iCloud for saving audio files - several questions

Question

I am creating application which has audio files (mp3 and others) as results and I want to give user many options where to save result files. So I am thinking about iCloud and how to implement it. I am just confused with some informations that I found. So if it would be possible and you could clear it for me.

1. iCloud Documents and CloudKit it's different services but can be used for same purpose right? I mean I can both use to store documents in iCloud. Can I use iCloud Documents for audio files?
2. Can I export just some of the files to iCloud and not all of them? Something like have option for each file to upload it to iCloud but rest of it stays locally saved? Is this restriction only for iCloud Documents?
3. CloudKit limitations are for app globally for all users together? If 1000 users stores more than 100GB of audio files in their iCloud accounts with my application I exceeds limit for free CloudKit and users can use it (or I will start paying for CloudKit services)?
4. If I use iCloud Documents or other ways to store files to iCloud I am only limit by users iCloud storage right? Are there another ways to store files to iCloud from iOS app?

Thanks for responses

Answer 1

1. In CloudKit you can save any file as a CKAsset field in a CKRecord. In iCloud documents you can also save any file you want.

A good tutorial for iCloud can be found here: http://www.raywenderlich.com/6015/beginning-icloud-in-ios-5-tutorial-part-1

2 You have to save the files to iCloud yourself. You are in charge of what should go to iCloud and what files not. The same is true for CloudKit.

3. For CloudKit there is a difference between private an public storage. If you save files to the private storage (can only be read by user that created it) then the storage counts against that users usage. If you save to a public storage then the amount of free storage grows with every user. For more info see: https://developer.apple.com/icloud/

4. Right, the users own quota is all that counts. Files can be made accessible for the same user with other apps like iCloud Drive.

Extra info: When saving files to CloudKit in a public storage, then you could easily create a mechanism to share those files with other users. With iCloud drive that would be more difficult

CloudKit is meant for data storage. you can store files, but iCloud documents is for storing files.