Synology NAS for Creative Teams | MacWorks 360
Synology NAS for Creative Teams
Fun fact: if your team shoots one 1TB project a week, that’s ~52TB a year—enough to fill a stack of old iPods to the ceiling. A Synology NAS for creative teams gives fast shared storage, versioning, and simple backups so designers, photographers, and editors work in sync.
This guide shows the right Synology models, network design, folder structure, and a no-drama 3-2-1 backup plan.
Why Synology NAS for Creative Teams
- Speed for teams: 10GbE turns the NAS into a “shared fast disk.”
- Snapshots: instant rollbacks against mistakes and ransomware (Btrfs + Snapshot Replication).
- Apps that matter: DSM, Active Backup, Synology Drive, Photos, Cloud Sync.
- Mac-friendly: SMB performance, Time Machine targets, permissions that don’t fight with macOS.
- Predictable scaling: add bays, shelves, and faster NICs as the team grows.
Quick Picks by Team Size
- 2–4 creators, mixed photo/design: Plus series (6–8 bays) with 2.5GbE/10GbE add-on; RAID 6 if using 12TB+ drives.
- 5–12 creators, tethered studio + video proxies: XS/XS+ (8–12 bays) with built-in 10GbE; NVMe cache.
- 12+ creators, heavy video + archives: XS/SA class with expansion shelf; 10–25GbE backbone.
See also: Best NAS for Photographers (2025) · Best Mac for Creative Professionals (2025)
Network & Storage Design That Works
- 10GbE where it counts. Editors and ingest stations on 10GbE; everyone else on 2.5–10GbE.
- RAID & layout. RAID 6 for large arrays; separate volumes for Ingest, WIP, Archive.
- Cache tier. NVMe read/write cache to smooth previews, proxies, and batch exports.
- File system. Btrfs for snapshots + quota; enable regular snapshot schedules per share.
- Permissions. Groups (Design, Photo, Video, Clients) with least-privilege access; lock down Archive.
Creative Workflows on Synology
- Lightroom/Capture One: keep the catalog/session on the Mac’s internal SSD; store RAWs/Previews on the NAS share.
- Video (Resolve/Premiere): store proxies and shared assets on NAS; keep renders/scratch on local NVMe, then consolidate.
- Design (Adobe/Affinity): shared brand libraries on Synology Drive; enable file versioning.
- Time Machine: per-Mac quotas on a dedicated share; rotate drives off-site monthly as a belt-and-suspenders backup.
Recommended Synology Builds (2025)
Plus Series (Budget-Friendly Team Storage)
- Bays: 6–8; start with 4–6 drives, leave room to grow.
- Drives: NAS-rated 12–18TB; RAID 6 for resilience; Btrfs.
- Network: 2.5GbE standard; add 10GbE card for editors/ingest.
- Best for: mixed photo/design teams that need speed without complexity.
- Explore Synology models
XS / XS+ (Performance for Teams)
- Bays: 8–12 with NVMe cache slots.
- Network: built-in 10GbE; consider dual NICs/LACP.
- Best for: tethered studios, multi-editor culling, proxy editing.
- Synology XS/XS+
SA Class (Scale & Throughput)
- Bays: high-bay + expansion shelf; large archive volumes.
- Network: 10–25GbE backbone; LACP on core links.
- Best for: high-volume video + long-term RAW archives with many users.
- Synology SA
Backup & Protection (3-2-1, No Excuses)
- Snapshots: hourly on WIP; daily on Archive; retain 30–90 days.
- Replication: nightly to a second Synology (different room or site).
- Cloud: daily off-site via Synology C2 or S3/Backblaze with Hyper Backup.
- Tests: quarterly restore drills; document steps and owners.
Quick Comparison
| Team Type | Model Class | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 creators | Plus (6–8 bays) | 2.5–10GbE | Great value, snapshots, Time Machine |
| 5–12 creators | XS/XS+ (8–12 bays) | 10GbE | NVMe cache; solid multi-user throughput |
| 12+ creators | SA + expansion | 10–25GbE | Scales capacity; archive + WIP tiers |
FAQs: Synology NAS for Creative Teams
Is 10GbE mandatory?
For multi-editor work, yes. 2.5GbE is fine for admin/PM stations, but editors and ingest should be 10GbE.
RAID 5 or RAID 6?
Use RAID 6 for large drives and teams; it tolerates two drive failures and reduces rebuild risk.
Where should catalogs live?
Keep Lightroom/Capture One catalogs on the Mac’s internal SSD; put RAWs, previews, and exports on the NAS.
Need help building the right Synology NAS for your creative team?
MacWorks 360 designs, installs, and supports Synology NAS for creative shops across New Jersey—sizing, 10GbE, snapshots, cloud backup, and monitoring included.
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Based in Springfield, NJ—serving Summit, Millburn, Short Hills, Chatham, Montclair, and beyond.
Editor’s note: This Synology NAS for creative teams guide reflects best practices as of August 2025.