The problem with collaborating online with Ardour is that the files that are generated when you record an auditory product are very LARGE. For example, if you decide to create a zipped tarball (a method to build a single file from a group of directories/files and then compress or "zip" that file to save space) a simple 5 minute song with just percussion and bass guitar could take up somewhere between '''90 Mb to 120 Mb of hard disk space'''... Imagine posting that file on the cloud, or making that file available on a distribution server!Then just consider the pain of compressing and decompressing those files - there must be an easier method...

If you are '''<u>not</u>''' concerned with collaborating simultaneously on a project, there is a python script (program) that will will allow the user you to visually easily share ongoing Ardour projects your sessions for collaboration with editing by other online users of Ardour. The name of this program application is called '''session-exchange''', and it has been around for several years...

The advantage of '''session-exchange ''' is that the user can allow for uploading and downloading of files to other users, and only have the musicians work on the most recent edits of the auditory product (i.e. "songs"). When you create a song in Ardour, you are required to either create a session, or open an existing session. This allows ardour to create subdirectories to store all audio data into a concise location on your computer system. Ardour uses the term '''snapshot''' to relate to a '''new session''' file that is generated (i.e. not affecting the original session) that simply stores the '''current state of the edited session'''. No doubt, all of the original files are shared with the other users, but as other users add their own editing contributions to the your song. Therefore, then only the snapshot snapshots needs to be shared, thus saving space and transmission time. This is an efficient method of collaborating a song via the Internet...

'''An analogy:''' This may be an oversimplification, but relate it to how the vi text editor works: there is a '''swap file''' (editing transaction) file and the '''original file'''. Only upon saving the editing session is the original file updated with the newer information... No doubt, '''the swap file is smaller than the actual file, and thus easier to transfer between computer systems'''. Also, '''the swap file is useful for backup purposes''' (eg. in case of accidental disconnection from your remote editing session)... The only difference here is that the snapshot tells the session exchange program which other auditory files (that are new) to be downloaded as well...

The easiest method to install session-exchange is to download the source from '''Ardour SVN site'''. '''SVN''' stands for''' Apache Subversion''' which is a method to make it easier for programmers to collaborate together on complex programming projects. This basically the online version of '''RCS''' which stands for '''Revision Control System'''.