File Streaming is the "New" Sync

Creatives are being stifled by outdated technology while juggling more projects, remote collaborators, and tighter deadlines than ever. Sync solutions once served a purpose, but modern day creative professionals are rapidly shifting to a new kind of cloud technology - File Streaming.

The Problem with Sync Solutions

To help paint the picture, let’s take a moment to really understand the Media & Entertainment industry’s relationship with sync solutions like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and others.

These solutions were designed to keep local storage devices in-sync by uploading new files to the cloud, then downloading every new version individually to each collaborator’s local machine. In theory, after this process was completed the team would be “in-sync”.

In reality, sync solutions create major bottlenecks, which can include:

• File downloads succeed for some, but fail for others.
• Local file duplication leads to version control nightmares.
• Users must wait for downloads to fully complete before working.
• And the list goes on, and on….

The fundamental issue?

Until the syncing process is fully completed, users can’t work with their files.

What is File Streaming on Suite? 

File Streaming is a fundamentally new way to work in the cloud. The moment a file is uploaded, Suite’s File Streaming technology allows users to work with it instantly—without downloading it first.

Think of your favorite streaming service: when you press play, you don’t wait for the entire movie to download—it streams in real-time. Suite’s File Streaming applies the same principle, but at the file level. With Suite, any file is instantly accessible—by unlimited collaborators, anywhere in the world.

How File Streaming Works

Many video editing, VFX, and media workflows are centered around obsolete tech. Whether passing drives to individual editors, using VPNs and remote workstations, or building media workflows around video production storage solutions that require syncing or downloading, teams are constantly hindered by wait times, missing files, confusing file duplication—you name it. Leaning on sync solutions like Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, and others, media professionals, VFX artists, and video editors are stuck transferring individual files between individual machines.

Suite is fundamentally different. Unlike applications that automatically transfer data between separate filesystems, ie. different hard drives, freelancer machines, servers, etc, Suite is a cloud-native filesystem that mounts like a local drive on any number of computers.

Once files & RAW media are stored on Suite, that data becomes instantly available to stream back in real-time using Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Davinci Resolve, or any other creative application of choice. Like having a NAS server with connectivity that spans the globe, Suite’s cloud storage with file streaming enables rapid collaboration across any distance.

Why Does File Streaming Matter to Creatives?

File streaming removes the biggest obstacle between creativity and execution—file access.

While the media landscape continues to shift, there’s one thing becoming clearer: Remote workflows that involve dispersed collaborators are here to stay. The trouble? Creatives in every discipline are being tasked with creating content for LED screens that keep getting bigger, audiences that have seen it all before, and clients with more demanding goals and tighter timelines.

Balancing productivity and creativity in today’s dispersed world means finding storage solutions that connect creatives to the media they need without the wait. As media files get bigger and more complicated, timelines get tighter, and collaborators further apart, traditional workflows—built on downloading, syncing, and shipping drives—just can’t keep up.

File streaming on Suite allows media teams to access high-resolution RAW files instantly, from anywhere, without waiting for transfers, eating up local storage, or having to go into an office to complete the work. This means editors can start cutting as soon as footage hits the cloud; VFX artists can pull the frames they need without duplicating terabytes of data; and project managers can review and approve work in real-time, no matter where they are.

File streaming doesn't just offer a faster way to work—it’s creates a foundational change to media workflows that frees up time, simplifies collaboration, and gets teams back to creating.

Real-world Wins: File Streaming on Suite

Suite’s file streaming technology is revolutionizing how the world’s best creatives collaborate. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Here’s what Suite’s community of media teams, brands, creative agencies, and post production professionals have to say about it: 

It’s about building one unified file system. Regardless of where people are, everyone is working from the same script, the same page.

Scott Millar, Chief Technology Officer, MDLR Technologies

In post production, every minute is valuable. Cutting down the time it takes to get footage into post is always mission critical. When we didn’t have time to waste, Suite was our foundation.

Andrew Rurik, Founder, Third Shift Creative

Our team is literally all over the world. Suite saved us time, and we’re able to hop into projects faster. That really proved how we can actually work from anywhere. We can meet any deadline. It’s so easy to get media into the hands of the people who need it to create.

Jordan Bolt, Head of Production, Sift Creative

For active projects, Suite is our go-to spot. Having unprecedented access to every file, we're able to work faster and take on more projects simultaneously. It’s one less step, everything’s in one place.

Drew Marsh, Post Production Supervisor, Fresh Tape Media

Suite allows us to be a team, even though we're not together. We’re breaking down barriers and borders with this technology. What Suite has done for remote workflows is remove the friction... it's a game-changer for the media industry as a whole.

Kevin Harkness, Technical Director, Fivestone Studios

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