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Connect Backblaze to FootageDrop.

FootageDrop keeps your footage in your own Backblaze B2 storage, so you pay Backblaze directly and nobody else holds your clients' files. Setting it up takes about ten minutes, once. Keep this page open next to Backblaze and go step by step.

What you'll end up with. Four things to paste into FootageDrop: an endpoint, a bucket name, a key ID and an application key. Step 7 shows exactly where each one goes.
1

Open a Backblaze account

Sign up for B2 Cloud Storage ↗
  • Choose B2 Cloud Storage, not "Computer Backup". They're different products.
  • Pick your region on the sign-up form. In the UK or Europe choose EU Central. It can't be changed later, and it's where your footage will live.
  • Confirm your email address when Backblaze emails you.

Already have a Backblaze account? Sign in and go to step 2.

2

Add a payment card

Open Billing ↗

Add a card under Billing. Without one, Backblaze stops everything once you pass its free 10 GB, which is less than one card of footage.

Storage costs about $6.95 per terabyte per month, charged by Backblaze, only for what you store. Downloads are free up to three times what you store. Backblaze pricing

3

Raise the daily caps

Open Caps & Alerts ↗

New accounts are capped very low, and uploads stop without warning when a cap is reached. Set these daily caps and press Update Caps:

CapSet it to
Data Storage Cap$3 a day (plenty for several terabytes)
Download Bandwidth Cap$3 a day
Class B Transactions Cap$1 a day
Class C Transactions Cap$1 a day

These are safety limits, not charges. You only pay for what you actually use.

4

Create a private bucket

Open Buckets ↗

Press Create a Bucket and fill it in like this:

SettingChoose
Bucket Unique NameSomething like yourstudio-footagedrop. It must be unique across all of Backblaze, at least 6 characters, using only letters, numbers and hyphens. If it's taken, add a number or the year.
Files in Bucket arePrivate
Default EncryptionEnable
Object LockDisable

Press Create a Bucket. Your new bucket appears in the list. Keep this page open: you'll need its Endpoint in step 7.

5

Keep only the latest version of each file

On your new bucket, click Lifecycle Settings, choose Keep only the last version of the file, and press Update Bucket.

Don't skip this. Without it, footage that FootageDrop deletes is kept as a hidden old version and Backblaze keeps billing you for it.
6

Create an application key

Open Application Keys ↗

Press Add a New Application Key and fill it in like this:

SettingChoose
Name of Keyfootagedrop
Allow access to Bucket(s)Your new bucket only, not "All"
Type of AccessRead and Write
Allow List All Bucket NamesLeave unticked
File name prefix and DurationLeave empty

Press Create New Key. A box appears with two values:

  • keyID: a short code, about 25 characters.
  • applicationKey: a longer code, about 31 characters.
Copy both now. Backblaze shows the application key only this once. Paste them somewhere safe, such as a password manager, or straight into FootageDrop (step 7). If you lose the key, delete it and make a new one; that's fine.
7

Connect it in FootageDrop

  1. Open FootageDrop and go to Settings (the sliders icon next to your name, bottom left), then scroll to Storage.
  2. Choose Backblaze B2.
  3. Fill in the four boxes:
In FootageDropCopy from Backblaze
S3 endpointOn the Buckets page, your bucket's Endpoint line, for example s3.eu-central-003.backblazeb2.com. Type https:// in front: https://s3.eu-central-003.backblazeb2.com
BucketYour bucket's name, exactly as written (step 4)
Key IDThe keyID (step 6)
Application keyThe applicationKey (step 6)
  1. Press Test connection. You should see a green Connected to your-bucket.
  2. Press Save at the top right.

FootageDrop keeps the application key in your Mac's Keychain, or in Windows' secure storage on a PC. It's never shown again, and never sent to anyone else.

If it doesn't connect

Test connection shows the reason in red. Find it below.

InvalidAccessKeyId
The Key ID is wrong. Copy the keyID again (step 6), without spaces at either end.
SignatureDoesNotMatch
The Application key is wrong or incomplete. It's the longer of the two values. If you no longer have it, make a new key (step 6) and use both new values.
NoSuchBucket
The Bucket name doesn't match. Check the spelling, including hyphens and capitals, on the Buckets page.
AccessDenied or "not entitled"
The key isn't allowed to use this bucket. Make a new key with Allow access to Bucket(s) set to this bucket and Read and Write access.
"getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND", "Invalid URL" or it just spins
The S3 endpoint is wrong. It must start with https://s3. and end with .backblazeb2.com, copied from your bucket's Endpoint line, with no bucket name in it.
Connected, but uploads stop after a while
A daily cap has been reached, or there's no payment card yet. Do steps 2 and 3.
Still stuck?
Email info@weareoneapps.com with a screenshot of the red message. Please don't include your application key.

Backblaze's own pages change their look from time to time. If a button has moved, the names in bold are what to look for. FootageDrop is made by We Are One Apps.

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