfo readers and not one has posted that the downloads were unavailable. Single file uploads can be up to 4GB if you download and install their Sendspace Wizard.

The Wizard works like Explorer where you can create folders, sub-folders etc for all your various clients. Full housekeeping, cut, paste, delete, rename etc like as though you were working on a local PC. You can upload up to 100GB month on the Pro account. Clients can be emailed directly from your address book in the Wizard with unique download URLs. Or if you wish once a clip has uploaded you can retrieve it's download URL and email that through your regular personalized email client to as many people you wish to inform about the download. You can also attach descriptions to uploads if you wish. Also clients don't get advertising / promotional rubbish in the notification emails which is good.

If you need more like 10GB single uploads and up to a 300GB month upload limit then there is the Pro Plus account.

All in all I find the Pro account at $9.00 a month to be a pretty good deal.

Do I sound like an advocate? I sure do as I think it's a great service for the price.

Check it out:

https://www.sendspace.com/premium_upgrade.html

It actually saved my bacon on one time tight job as someone had deleted a master render on our end. Luckily it had already been uploaded so I just downloaded it back onto the system.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

Can you upload several files at the same time for the same client? Also how fast is their upload and download speed? Thank you

[Mike Watson]

If you have a website, you already have online storage. If you set up your ftp program such that you open it and it automatically connects, it's not entirely different than Finder or Explorer (depending on what you use). Drag, drop, wait. Then send the client the link.

If you send a .mov file, it will open in their browser and they can watch it. If you send a .zip file it will download to their computer.

I use Vimeo for approvals, and my webspace for final delivery. To me, it looks so much more professional to have the download link be www.VideoApproach.com/client/project.zip than to have a dropbox link (which some people can't figure out) or a Vimeo link (where you have to sign up, then log in, then find the right download link).

Also, this is something you're already paying for.

[Christopher Young]

Originally Posted by Jeff Cook

Can you upload several files at the same time for the same client? Also how fast is their upload and download speed? Thank you

Jeff ~

Yes you can upload multiple files at the same time or auto cue one after another. Same with downloads. All these parameters are adjustable under the Wizard 'preferences.'

I use have used Sendspace from overseas in various countries and from back at base of course and the upload / download speed is really dependent on your connection speed.

At one hotel location I remember it was blisteringly quick and so I quizzed them at reception and they said that they had fiber running at 100Mbps upload speed. So as I said it's as good as your connection in my experience. The Wizard is the way to go as it is optimized for quicker uploads plus you can pause and resume uploads / downloads etc plus organize and manage everything in the Wizard GUI just as if you were working on your own PC.

Also don't forget this is not for online viewing this is just a cloud service so there is no re-compression of your material so what comes down is as good as what you put up there.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

[Taky Cheung]

Vimeo Plus is a good delivery/playback platform. The benefits over other cloud file sharing service is, Vimeo has a video player. It embeds to Facebook. Comes with all sorts of play statistics. has options allow user to
download the video in original quality, or any transcoded resolutions from 1080p to mobile version.

Also, it uses Amazon service as backend. It has a wide distribution/replication network. for your video to have chance to get buffering viewing from other region/country is very minimal.

It's only $5 a month. 5GB per week limit is plenty.

[Mitch Phillips]

I tend to agree with Chris on this re: something physical as a keepsake. I produce highlight films and will provide the Vimeo link to my couples via email initially. Whether they purchase speeches/ceremony additional or not, I will always send them a small package that features a wooden USB (hot stamped with our logo) as well as a handwritten card and some small chocolates to enjoy when they watch the film. Sure it costs about $15 per parcel we create and send, but the positive feeling and additional motivation to recommend us to friends is well worth it IMO.

[Taky Cheung]

I also deliver USB but I made my own DVD style menu with HTML5. I'm also using a WIFI USB Thumbdrive that allow play back on iPhone, iPad and Android mobile platform.