It can be very confusing understanding the differences between media files and project files and knowing what files you need to share with a project collaborator online.
-
- Project File - Project files are usually a small (kb or mb in size) file that saves information about how your organizing your audio in a timeline, transitions, effects, project settings and other editing parameters.
-
- Media File - Media files are the raw materials you are creating your audio project with, e.g., field recordings, interviews, voice overs.
When you select "Import" in most editing applications, your media files are linked to the project file. The project files knows where your media files are saved and references them every time you open the project. This is why media management is so important - if you move your media files midway through the editing process you may open your project to file that all your media is offline.
To successfully share your editing project with a teammate, they must have access to all the media files on their computer as well as the project file and even despite this it may require they manually show the application where these files are located on their machine.
Applications like Garageband will your duplicate media and wrap it inside the project file. This takes up more space on your computer but when sharing your edit with a team member, you can simply share the project file and it will contain all the media files as well.