The Sydney Opera House is a World Heritage-listed building and one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world. With a diverse program of live events, tours and broadcasts, it attracts millions of visitors and audiences both in person and online. Behind the scenes, its recording and broadcast studio captures and produces hundreds of hours of performances each year, generating large media files that must be delivered securely to artists, performers, and production partners.

To meet this challenge, the Sydney Opera House adopted AARNet’s FileSender, a browser-based service designed for transferring very large files. It now supports the final stage of production, allowing staff to deliver recordings quickly and reliably to clients and partners throughout Australia and overseas.

Moving terabyte-scale files with confidence

Media files produced at the Sydney Opera House, either directly from cameras or captured via live production infrastructure, range from 10 GB to more than a terabyte. These files are critical for creative, technical, and promotional use by the artists and partners who receive them.

Removing barriers for clients

The Sydney Opera House previously used other file transfer tools, but many proved difficult for collaborators to access. These tools often required recipients to install software, which was particularly challenging for government agencies and schools with strict IT restrictions. FileSender eliminated these hurdles with its simple browser interface, allowing clients to receive files without technical complications. Staff have also found it more stable, with fewer interruptions or failed transfers.

AARNet also worked with the Sydney Opera House to support the rollout, integrating the organisation’s authentication system with FileSender and ensuring it passed their cyber readiness program.

Expanding media delivery across the organisation

What began as a pilot to test FileSender’s suitability has quickly proven its value. Having demonstrated that it can support the size and scale of the Sydney Opera House’s operations, the organisation is looking to expand its use into more of its digital workflows.