How do you transfer audio files that are too big to e-mail? In the past, I've FTPed files to one of my Web sites with Dreamweaver and then e-mailed the recipient(s) a download link, but that was cumbersome. If the file needed to be private, like a conference-call recording about corporate strategy, I'd save it as a password-protected zip file first, and then include the password in the e-mail.
Later, I started using DropLoad, an ad-supported service that lets you upload files as big as 100MB through a simple Web form. You just enter the e-mail address of the recipient, click the Browse button to select the file, add a note if you like, and then hit "drop it." Once the file is uploaded, DropLoad sends the recipient an e-mail with a download link. It then deletes the file after seven days.
I liked that DropLoad would send me an e-mail when the recipient picked up the file, but the service frequently stalled during uploads or failed to send notifications to the recipients. Another drawback was that that DropLoad requires senders to set up an account, which added an extra step of complexity when I wanted to tell people how to send large files to me.
So I switched to another ad-supported service, YouSendIt. The free version lacks DropLoad's pickup notification feature and won't display a progress bar in Safari, but it tends to be more reliable. And the YouSendIt interface is even simpler than DropLoad's, because it doesn't require senders to log in. (In fact, you can just e-mail people a link in the form http://www.yousendit.com/?rcpt=you@yourdomain.com and when they click it, they'll go to the YouSendIt page with your address already filled out. A few clicks, and the file is on the way to you.)
For a monthly fee, YouSendIt offers extra features such as download tracking, larger file-size limits, and freedom from ads. That last one might tempt users if YouSendIt keeps running its sleazy liquor commercial on infinite repeat. While uploading a 95MB WAV file last week, I was grateful for Firefox's Nuke Anything extension.
UPDATE, 2007-12-03: For the last several months, I've been using Senduit.com, which has a super-easy interface for both uploaders and downloaders. You do give up some niceties, though, such as notification when the intended recipient picks up the file. So I continue to use YouSendIt as well.
The folks at ProAudioBus (lauded in the comments below) set me up with a trial account, but because it handled only audio files, I never got around to using it. There aren't too many times when I need to upload a whopping-big WAV, but I often have to send combinations of MP3s and other files.
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Audio
Comments (19)
Read More Entries by David Battino.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!... for your recommendation is about all I can say.
Who'd a thunk it?
batgirl - ProAudioBus uses a secure ftp applet - transfers are encrypted automatically.
@batgirl: For security, you can use third-party programs to encrypt the file before uploading it.
hi ... i know it has been a while but i wanted to know how secure is this method you are using. I need to sedn large audio files but security is critical!
Thanks
I'm glad to see other users are talking about www.ProAudioBus.com because I recently discovered them for myself. This site seems to be the one that gives me a sense of security about my work showing up to my clients exactly as I recorded it. In my business of recording drum tracks for clients all over the world, it's good to know things will be hassle-free when they get my work. Good-bye USPS, UPS & Fed-Ex!
The only site/service I've found that REALLY works, and works flawlessly on any size file is www.ProAudioBus.com. For almost 2 months now I send and receive 24bit.wav's & aiff from my home studio, all over the U.S. with no problems at all. I've tried everything out there and always found some kind of hang up. For 10 bucks a month...forget fed-ex. ProAudioBus is awesome. Go for it Willie!
P.S. ProAudioBus is the only service I have found that works with both Mac and PC......
I have been using www.ProAudioBus.com for about two months now. I send and receive large audio files between my recording studio in Los Angeles and associate studios in New York and Nashville. This system works great. I typically send individual drum tracks (14) bass tracks (1) multiple keyboard and multiple guitar and vocal tracks. 24 bit .wav or aiff......really super cool....only 10 bucks a month...way cheaper and faster than fed-ex. I love it....
Have you checked-out ProAudioBus.com for audio file transfers? I'm a musician who made a CD recently and because the online methods of file transfer either corrupted files or didn't complete transfers (some were as big as 1 gig), I had to use fedex to collaborate with band members who were miles away. We are working on the second CD and using ProAudioBus exclusively for the file transfers and we have not had a problem.
Willie: Sendspace, recommended by Sridhar above, might be an option. Its paid service offers password protection. As I mentioned, you can also password-protect a file yourself with a Zip-making program.
At the high end, there’s Digidesign DigiDelivery, which is designed precisely for transferring large audio files securely.
Hey!
I need a site that is both secure and private> I transfer large volumes of audio files and wont mind paying but there are not so many around. I tried Yousendit but experienced delayes in transfer. Any suggestions
WILLIE
Hey, Todd. Good to hear from you. Pando’s combination of BitTorrent-style transfer and e-mail notification does look interesting. The FAQ says that both sender and receiver need to install the Pando software to use the service, though. Is it worth it?
David,
I personally get around email attachment limits by using Pando because there are no file size limitations and the current beta version has no ads or spyware either.
Pando lets you send your home videos, finished .wav mixes, giant presentations and entire folders of original quality photos to anyone with an email address.
And it works on a Mac :)
todd beals
http://TheBealsMediaUpdate/blogspot.com
Daniel: One trick I use is to create a new e-mail account for every service I try. So if I start getting spam on, say, JoesHouseOfPizza@mydomain.com, I set up a filter to delete those messages automatically. I’ve never received any spam at my DropLoad or YouSendIt addresses.
I always wonder if by passing an email to the site is potential spam food.
Sridhar: Thanks for the link. Sendspace looks pretty clean, and the multiple-file upload feature is handy. It has the most informative upload-status meter of any site I’ve tried. I also like that it displays the size of the download. I discovered that registering gives access to a Web page where I could see the number of times a file has been downloaded. It would be even better if SendSpace gave uploaders the option to receive that information in an e-mail as well.
I think the notification e-mails could be more informative, though. They don’t say who sent the file, and the subject of the message the recipient gets is a vague “File uploaded to sendspace.” The first time I tried to download a file, I got an Internal Server Error screen.
Overall, though, this looks like a keeper. And no video ads! Thanks.
David: There are many such sites. Of all, I find www.sendspace.com to be the least obtrusive. Give it a try.
Hi Anjan. To clarify, I didn’t mind the ad. I even watched it a few times. But if I hadn’t nuked it, the ad would have played over and over for the 45 minutes it took to upload the file. And it was a noisy video ad.
hi there,
it seems in bad taste if you use some service providers resources and HATE THEM for the ads that keep the services running (and FREE).
Sure, i use firefox, but I so far havent' installed any extension to block ads any further,
BR,
`A