Is IPFS Forever?
The Interplanetary File System (IPFS) is a protocol designed to improve the way the world stores and access files. It enables more efficient storage by leveraging a network of storage nodes around the world. Anyone can participate in the network, and files can be retrieved from any participant that has them, not just one centralized provider.
While revolutionary, the protocol often generates plenty of questions. One of the most common questions is whether or not files on the IPFS network are stored forever. To answer that, let’s explore how IPFS works.
How does IPFS data storage work?
The IPFS network is essentially made of many computers that all speak to each other. These computers are called nodes. IPFS nodes store and transmit files. These nodes are run by individuals and by companies. You could run one right now on a computer as small as a Raspberry Pi if you wanted to. As an operator of a storage node, you decide what files will be stored on your node. It’s important to note that not every node in the IPFS network stores files. Replication of files is not automatic. However, broadcasting the file’s location to the rest of the network is automatic.
This methodology of storing files on one or many storage nodes and broadcasting their location is how the entire content-addressable model of IPFS works. Because the IPFS network knows that a file (represented by a content identifier, or CID) is on the network at one of many locations, it can route a request for that file to the nearest storage node with that file.
Let’s illustrate this in a simple form. Let’s say Alice, who lives in California is trying to download a funny cat gif. She has the CID and makes a request to the IPFS network. Bob and Charlie both have copies of the funny cat gif on their IPFS storage nodes. Bob’s storage node is located in New York while Charlie’s storage node is located in London. Alice’s request will be routed to the nearest storage node to fetch the content.
This is the peer-to-peer storage retrieval model that IPFS has pioneered. However, the files represented in this model and on the IPFS network are not permanent by default.
Is IPFS storage permanent?
Storage on the IPFS network is as permanent as you want it to be. Unlike a blockchain, in which every piece of data is permanent by default (whether you want it to be or not), files on the IPFS network are stored as long as they are pinned. Pinning a file with a storage node is how you tell that node that the file should not be removed. Files that are stored temporarily on a storage node or files that are unpinned will be removed from the node and will become inaccessible unless some other storage node has the same file.
The benefits of this sort of opt-in permanency is that individuals and companies can better protect and manage their data. Companies can comply with regulations, and individuals are not forced to keep something online that they may not want to keep online. On the flip side, ensuring permanence through continued pinning is simple.
How do I manage my IPFS content?
You have many options when it comes to managing your files on IPFS. If you choose to, you can run your own IPFS storage node. You can store files directly with your node and you can control how long those files exist on that node. On the other hand, you may prefer to offload the day-to-day maintenance of a storage node to an IPFS pinning service like Pinata. When you do so, you trade some control for convenience. Through a simple API or user interface, an IPFS pinning service gives you control to add and remove files from the storage nodes run by the service.
Conclusion
The IPFS network provides a powerful solution to storing and retrieving files while remaining flexible. While it is possible to keep files on the network permanently, this is not the default. File permanency is controlled by the file owner. This was an intentional choice in the design of the protocol and one that makes it a strong solution for individuals and companies looking to store data in a performant way.
H1 - THE RICH TEXT
EXAMPLE STARTS HERE
H2 - Enabling Widespread Adoption for Music NFTs
paragraph — The first thing the music industry needs is more exposure. For artists, listeners and yeah, the labels. Even with the use cases mentioned above, the majority of the music industry still sees NFTs as a novelty rather than a legitimate way to run a business. We see a future where the experience is built and monetized on the blockchain, with labels taking part of the experience, as well.
Second, there needs to be a big jump in user experience. Listeners know what to expect with Spotify and Apple Music: a smooth, intuitive experience that lets them listen to Lil Nas X with just a few clicks. Web3 platforms aren’t quite there. Music NFTs and related premium content require extra steps that most people don’t yet have an appetite for.
H3 - How Could Music NFTs Save Artists?
paragraph — Musician Daniel Allan spent months building a relationship with the NFT community and raised 50 ETH to fund his new album, Overstimulated. Companies like Audius and artists like Vérité's, who raised $90,000 in an NFT launch, are at the forefront of exploring new ways to get paid. Avenged Sevenfold launched an NFT collection called "Deathbats Club" with 10,000 items that grants holders access to benefits such as meet and greets at shows, lifetime free tickets, limited edition merchandise, and more.
H4 - Static and dynamic content editing
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
H5 — How to customize formatting for each rich text
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
LINK — This is how a link looks like. Please provide normal & hover state (if different than this)
- This will be bullet points
- Numbered list is the same but with numbers
- It has a margin-left applied
- Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
- Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
- Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
QUOTE — Everyone is obsessed with making money and seeking alpha, which does a disservice to what [NFTs] can actually do. We have been instructing many bands that NFTs are a ticket for access to an exclusive club.” - M. Shadows, Avenged Sevenfold’s lead singer.
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