Why offline still matters
A drive that sits unplugged in a drawer cannot be wiped by a sync mistake, a hacked account or a virus on your computer. That is exactly the kind of copy an archive needs.
It also costs nothing per month once you have bought it, which makes it a good partner for a cloud account.
Set up the drive once
Give the drive a clear name, such as VIDEO-ARCHIVE-A, and create one top-level folder per year with month folders inside. Put a small text file at the top explaining what is on the drive and when it was last updated.
Copy your finished videos, captions and content log into the matching folders. Use copy, not move, so the originals stay on your computer until you have checked the copy opens.
Store it safely between updates
Eject the drive properly, unplug it and keep it away from heat, damp and direct sun. A padded case helps if it travels.
If you can, keep a second drive at another address and swap them every month or two. Then one drive is always away from home if something happens there.
Run a yearly health check
Pick one date each year, such as your birthday. Plug the drive in, open ten random videos from different years and make sure they play from start to finish.
Check how full it is and how old it is. Drives do not last forever, so when one is several years old, getting slow or making odd noises, copy everything to a new drive and keep the old one as a spare until you have checked the new one.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use a hard drive or a solid-state drive?
Both can work. Solid-state drives are faster and tougher if dropped, while traditional hard drives often give more space for the money, so choose based on your budget and how much you carry it around.
Can I leave the drive plugged in all the time?
You can, but then it behaves more like part of your computer and can be affected by the same mistakes or malware. For an archive copy, unplugging it between updates is safer.