What is LucidLink and how does it work?

Ever feel like you spend more time waiting on big files than working on them?

Tired of not knowing if you’re really viewing the latest version of a project?

Meet LucidLink. The storage collaboration platform that gives teams instant access to files and lets you work together seamlessly in real time, from anywhere.

What is LucidLink?

Imagine a world where: 

• Distance makes no difference to how quickly you can access your data. 

• Downloading, syncing and re-linking files is a thing of the past.

• You and your teammates can collaborate on huge files as if you’re in the same room, no matter where you’re working.

With LucidLink, it’s a reality. Our first-of-its-kind file streaming technology makes the impossible possible: instant, secure access to files of any size, directly in the cloud. No downloading, no duplicate files, no delays.

Using a shared cloud filespace, protected by zero-knowledge encryption, your team can instantly and securely access massive files, from any location.

Wherever your team works — at home, in the office or across continents — LucidLink frees you to collaborate without the frustrating hold ups, putting time back in your day.

We make workflows smoother for hundreds of companies and thousands of people who need fast access to data everywhere. From marketers, agencies and architects, to the creative brains behind Oscar and Emmy-winning productions like The Bear, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse and Atlanta. Teams work better together with LucidLink.

Why teams use LucidLink

Hybrid and remote work has opened up opportunities, but it’s also created new challenges. 

Especially for distributed teams working with huge files. Here’s a brief rundown of the workflow bottlenecks that could be stealing your time:

• Slow workflows: download delays, workarounds and file admin lead to lost creative time, missed deadlines and wasted cash. Not to mention frustrated teams and customers.

• Project delays: slow transfers and scattered files stall momentum.

• Version chaos: multiple versions of the same file create confusion and wasted effort.

• Collaboration headaches: juggling tools, waiting for files to sync and download and lengthy onboarding for collaborators makes working together harder than it needs to be.

• Scaling struggles: legacy solutions can’t keep up with growing teams, or the demands of larger files.

When every second counts, your workflow should work for you, not against you. LucidLink tackles these challenges head-on, so your team has the time to focus on the work that matters. Here’s how we got started.

The LucidLink founding story

LucidLink was founded in 2016 by storage industry experts Peter Thompson and George Dochev with a mission to make data instantly and securely accessible from anywhere.

At the time, traditional sync-and-share tools (like Dropbox or Google Drive) forced teams to download entire files locally before they could get to work. Meanwhile, VPNs were too laggy for anyone trying to collaborate on data in real time from different locations.

The result? Workarounds, shipping costs, download delays, versioning confusion and storage headaches. Ultimately, these constant disruptions meant teams were doing a lot of waiting instead of working.

Peter and George envisioned a new way of working — one where users wouldn’t need to wait for downloads, duplicate data or compromise on quality. The result was LucidLink: a way for teams to access and work on massive files directly in the cloud, as if they’re stored locally, and collaborate as seamlessly as you’re in the same room.

Today, teams at Warner Bros., Spotify, Adobe and countless others use LucidLink to get their time back and collaborate at the speed of creativity — no matter where they’re working.

Want to dive deeper into our story? Check out our about us page.

Meet the team redefining collaboration

Just like our customers, our employees work together from anywhere. With teams spanning North America, Europe and Australia, our hybrid and remote workforce live the reality we’ve built. 

Headquartered in San Francisco, with a tech hub in Sofia, Bulgaria, we believe that where you work shouldn’t limit what you can achieve. If you’re interested in being part of the team that’s reshaping collaboration, check out our careers page.

The tech behind LucidLink’s time-saving magic

If you’ve ever wasted hours on file downloads, or days waiting for hard drives to arrive, LucidLink’s instant access is a game-changer.

Some call it magic. Others witchcraft. Our customers simply say: it just works.

File streaming technology

The not-so-secret sauce is our unique file streaming technology.

LucidLink slices files into smaller, more accessible blocks. So, instead of waiting for entire files to download, you get on-demand access to the part of the file you want to work on — right away. The result is the ability to instantly stream massive files from the cloud. That means less time watching progress bars and more time working.

While we slice data into blocks to make the magic happen, the data itself remains unchanged. Unlike tools that rely on proxies or video compression to boost performance, LucidLink streams your files in their original format. What you see is exactly what you get. No quality loss, no surprises.

