How to Share Large Video Files Between Editors on the Same Network
Video project files are too large for cloud sync and too slow for USB. Here is how professional editing teams move footage, proxies, and project files over a local network.
Video files are too big for cloud sync and too slow for USB, so editing teams move footage over the local network. Two patterns cover it: shared storage (a NAS or SAN) as the central library everyone works from, and direct LAN transfer for handing project files and selects between edit bays. Wired gigabit moves ~100 GB in about 15 minutes; 10 GbE goes further if the budget allows. Resumable transfers matter when a shoot dump is hundreds of gigabytes.
The File Size Reality of Video Production
A single hour of 4K ProRes footage runs 150–400GB depending on the codec and frame rate. An Unreal Engine-powered motion graphics project might exceed 1TB. Cloud storage for daily file exchange between editors on the same floor makes no practical sense — the math simply does not work.
On a typical office broadband connection with 100 Mbps upload speed, uploading 100GB to Dropbox takes approximately two hours and twenty minutes. Downloading that same file on the other end adds another two hours. The same file transferred over a gigabit LAN connection takes under fifteen minutes. On a 10GbE network — increasingly common in serious post-production facilities — the same transfer completes in about 90 seconds.
Local network file sharing is not a workaround for video teams. It is the correct infrastructure choice.
What Video Teams Actually Need From a Sharing System
Before evaluating options, understand the distinct categories of video files:
Camera originals (RAW/LOG footage): These are sacred. They should be on a shared storage system or NAS from the moment they are ingested, not bounced between individual machines. No editor should have the only copy of camera originals.
Project files (Premiere, DaVinci, Avid bins): These are small (typically under 100MB) but change frequently. They benefit from a shared location with version discipline. A shared network folder works well here.
Proxy files: Generated from original footage at reduced resolution for offline editing. These files are large but can be regenerated. Proxies are often stored on individual editors' machines and need to be accessible to the conform station.
Audio and music assets: Medium-sized, often shared between editors working on the same campaign or project.
Exports and deliverables: Large files that need to move from the export machine to the QC station, the sound mix, or the client. This is the primary use case for fast LAN transfer.
Option 1 — Shared Storage (The Right Infrastructure for Teams)
For studios with two or more editors regularly working on the same project, shared storage is the industry-standard approach. This means a central storage device that all editing stations access simultaneously, typically over a high-speed network connection.
Entry-level shared storage options:
- NAS over 10GbE: A NAS device like a Synology DS1823xs+ connected to a 10GbE switch supports 2–4 simultaneous editors working at comfortable proxy or lightweight codec resolutions.
- Thunderbolt RAID shared via network: A Thunderbolt RAID attached to one machine and shared via SMB to others. Works at HDD speeds but is inexpensive.
For a 2–3 person studio, a modern NAS over 10GbE handles most workflows without shared storage software.
Option 2 — Direct LAN Transfer for File Handoffs
Shared storage solves the simultaneous-access problem. Direct LAN transfer solves the file handoff problem: moving a specific deliverable, a specific project folder, or a specific footage batch from one machine to another.
Scenarios where LAN transfer is the right tool:
- Sending a finished export to a colleague's machine for QC review
- Passing a DaVinci project folder (with media) from the colorist to the online editor
- Moving a batch of ingested footage from the camera operator's laptop to the main edit suite NAS
- Sending dailies to a second editor
For Windows-based edit suites, Oxolan handles this directly: drag the export folder or project folder onto the receiving machine, transfer at full LAN speed, recipient opens directly. No shared folder configuration, no waiting for cloud sync.
Network Infrastructure for Video
The speed of your LAN transfer depends entirely on your network hardware. For video work:
| Network type | Throughput | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) | ~115 MB/s | HD workflows, proxy editing |
| 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (2.5GbE) | ~280 MB/s | 4K proxy, light 4K ProRes |
| 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) | ~1,200 MB/s | Full 4K ProRes, RED RAW |
| Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | ~150–300 MB/s | Laptop editors, temporary rigs |
If you are running a 4K ProRes workflow and your machines are connected by standard gigabit, the bottleneck is the network, not the storage. An affordable 10GbE switch (Netgear XS505M, approximately $250) transforms the practical experience.
Frequently asked questions
How do video editors share large files on a network?
Through shared storage for the central media library plus direct LAN transfer for handoffs. Moving a 100 GB shoot over wired gigabit takes about 15 minutes at ~110 MB/s — far faster than cloud upload or walking a drive. A tool like Oxolan sends footage bay-to-bay directly and resumes if a big transfer is interrupted.
What is the best way to move footage between edit bays?
For the fastest handoff without staging on a server, a direct LAN transfer app. Oxolan moves selects and project files straight from ingest to the edit machine at 60–115 MB/s on gigabit, lets an editor browse and pull from another machine remotely, and resumes a 300 GB dump from where it stopped instead of restarting.
Is a NAS or direct transfer better for a video team?
A NAS or SAN is the right central library for a team that all works from the same media; direct transfer is better for quick handoffs and for offices without shared storage. Many post houses use both — shared storage for the working set and a LAN tool for getting footage in and out of it fast.
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