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Old 09-20-2022, 03:25 PM
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Post Avid Cloud Change for Pro Tools | First

The free 1 GB Cloud storage provided with Pro Tools | First was recently changed to Read Only, but not to worry - any Projects in your Avid Cloud are still intact and accessible. Read on...

Pro Tools | First uses Project files which contain all data (including audio files) in a package. These are created and stored locally on your computer. This local file is used for all recording & playback, etc. Projects also had a "Backup To Cloud" option which created a copy of the Project in your Avid Cloud. Up to 3 Projects could be backed up online, though the number of local Projects was (and still is) unlimited.

With these free Avid Cloud accounts now set to Read Only, Projects there can be opened but can no longer be modified. Opening one will download the data to your drive (if a local copy doesn't already exist) to allow you to continue editing then save the Project changes locally.

Where are Projects stored?
When you create a Project (and whenever you Save) here’s what happens:
  • A new Project package is created and saved locally, and there's a folder for each user in Documents > Pro Tools > Project Cache (see How to Backup Pro Tools Project Files if needed)
  • If "Backup To Cloud" was enabled for the Project in the Dashboard, the local Project was then automatically uploaded to the user’s Avid Cloud account in the background. Note: The cloud copy was done as a backup in addition to the local copy - there was no real-time read/write from/to the Cloud.
What Is Discontinued?
Pro Tools | First was discontinued as a product in 2021 (new licenses were no longer available) but existing users with Pro Tools | First installed and licensed on their computers are still able to use it, even today. With the product discontinued, Avid was no longer able to maintain the workflow of backing up Projects to the Avid Cloud. Discontinuing this Cloud workflow in Sep 2022 ended the following activities:
  • Ability to upload new Projects to Cloud
  • Ability to edit existing projects in the Cloud
What is NOT Discontinued?
The following activities are NOT AFFECTED by this change:
  • Ability to launch and use any existing installed versions of Pro Tools | First
  • Ability to access all previously saved local Projects
  • Ability to access all previously saved Cloud Projects (Read Only until saved locally)
  • Ability to create unlimited new local Projects (the limit of 3 total Projects was removed previously)
Your Cloud Projects are still safe, and can be downloaded and made active
The discontinuation of Cloud Backup does not cause any loss of existing projects or their data because Projects are always stored locally first - they do not save directly from Pro Tools | First into the Cloud. This change simply ended the process of any new uploads or new edits to the cloud. In the case where "Remove Local Cache" was used on a Project that was backed up to your Avid Cloud, simply open the Project which will is still in your Avid Cloud to create a new local copy.

To continue working on a Project from your Avid Cloud that doesn't exist locally:
  1. Launch Pro Tools | First
  2. Open the Dashboard and Sign In
  3. Click the OPEN tab (on the left)
  4. Select a Project
  5. Click the cloud icon on the right to "Download and sync project" or simply Open the Project (this will create a new local copy)
  • You can optionally remove the cloud copy by disabling Backup To Cloud, but the Project should be opened first to make sure all changes have been downloaded locally prior to making this change.

Pro Tools | First Project Storage Management
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