shared storagepost-productionNASSANcloud storagevideo editingstorage solutions

Shared Storage for Video Editing: NAS vs SAN vs Cloud (2026)

Shared Storage for Video Teams: NAS vs SAN vs Cloud (and Hybrid)

If your editors are still passing hard drives around or waiting on file copies, shared storage will reclaim hours every week. The real decision isn’t whether you need shared storage, but which model fits your team, budget, and workflows.

This guide compares NAS, SAN, and cloud-based shared storage specifically for post-production teams.

What Shared Storage Actually Means in Post-Production

Shared storage is a central media pool that multiple editors, colorists, and audio engineers can access simultaneously, without duplicating footage on each workstation.

Key workflow benefits:

  • No more file copying – Open projects directly from shared storage instead of shuttling drives.
  • Real-time collaboration – Multiple editors can work on the same project at once.
  • Single source of truth – One master copy of every media file, always current.
  • Simplified backup – Protect one storage system instead of a dozen machines.
  • Faster onboarding – New staff and freelancers get instant access to existing projects.

NAS: Network Attached Storage for Video Editing

A NAS (Network Attached Storage) is a dedicated file server on your network that shares storage over standard Ethernet. It’s the most common first step into shared storage for small and mid-sized post teams.

How NAS Works for Video Teams

Your NAS lives on the same LAN as your edit workstations. Systems from TrueNAS, QNAP, and Synology expose shares via SMB or NFS, which are natively supported by:

  • Adobe Premiere Pro
  • DaVinci Resolve
  • Avid Media Composer (for media, not full Avid project sharing)

The critical performance factor is network bandwidth. For serious post-production, plan on 10GbE as your baseline.

NAS Performance Benchmarks

Approximate real-world throughput:

  • 1GbE NAS – ~110 MB/s

Suitable for: proxy editing, compressed HD, light workloads.

  • 10GbE NAS (HDD RAID) – ~800–1,000 MB/s

Suitable for: 4K ProRes, DNxHR, multicam HD.

  • 10GbE NAS (SSD cache + HDD) – ~1,000–1,200 MB/s

Suitable for: mixed 4K/6K editorial and finishing.

  • 25GbE NAS (all-SSD) – ~2,500+ MB/s

Suitable for: 8K RAW, heavy color, high track counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

NAS vs SAN vs cloud storage — which is right for professional video editing?

For under 4 editors on HD or short-form 4K, a well-spec'd off the shelf NAS over 10GbE is usually enough. For 6+ editors on heavy 4K/8K timelines, custom NAS or SAS spec'd appropriately is key. Cloud (LucidLink, SuiteStudios, Shade, Strada, S3-style) is the right call when you need geographic flexibility or remote contributors. Most working studios end up hybrid: SAN or fast NAS for active editorial, cloud for everything else.

What storage do I need for 4K/8K collaborative video editing?

For 4K ProRes with 4-6 simultaneous editors, budget 250-400 MB/s sustained per editor. SAN over 16Gb Fibre Channel handles this comfortably. NAS over 25/40GbE works if the switching is solid and the array isn't oversubscribed. 8K and high-frame-rate camera originals push the numbers 4-6× higher — you're well into SAN or high-end NAS territory at that point.

Is object storage suitable for video post-production?

Traditionally no for active NLE editing — object storage doesn't expose a filesystem the way editors need. That's changing fast: Object Mount ships native S3 bit-streaming today, SuiteStudios launches Q3 2026, LucidLink is in enterprise beta, and PostForward is launching a resold streaming platform later this year. For everything else — proxies, archives, dailies, delivery masters — object storage is already the natural fit. Pair it with a MAM that handles the proxy layer and editors get filesystem-feeling access without paying SAN prices for cold data.

How much shared storage does a small post-production team need?

Rule of thumb: 10-20 TB per editor of fast-tier storage for a typical commercial workload — more for narrative or documentary work with long-form camera originals. A 4-person team usually starts at 60-100 TB usable on hot storage, plus a warm tier (cloud or object storage) 2-3× that size for finished work waiting on revisions.

Can cloud storage replace a SAN for video editing?

For many workflows, yes — LucidLink, Suite Studios, Shade, and Strada have proven you can edit native 4K media off a cloud-attached share over normal internet. The catch: latency-sensitive work (color grading, audio mixing, real-time multicam) still benefits from local fast storage. Most studios using cloud-SAN platforms keep a local fast tier for finishing and use cloud for everything else.

Need help with your workflow?

Book a free consultation and let's discuss your setup.

Book a Free Call