---
title: "Blob storage and Sitecore media items"
slug: "blob-storage-and-sitecore-media-items"
abstract: "Gain an overview of how Sitecore works with blob storage."
---
# Blob storage and Sitecore media items

Sitecore uses [blob technology](https://www.techopedia.com/definition/32166/blob-storage) for storing Sitecore Media Library assets. The blobs are stored in the SQL Database by default. As an alternative, [Microsoft Azure Blob Storage](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/storage-blobs-introduction) offers a less expensive approach to storing media files, as well as performance enhancements. Using Microsoft Azure Blob Storage also helps to maintain smaller Sitecore databases.

As a Sitecore content author, you can manage your media files (images, videos, audios, PDFs, and text documents), in your Sitecore media library. Whenever you upload a media file to the media library, Sitecore stores the media file as a blob and creates an associated media item in *Content storage*. The media item stores the metadata of the media file, for example: size, height, width, and blob ID.

Refer to the following diagram for an overview of the process:

![Sitecore blob storage overview](https://doc.sitecore.com/api/markdown-image/xp/en/developers/105/sitecore-experience-manager/images/BlobStorageDiagram.PNG)

You can see the unique blob ID assigned to a media item in the **Media** field:

![The Media field showing the Blob ID](https://doc.sitecore.com/api/markdown-image/xp/en/developers/105/sitecore-experience-manager/images/BlobID_FES-3092.png)