Below is a complete beginner’s workflow – from download to creating your first time‑stamped archive, with optional integration of Alina Kova’s SoundZip plugin.
| ✔️ | Recommendation |
|----|----------------|
| 1 | Keep a local copy of the first snapshot on an external drive – it serves as a “gold‑master” backup. |
| 2 | Name snapshots clearly (e.g., v1.0‑Initial, v1.1‑AudioFix). This makes timeline navigation painless. |
| 3 | Enable AI‑Smart Deduplication if you store many similar media files (e.g., multiple mixes of the same track). |
| 4 | Test restore: pick a random older snapshot, click Restore to…, and verify that the files appear as expected. |
| 5 | Update the SoundZip plugin whenever a new version is released – Alina’s team frequently adds support for new codecs. |
| 6 | Set a weekly automatic snapshot (Settings → Schedule) for critical projects. |
| 7 | Monitor cloud storage usage – the free tier can fill quickly if you keep many large audio/video snapshots. |
| 8 | Read the “Release Notes” after each TimeZip update; new features (e.g., “Instant Diff Viewer”) often hide powerful shortcuts. | alina kova my first timezip new
If you installed the SoundZip plugin:
Why it matters: Alina Kova’s team designed the codec to read the first 30 seconds only, dramatically speeding up preview for large mixes (up to 5 × faster than native extraction). Below is a complete beginner’s workflow – from