Is your studio ready for remote editing?

Remote editing works when a few foundations are in place: one home for the footage, a way to reach it, enough internet at each end, a plan for shared projects, and basic security. Answer seven short questions and this page lists the three to five things to fix first for your setup.

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Quick answer

Most remote editing problems come from the same few gaps: footage that has no single home, home internet that is slower than people assume, shared projects with no rules, and security that was never written down. This checker asks about each and ranks what to fix first. It is a rough read from your answers, not an audit.

Question 1 of 7

Which editing app does the team use most?

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Assumptions

What this tool takes for granted. If one of these is wrong for you, treat the result accordingly.

  • Seven answers cannot assess a studio. The result is a short list of what to look at first, and it will miss anything you did not tell it.
  • It does not measure your network, open your files or test your software. Measure real speeds with a transfer to your own storage.
  • The advice is vendor neutral. Each editing app documents its own method for shared projects, so follow the vendor's current documentation for your version.
  • Where a speed is mentioned, it comes from published figures, such as Apple's target of 36 Mb/s for ProRes Proxy at 1080p 24p. Your files may differ.
  • Security items are basics, not a certification. If a client requires an audit or an assessment, ask them for their exact requirements.

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Tell us what you see on screen. A person on our production consulting team reads it and replies, usually with the first thing to check.

Error messages, what changed recently, how many people are affected. A few words is enough.

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What remote editing needs

An editor at home needs three things: the footage, a way to reach it and a way to hand work back. The footage is either copied to them as proxies, reached over a secure connection to the studio, or used through a computer that stays at the studio. Each choice trades speed, cost and risk, and the right one depends on the footage and the connections at both ends.

Around that sit shared projects, which each app handles in its own way, and security, which matters more when footage leaves the building. The questions here follow that order.

What to do with the result

Treat the list as a plan for the next few weeks. Fix the first item, test with one editor and one real project, then move on. Use the upload calculator to turn your internet speeds into transfer times, and the storage calculator to size the storage you will need.

Questions about remote editing

Can I edit video remotely with slow home internet?

Often yes, if you do not stream the footage live. With a slow connection, editors work from proxies that were copied ahead of time, and the project is relinked to the full files for finishing. As a reference, Apple lists ProRes Proxy at 1080p 24p at 36 Mb/s, so one live stream of it needs more than a 25 Mbps connection can offer.

Do remote editors need a VPN?

Not always. A VPN is one way to reach studio storage, and it is limited by the studio's upload speed. Other options are proxies on local drives, cloud workspaces and remote access to a studio computer. Whichever you choose, use multi-factor sign-in and keep storage off the open internet.

What are proxies and why do remote editors use them?

Proxies are small copies of the footage made for editing. They need far less bandwidth and storage than the originals, so they are practical over a home connection. The editor cuts on the proxies, and the project is relinked to the full-resolution files for finishing and export.

Is cloud storage enough for a remote editing team?

It works well for delivery, review and backup. Editing directly from a synced cloud folder makes the internet connection the speed of your storage, and files that are online only have to download before they play. Many teams keep working media on local or studio storage and use the cloud for the rest.

What does this checker not tell me?

It does not measure your network, inspect your storage or test your editing app, and seven answers leave a lot out. It gives a ranked list of what to check first. If the list leaves you unsure, a person who can look at the real setup will find the answer faster than guessing.

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Related guides

Browse the Studio IT hub for more fixes, or see IT for small creative studios. We are in Los Angeles and help studios remotely across the US with remote editing setup, shared storage and NAS, backups, and security and onboarding.