pCloud is targeting serious music clientele with collaboration, encryption, and metadata. The company is introducing unique features like a native music player, previous file-version access/reverting, metadata recording, DAW compatibility, and ease of use with Splice — alongside other differentiators.
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pCloud is a securely-encrypted virtual drive that allows users to access, synchronize, and store all types of files on the cloud. With extensive storage space that matches the likes of Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and other cloud-based storage platforms, pCloud is now making notable moves to stand out as a critical tool for the music industry.
With encryption and protection for crucial, high-value music files and an extensive list of collaboration tools, pCloud has gained a footing amongst the existing cloud-based mega-platforms. The platform aims to disrupt the cloud market share for musicians by providing critical secure storage solutions to the music industry. Now, pCloud is partnering with DMN to expand its footprint further.
Music industry-specific features are opening up new avenues of file management, metadata recording, collaboration, and access to music files. Among its music-specific features, pCloud’s Native Audio Player for all devices allows users to listen to albums, playlists, and enjoy playback shuffle alongside other integral features. With a built-in video player, users can also indulge in video streaming with no limits on file size and speed.
No matter your industry, losing files costs time, money, and other resources. When we talk about the music industry, those files come with excruciatingly high price tags, sometimes worth millions of dollars (if a price tag can be placed on lost, stolen, or leaked music). These require seamlessly-encrypted security — and nothing less will do.
With its music-industry-specific storage and foolproof security, pCloud is going for ‘Dropbox killer’ status. With TLS/SSL channel protection and 256-bit AES encryption for all files, users can be assured of five copies of every file living on different servers. The music-centric segment of pCloud is custom-built for teams to come together for seamless file management across platforms and DAWs, with the option to purchase an extra layer of protection from pCloud—if needed.
pCloud’s file sharing and collaboration tools include the ability to customize shared links, branding them for more elite exposure and value. Users can also apply expiration dates, password protection, and more.
The ‘invite to folder’ feature unlocks the ability to modify properties of shared links after considerable time has elapsed, and also terminate links whenever needed. With statistics tracking on every shared link, users can keep tabs on crucial data, including the number of times a file is downloaded or how much traffic it receives.
The SYNC feature connects local and cloud folders in a two-way, mirrored fashion. Any changes performed in one place are automatically applied to the other one.
In this way, two sound engineers or artists can work on the same project simultaneously, from across continents, and achieve the same collaboration efficiency as they would if they were seated side by side — in the same studio.
The platform allows automatic upload of critical files from any device and HDD extension through pCloud drive. Users can also choose selective offline access to modify files while auto-syncing across multiple devices. This creates a hub of storage to house all relevant file versions, metadata, and information needed for track production.
pCloud also expedites metadata detection of artists, albums, composers’ names, songs, producers, and other identifying information. Id3 v1. tags are currently supported, and pCloud has confirmed that extensive upgrades will be released soon.
Most professional sound designers, beatmakers, and producers report needing more than 1 TB of storage space to effectively manage and maintain their projects, DAW plugins, extensions, and sound effects.
Accordingly, pCloud has introduced ‘lifetime plans’ with a one-time payment. Users can upgrade to up to 12 TB of lifetime space — with 16 million subscribers already tapping an elaborate list of features and functions.
pCloud’s free account from their dedicated music page presents users with 500 GB of storage for three months. Premium plans start at $199 for 2 TB of storage, the second tier at $399 for 4 TBs of securely-encrypted storage, and the highest tier unlocking 12 TB of total storage with a $1,190 price tag. All plans can be availed with pCloud’s signature one-time payment, valid for the user’s lifetime.
pCloud Marketing Specialist Rafael Pashamov emphasized the platform’s unique DAW compatibility, saying, ‘We have designed pCloud to be able to work effortlessly with any DAW. Since pCloud Drive functions as a Virtual Drive, it acts with no difference than any other Drive on your Device with Any DAW.’
pCloud’s highly-developed file-versioning allows restoration of lost versions or previous instances. It’s also applicable to all kinds of files. With automatic upload on mobiles, an intuitive tool saves phone storage by making everything accessible on any connected device. The platform also integrates seamlessly on any OS, while preserving folder structures online.
Company reps reference pCloud’s unique ‘Rewind’ feature as ‘like using a time machine.’ ‘Rewind’ is applicable on all free and premium plans, allowing users to set specific date/time stamps, so they can revert to them for later use.
Elevating ‘Rewind’ is a paid upgrade ‘Extended File History’ or EFH. This allows users to reach up to a year back in time and fetch older versions.
Having easy access to an entire library of projects and components streamlines project execution in the music industry. This feature is being appreciated by users and is being called a ‘huge advantage.’ Users can easily pull any relevant file from pCloud with their folder structure, drag and drop components onto the track, and create their latest hits.
The platform also works with any DAW when using pCloud. Organizing files for music is especially important; by gathering and managing instrument files, drum kits, sound samples, and loops, pCloud has quickly become the go-to for music industry professionals.
pCloud is also sorting the longstanding nuisance of lost Splice samples. Although extensively used by composers and music managers, reusing these samples sometimes requires redownload and repayment. With pCloud, all acquired Splice samples are stored for later use.
Pashamov confirmed that ‘users can effortlessly use all samples and sounds they collect from Splice — which is used by EVERY producer. The sheer convenience of organizing your project files and beat components into sound libraries of drums, kicks, hi-hats, snares, 808, etc., pulling the pCloud Drive from the DAW itself is highly impactful.’
More than just a critical piece of tech for music management and storage, pCloud features also ensure seamless management for other documents, files, and photos.
Users can allow offline access across all devices using their pCloud account. The file gets cached with an encrypted-sharing concept, preserving it to become available to listen to, open, and modify. With encryption features that company reps call ‘the best on the market,’ pCloud also brings a crypto folder to protect the most sensitive and valuable data. Subscribers can also commandeer autonomy to choose the data center, USA vs. EU.
One of the biggest highlights of the platform? pCloud owns the data centers and servers housing the users’ files on the cloud, which means no third-party makes any connection with user files. Unlike other cloud-based storage platforms, the user’s encryption key is stored on the user’s device, blocking access for pCloud employees.
Musical content creators may also appreciate human support, often missing on bigger platforms. pCloud says they connect users to real people for 24/7 technical support. Every request and query is responded to and resolved within a few minutes of initiation—with a maximum recorded request-resolve time of 48 hours.
