# How to share large video files with editors and clients

Source: https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/share-large-video-files/
Updated: 2026-11-05

> To share large video files without losing quality, send the original files or the whole project folder straight to the recipient's browser with a peer-to-peer tool such as StrongFolder. Nothing is recompressed, uploaded or stored, and StrongFolder sets no size limit. Use a cloud drive or review platform when you can't stay online or need timecoded comments.

1. **Prepare the footage or project** — Collect the clips, or consolidate the editing project into one folder (Premiere Pro Project Manager, DaVinci Resolve project archive, a Final Cut Pro library with its media).
2. **Open StrongFolder** — Go to [strongfolder.com](https://strongfolder.com) or click the StrongFolder Chrome extension.
3. **Choose files or the folder** — Drop the clips or click **Upload Folder** and pick the project folder. Nothing is uploaded — the browser only reads the files so it can share them.
4. **Send the link** — Copy the link (or show the QR code) and send it to the editor or client by chat or e-mail.
5. **Keep your computer awake** — The recipient downloads straight from your device. Keep the tab open, the laptop plugged in and sleep turned off until they finish.

Video files are the reason most people go looking for a better way to share large video
files: one hour of 4K camera footage can be hundreds of gigabytes, and an editing project is
not one file but a folder of clips, proxies, audio, graphics and a project file that points to
all of them. This guide shows how to hand footage and whole projects to an editor or a client
in full quality, and when each method makes sense.

**Key facts**

- **Messengers and social apps recompress video**; to share video without losing quality, send the original files.
- An hour of UHD footage in **Apple ProRes 422 HQ at 30 fps is about 400 GB**; the same hour in ProRes Proxy is about 80 GB.
- **Direct P2P transfer** (StrongFolder) sends files and whole project folders with no upload step and no recompression. No size limit set by StrongFolder. The practical limits are free disk space on the recipient's device, connection speed, and how long both devices stay online.
- Transfer time is limited by the **sender's upload speed**: 400 GB at 100 Mbit/s takes about 9 hours.
- The trade-off: **your tab must stay open** until the recipient finishes. If you can't stay online, use a cloud link.

## How big are video files today?

The size of a clip depends on the codec far more than on the resolution. Phone and camera
codecs such as H.264 and HEVC are highly compressed; editing codecs such as ProRes and DNxHR
are built for quality and fast editing, and they are large.

Apple's ProRes white paper lists target data rates for UHD (3840×2160) at 30 frames per
second of about **884 Mbit/s for ProRes 422 HQ** and about **182 Mbit/s for ProRes Proxy**.
Converted to storage, that is roughly:

| Format (UHD, 30 fps) | Data rate | One hour of footage |
|---|---|---|
| ProRes 422 HQ | ~884 Mbit/s | ~400 GB |
| ProRes Proxy | ~182 Mbit/s | ~80 GB |

Camera RAW video formats and 8K footage go higher still. That is why a single shoot day can
fill a 2 TB drive, and why "just send me the files" is a real logistics problem.

## Which ways can I share large video files?

| Method | Original quality | Whole project folder | Free size limit | Upload first? | Sender online during download? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messenger / social app | Usually recompressed | No | Small, varies by app | Yes | No |
| Email attachment | Yes | No | ~20–25 MB | Yes | No |
| Cloud drive (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive) | Yes | Kept online, usually zipped on download | Your storage quota | Yes | No |
| Transfer service (WeTransfer-type) | Yes | Usually zipped | Check the vendor's current plan | Yes | No |
| Review platform (Frame.io-type) | Yes, plus streaming previews | Varies | Check the vendor's current plan | Yes | No |
| **StrongFolder (P2P)** | **Yes** | **Kept, no ZIP** | **None set by the service** | **No** | **Yes** |
| Shipping a drive | Yes | Kept | Drive capacity | No | No |

There is no single winner. The right choice depends on three questions: how big the footage
is, whether the recipient needs to *watch* or to *edit*, and whether you can keep your
computer online while they download.

## How do I share a video project folder with an editor?

An editing project is a web of links. The project file stores the path to every clip, so if
the editor receives the clips in a different folder layout, they face a screen of "media
offline" and a long relinking session. The fix is to send **one consolidated folder** and
keep its structure intact.

1. **Consolidate.** In Premiere Pro, use *File → Project Manager* and choose to collect files
   and copy them to a new location. In DaVinci Resolve, export a project archive. In Final Cut
   Pro, consolidate the library's media into the library or one folder.
2. **Decide on proxies.** If the editor will cut offline and conform later, send the proxies
   first — they are a fraction of the size — and the full-resolution media afterwards or on
   a drive.
3. **Send the folder as a folder.** With StrongFolder, click **Upload Folder**, pick the
   consolidated folder and send the link. The editor saves the same tree on their disk, so a
   single relink finds everything.

Saving a whole folder with its structure uses the File System Access API: Chrome, Edge, Opera and other Chromium browsers on a computer. Other browsers can download the files one by one or as a ZIP. Ask your editor to open the link in Chrome, Edge or Opera on their
computer.

