How many times have you worried about running short on memory? Perhaps quite often. Well, you’re not alone. With the number of apps in our smartphones & computers always expanding and the megapixel count on cameras always rocketing into the stratosphere, one can expect to encounter files running into hundreds & thousands of megabytes. In such a situation, needing reliable cloud storage is a no-brainer.
Since it’s not free, you don’t want to spend your hard-earned money on something that’ll sit idle. So, how much of it do you need to strike the perfect balance between cost & benefits? Let’s find out
Determine Your Cloud Usage
You know the kind of work you do, and the size of the files you transfer depends upon it. For instance, if you are a professional video editor dealing with high-res 4k videos, prepare to deal with mammoth files.
On the other hand, your storage needs will dwindle if you send MS Word documents. In short, the storage needs depend on your usage.
Calculate Your Requirements
As we described above, your storage needs depend upon the kind of work you do. So let us delve deeper into the files and the space they occupy.
1. Word & PDF Documents
Microsoft Word & PDF documents are smaller, ranging from a few KB to a few MB. For instance, an MS Word Page with a .docx extension occupies 5 to 7 KB of space. A PDF page is around 50 KB, and 20 to 30 PDF pages occupy around 5 MB space.
2. Images
The size of an image depends on its quality. Uncompressed versions of photos, called RAW, take around 20 MB. On the other hand, compressed photos usually taken on smartphones, called JPEGs occupy approximately 2-3 MB
3. Audio
You might already know that an mp3 song on your smartphone takes about 5 MB. Uncompressed files like WAV, AIFF, etc., occupy more space, but only professionals use them.
All you need is to multiply the number of audio files by 5, and you’d know the storage you need.
4. Video
Videos take the most space among all the files. For instance, a one-minute 4k video can occupy somewhere from 350 MB to 2 GB. Therefore, if you deal with high-res video files, your smartphone or PC storage won’t be enough.
So, How Much Cloud Storage Do you Need, After All?
This is what we believe different people need, everything considered:
- Students: 25 to 50 GB
- Videography & photography professionals: 200 GB to 1 TB.
- ● An average person: 25-50 GB
Concluding Remarks
Cloud storage is a boon for those who want to store their data efficiently. However, it can be intimidating for a beginner because of privacy issues. We assure you it is safe.
One of the best practices to save your data is to upload it on a trustworthy cloud platform and share it using secure platforms like Bigg.ly. Otherwise, you may risk losing it forever.