A real-time single source of truth

For our next trick, LucidLink’s cloud filespace updates in real time. This means any changes made to files are immediately visible to all your collaborators. No more wondering, “What version are you on?” — everyone works from the same files, wherever they are.

Feels just like a local drive

LucidLink looks, acts, and feels just like a local hard drive. You don’t need to learn anything new or change your tools or workflows.

By combining the ease, speed and familiarity of a local drive, with the flexibility, security and scalability of the cloud, we make collaboration easy for distributed teams.

The ease of a local drive

• Familiar workflows: seamlessly integrates into your existing setup — no new tools or workflows to learn.

• Immediate access: open and edit files straight away — no waiting for downloads.

• Speed and responsiveness: files feel like they’re stored directly on your device.

The power of the cloud

• Remote collaboration: work with your team in real time, from anywhere.

• Scalability: store and manage massive amounts of data, without running out of space.

• Security: zero-knowledge encryption protects your data, ensuring only the right people have access.
  

To your team, LucidLink shows up as just another drive on their desktop:

The result? Your workflows are smoother, projects get done sooner and everyone’s happier.

To see how much time, money and hassle your team could save with LucidLink, take a second to use our savings calculator.

How we power collaborative freedom, everywhere

Picture a project where your workflows actually flow. 

LucidLink frees your team to work together on massive files from anywhere, without all the waiting that stops you getting in the zone. Here’s how we make it happen:

• Access files instantly
  Whether you’re on set, your sofa, an airport lounge or in the office — you can access files of any size instantly, as if they’re right there on your local drive. Get straight to work.

• Collaborate in real time
  Collaborators everywhere see updates the moment they happen. Eliminate costly miscommunications and never see a final_approved_revised_approvedagain_master_cut-down_FINAL file again.

• Secure your data
  Zero-knowledge encryption and precise access controls keep your data secure and visible only to the right people.

• Integrate seamlessly with your favorite tools
  LucidLink acts like a local drive. So whatever your workflow demands, whether it’s Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, MAMs, DAMs, NLEs or DAWs — it just works.

• Scale effortlessly
  From solo freelancers to global enterprises, LucidLink scales with you. Need extra storage for a big project? Add it instantly. Managing new collaborators? They’re up and running and in sync with the team in no time. 

With powerful features designed to keep your projects flowing, LucidLink puts time back in your day and gives your team the freedom to collaborate your way.

A business where innovation isn’t just a buzzword

LucidLink was the world’s first storage collaboration platform. From the start, we wanted to make cloud storage feel as intuitive and fast as a local drive. 

For early adopters, it was a completely new way of working: a shared hard drive that lives in the cloud, but acts like it’s local. Fast forward nine years, and we’re now a core part of leading creative companies' workflows — giving teams a way to instantly access your data, without ever having to move it again.

With the new LucidLink, we’ve expanded our real-time collaborative magic across platforms.

Now, you can use LucidLink on desktop, web and mobile — making teamwork faster and more intuitive than ever.

You can read more about our latest product and upcoming features here.

Who uses LucidLink?

From marketers and media companies, to animators and architects, LucidLink is changing the way teams collaborate across industries. No matter your field, if you need fast, secure access to huge files and data from anywhere, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s how we’re shaking up workflows across industries:

Media & Entertainment
Collaborate in real time on post-production and large-scale projects. Here’s how one team created 50 films in 5 weeks across continents with LucidLink.

Creative agencies & marketing teams
From brainstorming to final delivery, distributed teams can work like they’re in the same room. Check out how Casual runs round-the-clock global video production.

Enterprise teams
LucidLink Enterprise combines fast and secure collaboration with egress-free AWS storage. Perfect for scaling teams.

Architecture & Engineering
Share CAD and 3D files instantly, wherever your collaborators are. See how Torti Gallas + Partners created a blueprint for AEC collaboration with LucidLink.

Sports production
Edit live footage directly from the cloud and stay in sync with your team, no matter where the action is.

Remote and distributed teams who hate wasting time love LucidLink. Wherever instant, secure access to massive files is essential, you’ll find teams that rely on our platform.

How to get started with LucidLink

Ready to try LucidLink for yourself? Getting started is easy.

• Take a free test run: explore LucidLink with a 14-day free trial

• Chat with us: book some time with our workflow experts to find your perfect setup.

• Dive deeper: check out our customer stories and local or virtual events to see how teams like yours are transforming their workflows.