[Send files now](https://strongfolder.com)
## How long will it take to share a large video?

A direct transfer streams from your computer to theirs, so it can never be faster than your
**upload** speed or their download speed, whichever is lower. Here is the minimum time for
common sizes (1 GB = 8 gigabits; real transfers add some overhead):

| Footage | 50 Mbit/s upload | 100 Mbit/s upload | 500 Mbit/s upload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 GB | ~2.2 hours | ~67 minutes | ~13 minutes |
| 200 GB | ~8.9 hours | ~4.4 hours | ~53 minutes |
| 400 GB (1 h of UHD ProRes 422 HQ) | ~18 hours | ~8.9 hours | ~1.8 hours |
| 1 TB | ~44 hours | ~22 hours | ~4.4 hours |

A cloud service has the same physics: you first upload everything at your upload speed, and
only then can the recipient start downloading. With a direct transfer the recipient
downloads *while* you send, so there is one wait instead of two. The price of that is that
your computer must stay on for the whole transfer — see [why the sender stays
online](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/why-sender-stays-online/).

## How do I share videos online with a client who just wants to watch?

If the client only needs to review a cut, do not send them a 200 GB master. Export a
review file in H.264 or HEVC; it is small enough for almost any channel. When they want
frame-accurate comments, a review platform with timecoded notes is the better tool. Send
masters and deliverables — the files they will actually archive or broadcast — in full
quality once the cut is approved.

For full-quality delivery to several people, one StrongFolder link can serve them all.
One link can be opened by several recipients; each downloads directly from the sender. Simultaneous downloads share your upload bandwidth, so if speed matters,
let recipients download one after another.

## When should I not use StrongFolder for video?

Be honest about the trade-off. A direct transfer is the wrong tool when:

- **You can't stay online.** You are on set with a laptop, on a train, or about to close the
  lid. Upload to a cloud drive and send the link instead.
- **The recipient needs to watch in a browser or leave timecoded comments.** Use a review
  platform or a cloud drive with video previews.
- **Several people need the footage for weeks.** Shared cloud storage or a production
  storage system fits ongoing collaboration better than a link that works only while you
  share.
- **You have many terabytes and a slow upload.** At 50 Mbit/s, 4 TB takes more than a week.
  A shipped drive wins.
- **The recipient only has a phone.** Saving a whole folder needs a Chromium browser on a
  computer; on a phone, files arrive one by one or as a ZIP.

## Is it safe to share unreleased footage this way?

WebRTC encrypts every data channel with DTLS, so the file stream is encrypted in transit on every connection. Files are never uploaded to or stored on a StrongFolder server. If a direct connection is impossible (strict corporate firewall, some mobile networks), the encrypted stream passes through a StrongFolder relay (TURN) server. The relay forwards the data and does not store it. Anyone who has the link can
download while you are sharing, so send it through a channel you trust and click **Stop
Sharing** when the editor is done. More detail is in [Security & privacy](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/security/) and
[secure file sharing](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/secure-file-sharing/).

## Summary

To share large video files without losing quality, send the original clips or a
consolidated project folder directly, keep your computer awake, and let the recipient save
the same folder tree. Use proxies to start editing sooner, review files for clients who only
watch, and a cloud link or a drive when you can't stay online. For a step-by-step on single
big files, see [How to send large video files](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-large-video-files/); for folders,
[How to send a folder without zipping it](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-folder-without-zipping/).

## FAQ

### What is the best way to share large video files?

It depends on whether you can stay online. If you can, a direct peer-to-peer transfer sends the original files with no upload step and no size cap from the service. If you can't, upload to a cloud drive or a transfer service and send the link — the files then wait on a server for the recipient.

### Can I share 4K or 8K video without losing quality?

Yes, as long as the channel sends the file itself. Messengers and social apps usually recompress video; a peer-to-peer transfer, a cloud drive or a transfer service deliver the original file byte for byte.

### How long does it take to share a 100 GB video?

The transfer can't be faster than the sender's upload speed. 100 GB is 800 gigabits, so at 100 Mbit/s it takes at least about 2.2 hours, at 500 Mbit/s about 27 minutes, plus some protocol overhead.

### Can I send a whole Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve project folder?

Yes. Folders are sent as folders: subfolders and file names are kept, nothing is zipped. Consolidate the project into one folder first so every clip sits under it; then the editor can relink media in one step. Saving a whole folder with its structure uses the File System Access API: Chrome, Edge, Opera and other Chromium browsers on a computer. Other browsers can download the files one by one or as a ZIP.

### Can several editors download the same footage from one link?

Yes. One link can be opened by several recipients; each downloads directly from the sender. Remember that simultaneous downloads share your upload bandwidth, so each one runs slower.

### Is my footage stored on a StrongFolder server?

No. Files are never uploaded to or stored on a StrongFolder server. To create the link, the service keeps transfer metadata: file and folder names, sizes and the number of files. WebRTC encrypts every data channel with DTLS, so the file stream is encrypted in transit on every connection.