📥 Download Frame.io Drive here: Mac (Apple Silicon) / Windows
ℹ️ Availability
Mounted Storage: Coming to all plans now. Previously limited to select Enterprise accounts at launch.
Transfers: Available to all customers.
What is Frame.io Drive?
Frame.io Drive is the official desktop application for Frame.io. It combines two powerful capabilities into one app:
Mounted Storage — connect Frame.io to your desktop instantly 🗂️
Stream your Frame.io projects on-demand directly from your desktop. Open, edit, and save media in any creative app — no downloads or syncing required.
Transfers — move your assets with speed and ease ⚡
Upload and download bulk content, large folder structures, and entire projects at maximum speed. Replaces and improves on the legacy Transfer app.
Frame.io Drive features
Start working immediately 🚀
Open and edit files in any creative app the moment a project is mounted. Only the data you need is streamed — no waiting for a full project to download first.
One source of truth 🔗
Everyone on the team works from the same files. Changes are reflected in real time across all connected systems — no copies, no drift, no version confusion.
Works with the tools you already use 🛠️
Mounted Storage works with any app that reads from a file system — Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve, and more. No special panels or plugins required.
Security stays intact 🔒
Assets never leave Frame.io. Access is tied to project membership — add or remove a collaborator and their permissions update instantly, with no hardware to reclaim.
ℹ️ Replacing the Transfer app
Frame.io Drive replaces the Transfer app. Both will be supported for a transition period, but Drive is a separate download — it does not auto-update from Transfer.
System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems
Platform | Version |
macOS | 13.0 (Ventura) or newer |
Windows | 10 or newer |
Hardware & Storage
Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
RAM | 2 GB | 16 GB |
Free SSD Space | 50 GB (cache min: 20 GB) | 250 GB |
Internet | 10 Mbps | Ethernet for high-bitrate 4K media |
Note: The cache defaults to using up to 250 GB on your system volume (C: on Windows, MacintoshHD on Mac) and will never exceed 90% of available space on the destination volume. You can change the cache location to an external drive (must be macOS or NTFS formatted, not exFAT).
Install Frame.io Drive
Mac
Download the Frame.io Drive installer for Mac (Apple Silicon) using the button at the top of this article, or click here.
Open the .pkg installer and follow the on-screen instructions to completion.
Launch Frame.io Drive and accept any macOS security prompts (e.g. confirming the app was downloaded from the internet).
Click Sign In — you'll be sent to your browser to authenticate with your Frame.io account.
Windows
Download the Frame.io Drive installer for Windows using the button at the top of this article, or click here.
Open the installer. When prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes.
Click Install, then Finish.
Launch Frame.io Drive and click Sign In — you'll be sent to your browser to authenticate.
Mount Your First Project
Mounting makes a Frame.io project appear as a local drive on your desktop — accessible from Finder, Windows Explorer, and any creative app. Only files you actually open are streamed; nothing downloads in the background.
Option A — Mount from the Frame.io Drive app
Open Frame.io Drive. Your projects appear in the Mounted Projects tab.
Click Mount Project next to the project you want. Mounting takes just a few seconds.
A green dot confirms the project is connected. Click Open on Desktop to open it directly in Finder / Explorer.
Option B — Mount from the Frame.io web app
In the Frame.io web app, click the Mount Project icon next to Assets in any project.
If Frame.io Drive is running, a pop-up appears. Click Open to confirm the connection.
The project will appear connected in the Frame.io Drive app. If the app is not installed, the pop-up will include a download link.
✅ Once mounted, you can open, edit, and save media directly from Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, or any app that can open files from disk — just navigate to the mounted drive.
🔒 Permissions note: You need download permissions to mount a project. If no mounting option appears, contact your account admin to check your permissions.
Pre-caching — getting ahead of your work
Right-click any folder on a mounted drive and mark it for pre-caching. Any file that lands in that folder — via Camera to Cloud, API delivery, or a remote upload — will be localized to your machine automatically before you need it.
💡 Example: A DIT in New York uploads dailies throughout Monday. An editor in LA has the dailies folder set to pre-cache. The footage localizes overnight. Tuesday morning, the editor sits down with everything already there — no drives shipped, no download queue, no version questions.
Transfer Files (Upload & Download)
Transfers are the fastest way to move bulk content between your desktop and Frame.io. Available to all customers.
Uploading
In Frame.io Drive, go to the Transfers tab and select Upload.
Choose the files or folders from your desktop. You can upload entire folder structures.
Select the destination project in Frame.io and start the transfer.
Downloading
In Frame.io Drive, go to the Transfers tab and select Download.
Choose the project, folder, or files to download. Select whether you want original files or specific proxy formats.
Choose a destination on your local machine and start the download.
Storage Types Explained
Every project in Frame.io uses one of two storage types. Content Admins can change this from Project Settings in the web app or via Frame.io Drive.
Standard Storage ☁️
Default storage for all projects. Access media via the Frame.io web app. Counts against your Standard Storage quota.
Mounted Storage 🖥️
Enables desktop access via Frame.io Drive. Stream files on-demand in creative apps. Counts against your Mounted Storage quota (separate from Standard).
Storage capacity & quotas
Mounted Storage has its own capacity quota, separate from Standard Storage. Capacity is measured by the total size of projects enabled for desktop access across your account — not multiplied per user. You can view current usage in Account Settings → Storage.
Plan | Mounted Storage Entitlement |
Free | 2 GB included |
Pro | 250 GB included |
Teams | 500 GB included |
Enterprise | 2 TB included — contact sales for larger needs |
⚠️ Exceeding your quota: If enabled projects exceed your Mounted Storage entitlement, your account enters a grace period. Enabling new projects for mounting is blocked until the overage is resolved — either by disabling projects or purchasing additional capacity. All media remains accessible via the web app.
