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Media Archive Strategy

3 min read

1. Define the roles of each device

  • 1 TB SSD (Master Archive)

    → Acts as your main cold storage (everything lives here).

    → Store full archives, backups, raw files (video, photos, projects).

    → Use as the origin point for syncing subsets to smaller devices.

  • MacBook (512 GB, Workhorse)

    → Acts as your working library and staging ground.

    → Holds active projects, system files, creative apps, and a curated subset of your SSD archive.

    → Syncs selectively to iPad/iPhone (via iCloud, Syncthing, or manual curation).

  • iPad Pro (Creative Companion)

    → Holds creative assets you need on the go (art, notes, PDFs, study material, client presentations).

    → Sync with MacBook for handoff (e.g., Procreate, Notes, or Final Cut projects).

    → Offload finished or large files back to SSD when done.

  • iPhone (Communication + Light Media)

    → Holds essentials only: messages, core apps, documents, music/podcasts, light photo/video cache.

    → Treat as a thin client — don’t weigh it down with archives.

    → Use streaming or cloud references for large files.

2. Storage Strategy

Think in tiers:

  • Tier 1: Archive (SSD 1TB)

    • Full collection: raw video, photo libraries, backups, old projects.

    • Organized by year/project/topic.

    • Backup this to cloud or another drive occasionally.

  • Tier 2: Active Workspace (MacBook 512GB)

    • Only current year + active projects from the archive.

    • Acts as “hot storage” for editing/creation.

    • Offload finished projects back to SSD.

  • Tier 3: Mobile Workset (iPad 256GB)

    • Sync only project slices or reference material you need on the go.

    • Apps like iCloud Drive, Notion, or Syncthing can handle selective syncing.

  • Tier 4: Essentials (iPhone 64GB)

    • Photos auto-upload to iCloud/Google Photos, not stored locally.

    • Use streaming (Spotify, YouTube, iCloud Music Library) instead of local libraries.

    • Documents in iCloud/Dropbox for access without bulk downloads.

3. Syncing Methods

  • For convenience: iCloud Drive (native across Mac/iPad/iPhone).

  • For control: Syncthing or Resilio Sync (direct peer-to-peer sync between Mac ↔ iPad ↔ iPhone without cloud).

  • For redundancy: Time Machine for SSD + MacBook, plus occasional clone of SSD to another HDD.

4. Example Workflow

  1. Import raw media → SSD (main archive).

  2. Copy active project → MacBook (work/edit).

  3. Push selected assets → iPad (sketch, annotate, present).

  4. Use iPhone for reference only (view notes, show previews, not store full project).

  5. When done, return project to SSD and purge from smaller devices.

⚡ Pro tip: Treat the SSD as your brain’s long-term memory, the MacBook as short-term memory, the iPad as a sketchpad, and the iPhone as your pocket index card.

Do you want me to sketch a visual map (like a flow diagram) of this storage model so you can see the relationships more clearly?

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