The upcoming (March) release of PGGB•IT! adds version-wide support for offloading PGGB processing to Azure compute instances. This lets you leverage scalable high-core virtual machines (VMs) with lots of RAM through your own Azure account—no queues, no shared servers, just on-demand upsampling power. The workflow stays fully under your control using the same familiar PGGB•IT! interface. Select your source files, connect to your selected VM and PGGB•IT! automatically uploads your content, runs the processing remotely on the VM, and downloads the upsampled files back to your local drive.
PGGB•IT! with Azure integration is very timely: as the recent upsurge in RAM pricing is driving the cost of capable systems beyond the budget of many. Hence, high quality PGGB processing will necessarily move to the cloud. Some users have requested my clarification on the legal aspects of PGGB•IT! with Azure 'in-the-cloud' processing. With the help of AI (Grok), here it is...
Since you manage the Azure resources directly (via your credentials), and no third-party service touches your files, this remains a personal, private-use operation. Uploading your own music (e.g., purchased downloads or CD rips) to your own VM creates temporary copies for processing—similar to moving files between your devices or using personal cloud backups—which fits within private copying and format enhancement allowances under copyright law. Upload/download is in raw PCM format (non-playable intermediates for efficient transfer) and this step further underscores that these are transient workflow files, not distributable music.
For subscription sources like Qobuz that support downloads, the terms support this approach when kept strictly personal. Purchased tracks grant a limited license for private, non-commercial use, including free and unlimited playback, transfer, and burning—always subject to "strictly private use." The GCUS prohibit resale, sharing, commercial modifications, creating derivative works for unauthorized purposes, or bypassing protections, but personal audio enhancements (like upsampling for your own listening) align with private enjoyment, much like EQ adjustments or format conversions at home. No clauses explicitly ban remote processing on user-controlled infrastructure or intermediate raw formats.
So, as long as you keep results exclusively for your setup: no sharing, selling, or public access, then PGGB•IT! with Azure integration is on-side (legally)!