Cloud Storage

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Overview

When you enable cloud upload for a directory, Sample Vault pushes the audio files to a cloud storage provider so they’re available on your other devices and in the browser tab. The default provider is Sample Vault’s built-in cloud, which counts toward your plan’s storage cap. You can also connect your own Dropbox or Google Drive account and route new uploads through that instead. Find it under Settings → Connections → Cloud storage.

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Built-in cloud

Available by default on Home Studio and Professional Suite. No setup required — toggle Upload to the cloud per directory in the Add Directory dialog, or right-click a folder → Upload samples to the cloud later. Files count toward your plan’s storage cap (50 GB on Home Studio, 200 GB on Professional Suite).

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Connect Dropbox

Once connected, new sample uploads go through Dropbox automatically. Existing uploads stay where they already are.

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How files are organized in your Dropbox

• New uploads land at /Apps/Sample Vault/<relative-path>, mirroring the folder structure inside the source sample directory.
• Sample Vault doesn’t read anything from your Dropbox outside the /Apps/Sample Vault folder.
• Sample Vault doesn’t keep its own copy of the audio — it forwards the bytes to Dropbox during upload and serves the file back through a short-lived signed URL when playback needs it.

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Disconnect

Click Disconnect in the Cloud storage panel to stop syncing. Sample Vault revokes its access token. Files already in /Apps/Sample Vault are not deleted — you can keep them as a backup or remove them manually from Dropbox.

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Connect Google Drive

Once connected, new sample uploads go through Google Drive automatically. Existing uploads stay where they already are.

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How files are organized in your Drive

• New uploads land in a top-level Sample Vault/ folder in your Drive, with subfolders mirroring the structure inside the source sample directory.
• Sample Vault uses the drive.file OAuth scope, so it can only see files it created. It cannot read anything else in your Drive.
• Sample Vault doesn’t keep its own copy of the audio. During playback the bytes pass through a short-lived Sample Vault URL that’s authenticated with your stored Google credentials — your files are never made publicly shareable in Drive.

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Disconnect

Click Disconnect in the Cloud storage panel to stop syncing. Sample Vault revokes its OAuth token with Google. Files already in Sample Vault/ are not deleted — you can keep them as a backup or remove them manually from Drive.

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Switching providers

Pick a default upload destination right from Settings → Connections → Cloud storage once at least one provider is connected. The Default upload destination card lets you toggle between Sample Vault storage, your Dropbox, and your Google Drive without disconnecting any of them. New uploads use whichever destination is currently selected; samples already in the other providers stay where they are and remain playable.

• Sample Vault storage is only selectable on Home Studio and Professional Suite. On Demo Room and Lifetime, the option is shown but locked behind an upgrade prompt.
• Your Dropbox and Your Google Drive are only selectable while that provider is connected. The card disables the option (with the existing connection card still visible) if the provider isn’t linked yet.

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Storage caps and quotas

When a quota is full, new uploads pause. Existing uploaded samples remain accessible.

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Browser access

Dropbox- and Drive-stored samples are playable in the browser tab the same way built-in-cloud samples are. Dropbox streams through short-lived Dropbox URLs; Drive streams through short-lived Sample Vault URLs that proxy the bytes from your Drive — your provider’s bandwidth covers playback in both cases.

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FAQ

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Will connecting a BYO provider migrate my existing cloud samples?

No. The existing uploads stay where they already are and remain playable. Only new uploads after connecting are routed through the newly chosen provider.

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Can I connect more than one provider at once?

Yes. You can keep Dropbox, Google Drive, and the built-in cloud all linked at the same time and switch which one new uploads go to from the Default upload destination card in Settings → Connections → Cloud storage. Only one is active at a time; the others stay linked so previously uploaded samples keep playing.

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What happens if I disconnect a BYO provider?

Sample Vault stops uploading new files to that provider and revokes its access token. Samples already stored there aren’t deleted — they’re just no longer reachable from Sample Vault until you reconnect. Files uploaded to the built-in cloud or to a still-connected provider keep working.

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Is the cloud storage the same as the cloud sync database?

No. Your library catalog (sample metadata, tags, favorites, chat history, search index) syncs through a separate path that always goes through Sample Vault. Cloud storage providers only handle the audio files.

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Why does Google Drive playback go through a Sample Vault URL instead of a direct Drive link?

Privacy. Google Drive doesn’t offer a Dropbox-style “give me a short-lived public URL” endpoint. The only way to get a public link is to mark the file as shareable with anyone who has the URL — which would mean every Sample Vault user’s audio files are technically public. Instead, Sample Vault mints a short-lived signed URL pointing at its own server, which proxies the bytes from your Drive using the OAuth token you granted. Your files stay private; Sample Vault never holds them.

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Can I connect a BYO provider on Demo Room or Lifetime?

Yes. Uploads to your own Dropbox or Google Drive don’t require a Sample Vault subscription — Lifetime holders and Demo Room users can connect a BYO provider, set it as the default destination, and upload to it. The subscription requirement applies only to built-in cloud (Sample Vault’s own storage); since BYO files live in your own account against your own provider quota, Sample Vault doesn’t gate them. Cross-device playback through samplevault.ai also works on BYO without a subscription, as long as the connection stays linked.