Every file in your library exists in the cloud, always. Keep Downloaded is a separate, per-file or per-folder choice about whether a copy also sits on this Mac’s disk. It changes nothing about what you own or what you can see — only what is on the drive right now.
Cloud-only
A cloud-only file is fully listed in the Finder: real name, real size, key, BPM, pack. It takes up no disk space. Double-click it, or load it in a DAW, and it downloads first — a few hundred milliseconds for a one-shot on a decent connection, longer for a long stem.
Keep Downloaded
Right-click a file or a folder, choose Prod Crate › Keep Downloaded, and a pin badge appears on it. The file is downloaded now and kept on the disk: it opens instantly, it works with no connection, and macOS will not reclaim it. A folder marked Keep Downloaded also keeps anything added to it later.
Remove Download is the reverse. The local copy is deleted, the disk space comes back, and the file keeps its place in the folder with a cloud icon. Nothing is lost — Remove Download is not delete.
What to keep downloaded
- The two or three packs you reach for in every session.
- The project folder for whatever you are mixing this week, samples included.
- Anything you need on a flight, in a studio with bad Wi-Fi, or on stage.
Everything else is better cloud-only. The menu bar shows how much of this Mac your library is using, and Settings › Storage lists the biggest downloaded folders so you can free space without guessing.
Was this helpful?