Ready, aim, shoot and save: Why storage is the backbone of the creator economy

People of all ages are creating content in the form of reels, videos, graphics etc, and have become an integral part of our lives. It is rare to be at a public place and not see someone whip out a phone and take a photograph or shoot a video. It is not just a ‘hobby’ or a pastime anymore, but a massive business, gradually booming. Content creation has also become a career path that millions are opting for around the world.

As per a BCG report, India has 2–2.5 million monetised content creators, who influence more than USD 350–400 billion in consumer spending1. By 2030, the ecosystem is projected to exceed a trillion US Dollars in creator-influenced consumption.

Social media has, of course, driven this development. About a decade ago, creators and artists had limited reach and resources, and only the privileged few got the chance to showcase their creativity to a large audience. The emergence of social media platforms has democratised creativity, levelling the playing field, and giving creators, from all walks of life, access to larger audiences. Today, a designer in a small town can reach out to the world with their creation, and earn a living by their craft and creativity, even with relatively limited resources.

Create, upload, share content…and save it too

While being a content creator is full of promises and potential, it is not without challenges. It involves a lot of hard work of putting in grueling hours, and of course, taking care of what really keeps everything going - the content, be it in the form of videos, images, text or a blend of all or some of them.

Most of us associate content creation with the tech used to create it – such as cameras, lights and microphones - but it is actually storage that is the backbone of the content creator economy. It is not enough to create, upload and share content; a creator needs to save and preserve it too, in its original as well as edited form, for future use and reference.

Unsurprisingly, being a creator means having to create, shoot, edit, store, and upload consistently. And as technology expands, so do the size of projects, and the storage space they need. Not too long ago, full HD videos were considered to be high quality. Now 4K is the norm, and 8K is already on the horizon. In very rough terms, a minute of full HD video generally needs about 50MB storage, while a minute of a 4K video needs 200MB, and a minute of 8K video can need almost 600MB. All those lovely colours, fine textures and details take up space.

Saving space on devices, backing up content and more
This is where the need for effective and efficient storage comes to the fore. From the humble microSDTM card to portable SSDs, every means of storage is literally a content creator's bank vault of work - a place where they can access the results of their creativity. While many content creation gadgets like phones, tablets and notebook computers do come with their own on-board storage options, these are often limited. Ask any content creator what their biggest nightmare is, and it is a fair chance that they will reply: "That 'out of storage space' message."

This is why a good external storage option is essential for every content creator - one which is not locked to a specific gadget. It not only lets them save space on their phones, cameras, and notebooks, but also gives them an option to back up the data on them. It might not happen often, but tech can falter. Laptops crash, phones freeze, and cameras just die, often taking all the content with them.

A good storage solution ensures that one does not lose one's work; It is important to have a backup strategy. The first step of having a robust backup is ensuring that you follow the 3-2-1 strategy. This means having three copies of your data, stored on two different types of media, with one copy kept offsite.

Of course, one can also store data on the cloud, but Internet access and speeds differ from place to place, so having your work literally in the palm of your hand or in your pocket may be far more convenient and reliable. It also lets creators declutter their main devices and be more productive.

Speedy storage = the freedom to be more creative
Good storage options should offer high transfer speeds, enabling creators to transfer files to and from devices swiftly. In a world where every second counts, a storage solution that works quickly can be the difference between an effort going viral or ending in a doom spiral. In fact, some external storage options even let you save and edit content on them directly.

External storage is not just about having a 'backup,' as some think, although that is important too. Having access to a reliable storage device allows creators to do more, as they do not have to worry about storage space or about accessing or transferring their work. That means more photographs, multiple takes and multiple versions of the same scene, with different effects and perspectives, and much greater freedom which can often result in greater creativity.

Creativity is at the heart of the content creators' world, while social media and the Internet might be its veins and nerves, but storage is very much its backbone.

Contributed by Taninder Sijher, Vice President - Engineering at Sandisk.
References:

1. https://web-assets.bcg.com/c8/35/2a008ddf4e049d99a901b17233f0/gift-report.pdf

Disclaimer: The article has been produced on behalf of Sandisk by the Times Internet's Spotlight team.

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