Common Workflows
Mounted Storage fits a range of team types. Here are the most common patterns to help you identify where it fits in your pipeline.
Remote Editorial 🎬
Editors in different cities mount the same project. Media paths always match — no relink sessions. Lock files propagate in under a second, so Premiere Productions works reliably across distributed teams.
Agency Campaign Production 🎨
PSDs, MOVs, PDFs, and audio all live in one place. Every save creates a version in Frame. Stakeholders can review and approve in the Frame.io iOS app without anyone re-uploading anything.
Broadcast Shared Libraries 📡
Motion graphics packages, SFX libraries, and music beds are accessible to every editor on the team directly from their mounted drive — drag assets straight into a timeline without a separate download.
Enterprise Brand Teams 🏢
Access is tied to Frame.io project membership. Add a new contractor and they're in a working environment within minutes. Remove them and access is gone in one step — no hardware to reclaim.
Finishing & Deliverables 🚀
Files begin uploading to Frame.io as they're written — renders start uploading before they're finished. Send a share link while the export is still running.
Camera to Cloud 📷
Media shot in the field via Camera to Cloud arrives directly in the same Frame.io project your editors have mounted — available the moment it lands, before anyone pulls a card.
Performance Troubleshooting
Most performance issues come down to three variables: network bandwidth, cache location, and media bitrate. Here are the common bottlenecks and how to resolve them quickly.
Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
Playback stutters on new media | Data is being requested faster than it can be localized | Use precaching on active footage folders before your session. Check that your bandwidth exceeds your primary format's data rate. |
Performance degrades after importing a large bin in Premiere | Premiere silently generates transcriptions, media intelligence, and waveforms for imported media, triggering reads across the entire import | Disable automatic transcription and media intelligence in Premiere's preferences. Run those processes intentionally at a separate time. |
Network saturation affecting other apps | Frame.io Drive is localizing media in the background | Use the built-in bandwidth throttle controls in Frame.io Drive. Run a speed test first to calibrate the right setting. |
Cache performance is sluggish | Cache is on a slow or network-attached drive | Move the cache to your fastest local SSD. Avoid network locations — a smaller fast cache outperforms a larger slow one. |
Files appear missing after closing mid-copy | Finder's progress bar reflects when a file is written to local cache, not when it has finished uploading to Frame.io | Wait for the Frame.io Drive upload indicator to confirm completion before closing your machine or disconnecting. |
🔗 For NLE-specific optimization (Premiere, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve), see the Mounted Storage Optimization Hub.
Next Steps & Deep Dives
Ready to go further? These guides cover everything from cache configuration to NLE-specific optimization.
FAQ
Q: What's happening to the Transfer app?
A: Frame.io Drive replaces the Transfer app. Both will be supported during a transition period. Frame.io Drive is a separate download — it is not delivered as an automatic update to the Transfer app.
Q: Does Mounted Storage require a download? Does it use local disk space?
A: No downloads required. Files are streamed on-demand. Only the cache uses local disk space — you can control the cache size and location in Frame.io Drive settings. Frequently accessed data stays in cache for faster performance; older data is evicted as the cache fills.
Q: Can I use Mounted Storage over Wi-Fi?
A: Yes, but Ethernet is recommended for the best experience — especially with high-bitrate 4K media. If your connection speed is slower than the bitrate of the file you're playing, playback may buffer.
Q: Can I use Mounted Storage offline?
A: No. An active internet connection is required for authentication, permission enforcement, and keeping project state consistent across collaborators. Caching reduces network dependency for frequently accessed files, but the app is not designed for offline use.
Q: What are the recommended hardware specs?
A: For the best experience: 16 GB RAM minimum (more is better for creative apps), 250 GB free SSD space recommended for cache and temporary files, and a reliable high-speed internet connection. Network speed and stability are the primary performance factors.
Q: Can I use an external drive for cache storage?
A: Yes. External drives are supported for cache. The drive must be formatted as macOS (HFS+/APFS) or NTFS — exFAT is not supported.
Q: Why are certain characters blocked in file/folder names?
A: To ensure projects work seamlessly across macOS and Windows. Windows does not allow certain characters (> < ? : | * " /) or reserved names (e.g. CON, PRN, NUL, COM1–COM9). Blocking them prevents Mac users from creating names that Windows collaborators can't access. Mac-only teams can disable Windows compatibility in project settings.
Q: What happens if I exceed my Mounted Storage quota?
A: Your account enters a grace period. During this time, account admins see a banner in Frame.io and enabling new projects for mounted access is blocked. To resolve the overage, admins can disable desktop access on projects not actively needed, or purchase additional Mounted Storage capacity. All media remains accessible via the Frame.io web app throughout.
Q: What if I don't see a "Mount Project" option?
A: You need download permissions to mount a project. If the option doesn't appear, your admin may have restricted this permission. Reach out to your account admin to adjust your permissions. You can still access any projects that are already actively mounted.
Q: What's the right cache size for my workflow?
A: Size your cache based on how much media you're actively cycling through, not the total project size. A designer working on a brand campaign might find 50 GB covers everything their documents actively reference. A documentary editor who wants terabytes of dailies available for scrubbing may want a dedicated external SSD. Start with what you have, then size up based on how much active media you find yourself cycling through.
Cache drives must be macOS (HFS+/APFS) or NTFS formatted — exFAT is not supported. If you travel between a desktop and a laptop, the cache drive is portable — plug it into the new machine and it's immediately readable, no recaching needed.