# Where your originals are kept

> Your original is the file you brought, as it is. Where it is kept depends on how you added it: on the web, or with the Mac app.

## Where each file lives

|  | Added on the web | Added with the Mac app |
|---|---|---|
| Your original | Kept in your Montage account, as it is | Stays on your computer. It never goes up |
| The small file to watch while you edit | Made by Montage from your original | Made by the app on your computer, then saved to your account |
| What the export reads | A full-quality copy Montage makes from your original | Your original, on your computer |

## Who sees them

Everything you add goes to **Media**. Only your workspace sees it: you, and the people you invited to it.

## With the app: keep your originals where they are

The app exports from your originals on your computer. If one is on a disk that is not plugged in, the export window says so and offers **Find the file**. A video added on the web is brought down from your account when the app exports it.

> Your footage space counts your originals at their own size, never the copies Montage makes of them. [How much room you have](/docs/footage/big-files).

## Questions

### Does Montage change my original?

No. It is kept as you brought it. Every other file is made from it.

### Is the export made from a smaller copy?

No. The small file is only for watching while you edit. The export is made at full quality: from your original in the app, from a full-quality copy of it on the web.

### Can I download my original again?

Not from Media: it has no download button today. Keep a copy of your footage where you filmed or saved it.

### What happens to my originals when I delete them?

An original kept in your account is deleted, with every file made from it. One on your computer stays there. [Delete footage](/docs/footage/delete).