The Best Ways to Store Videos Long-Term [4 Options, 100% Effective]

Contents Overview:

Do we need to store these videos long term?

Video has become the primary way that we record and share special moments from our lives, on our phones, computers, and other devices. But videos take up a lot of storage space on your devices, and running out of it can make it challenging to keep your memories over the long term.

And people say, well, do you really need to keep all this video for that long?

The answer is: Yes!

It's always good to have a backup of precious memories and moments, just in case you need them again someday, or they come in handy at some point. And better safe than sorry, right?

The next question is how to preserve them for the long term, and how best to do so.

There are many ways to preserve cherished memories, but the best one for you will depend on your needs and what works for you.

Keep reading, and we'll tell you about four great options for storing your videos. We'll compare them all in the end.

4 Ways to Store Video for the Long Term

When it comes to long-term video storage, you have several storage solutions to choose from. Depending on your needs, some options might be more suitable than others. Here are four methods for storing videos in the long term:

1. Save the long video onto a digital drive (HDD, SSD, or USB).

The most common way to store video for the long term is on a digital drive – an external hard disk, a solid-state drive, or even a USB flash drive.

The main advantage of storing your videos on a digital drive is that it's easy. All you need is a drive and a way to connect it to your computer. Once you have those, you can copy the videos right over.

Another advantage of digital drives is that they are relatively cheap: an external hard drive can often be had for around $50; USB flash drives are cheaper still, with some costing as little as $10.

Notably, these devices have large storage capacities, which you can choose according to your needs.

And digital devices are portable; you can take them with you wherever you go. And, if you are worried about losing them, you can back them up to other drives or even to the “cloud” (more on that later).

The downside of storing your videos on a digital drive is that they can get damaged or lost. If you lose the drive or it becomes damaged, you'll lose all your videos. That's why it's important to have a backup plan in case something happens to the drive.

For long-term, low-cost storage of video, in other words, digitized and on hard drives is probably your best bet.

2. Store long videos on cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive.

Another long-term option for storing videos is to save them to a cloud service. Cloud storage is a contemporary method of keeping files and data. It enables you to store your videos on remote servers, which means you can access them from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection.

There are many different cloud storage providers to choose from, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. Each service offers different features and pricing plans.

The advantage of using a cloud service is that your videos are stored online, so you don't have to worry about losing them. Even if your computer crashes or your phone is lost, your videos will be safe.

Another advantage of using a cloud service is that you can access your videos from anywhere, as long as you have an Internet connection. This makes it easy to share videos with friends and family who live far away.

The downside of cloud services is that you need an Internet connection to view your videos. If you're going someplace without connectivity, you won't be able to manage your clips.

Cloud services can be expensive, with some providers charging on a per-month basis that can really add up if you have a lot of videos.

Google Drive offers 15 GB free and 1 TB for $1.99 per month, with 1 TB for $9.99. Dropbox has similar prices: 2 GB free, and $9.99 per month for 1 TB. OneDrive is a bit different: 5 GB free, 50 GB for $1.99 per month, and 100 GB for $3.99.

Storing your video in the cloud is a good option if you want to be able to access it from anywhere in the world, but make sure you understand the costs involved before signing up.

3. Burn videos to disc (CD, DVD, Blu-ray)

Though it has been supplanted by digital downloads and streaming for most purposes, the CD remains a useful option for those who prefer it, and for archiving video in particular.

One advantage of CDs is that they are very cheap – typically around $10 for a standard CD or DVD. If you have a Blu-ray player, you can use Blu-ray discs to store video.

CDs are also useful because they are so easy to use: one simply pops them into a computer or DVD player and the video plays.

One problem with CDs is that they are fragile: scratch one, and it may be unusable; lose one, and you have to buy another.

DVDs are an inexpensive and convenient way to store videos for the long term, but they can be fragile, so handle them with care.

4. Use backup software (recommending using tools like Todo Backup)

Aside from the three methods above, you can also use backup software to keep your videos safe for the long term. This will copy your videos and save them to your computer, an external hard drive, or the cloud. It's like a combination of the first two methods.

There are many backup programs available, and Todo Backup is one of the best and most feature-packed, with its backup features entirely free.

The advantage of using backup software is that you can create multiple backups of your videos. This means that if one copy gets damaged, you'll still have other copies.

Another advantage of using backup software is that it has a scheduling feature. You can set it to automatically create backups of your videos. Restoring from a backup is also easy.

Todo Backup, another tool in this list, also includes 250GB of free cloud storage, which is great for offsite backups.

The only inconvenience is that you have to download and install the software on your own computer, which is easy and free.

If you're looking for a reliable and user-friendly backup solution, Tools Todo Backup is a good option.

Comparison of Three Methods

The four best ways to store video for the long term are:

Save them on a digital device: -
• Save to a digital device
Upload to a cloud storage service: -
• Upload to the cloud
Burn them onto a CD: -
• Burn to a CD
Use a backup software program: -
• Utilize backup software

The chart below offers a brief summary of the pros and cons of each. Read on to find the one that's right for you.

As can be seen from the chart above, each method has its pros and cons. Which one is the most suitable for long-term video storage depends on what you prioritize the most. If you need a reliable and user-friendly solution for long-term video storage, the backup software Todo Backup could be your ideal choice.

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### Common Issues with Long-Term Video Storage

How do you store a video for 20 years?

You can use any of these methods, but it's best to use backup software or an external hard drive, so that you can create multiple backups and store them in different locations.

2. What will be the most enduring storage medium?

The most durable are optical discs, like CDs and DVDs. But they can become damaged, so they need to be stored carefully.

Where can I store long videos for free?

Many cloud storage services, like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, allow you to store long videos for free. Just remember that each service has a limit on the amount of free cloud storage it provides. pCloud offers 250 GB of free cloud storage that you can use to save as many videos as you want.