A cloud-based media content management system for managing access to media content items is disclosed. Managing access to media content items by a cloud-based media content management system may include, for example, managing uploads of media content items from a population of media devices, reducing duplication of media content data stored in cloud-based storage, and providing user-controlled access to media content items stored in cloud-based storage across any number of user devices. In this context, a cloud-based media content management system and cloud-based storage system generally refer to hosted computing and data storage services that may be accessed by media devices and other devices over a digital network such as the Internet.