Backing up w/ cloud - Collect and Save?

[guitar346]

I've been using Ableton for 6 years. I'd like to back up all my projects in the cloud.

I'm confused about how this works.

• Do I need to go through every project and hit "Collect and Save" before doing so?

• That is, will samples and other components be lost if I just drag the project files?

• Will dat within individual plugins be maintained?

• And what exactly is stored within a project file?

Thank you very much.

[[jur]]

What kind of projects are you talking about? Which size?
Multitracks recordings with loads of big audio files? Mostly based on virtual synths? Samplers with one-shots? A mix of these? 3rd party plugins or Live's ones? etc...
Do you tend to store stuff in your User Library? This is something you should most definitely need to backup too.
Do you usually manage your project correctly (i.e do you know where each file is living?)?
Why the cloud rather than a drive? I got a extremly tiny 1TB "Samsung T5" that fits in my pocket, my data are cloned to it and this feel way more secure an reliable than cloud storing to me.

[guitar346]

"What kind of projects are you talking about? Which size?"

A couple hundred 3-minute pop songs. 60-120 tracks each. If I perform a collect and save, each one is 1.5 gig or so. I wouldn't say I use loads of big audio files but I use some sample loops. A lot of MIDI.

"Do you tend to store stuff in your User Library?"

I don't store much in my user library. When I started using samples, I would use Splice, so most samples are in my Splice folder.

"Do you usually manage your project correctly (i.e do you know where each file is living?)?"

Unfortunately, no. Any guidance on this?

"Why the cloud rather than a drive?"

In case someone breaks into my house and steels all my stuff, or something like that. I use drives too but I see the cloud as added security. I appreciate the Samsung T5 recommendation. Looks really cool. I buy new drives from time to time so i'll may get that one as my next.

[[jur]]

Geez! This isn't gonna be easy!

Files management is unfortunately never documented and is obviously the most important stuff when working with... files!
I learned it the hard way back then, as most of us it seems, after a few years of creating stuff without thinking about this; and then needed to change my HD or something like that: missing files all over the place!

Honestly, this isn't easy to explain and detail, and there are several options (it's called "User Library" after all!).
Do this first: read Live's manual, library/User library sections and every bit that details the way Live deals with files.
Then, if you still have questions let us know.
I know this isn't a pleasant answer "read the manual", but trust me this is the good one here.

Oh, and only backup to the cloud when your own library is properly managed! You're kind of doing it blindly atm, I'd be quite scared!