Using the Download Manager
Another option if your users are downloading a number of MP3 files is to use our Download Manager. The VL Group Download Manager is an ultra-lightweight, fully-native application that contains all of the information needed to download a user's content and import into media players, all packed into a single downloadable executable.
End User Customer Requirements: Our Download Manager is a fully native application. On Windows systems, it relies on .NET and is officially compatible with Windows 7 or higher, though it should also function in Vista. On Mac OS X systems, it's written in a combination of Swift and Objective-C, and it requires OS X 10.9 ("Mavericks") or higher.
Integrating the VL GroupDownload Manager
Because the Download Manager is a signed, secure, and lightweight native application, all you have to do is redirect your customers to a specially-crafted URL. This will download the Download Manager application to their computers; Windows users can then run the downloaded file directly, while Mac OS X users must unzip it first before running.
The URL is easy to construct. Using the download session token previously created, you simply redirect users to a URL in the following format: https://dispatch.mcnemanager.com/current/dlmin/DownloadManager_DownloadSessionToken_.extension/platform.
You'll need to know what platform your end user is on and specify an extension to your request: .exe for Windows, .zip for Mac OS X. (Rhymba does not do any sort of platform detection, so this is something you must handle before sending your users the download manager URL.) Here are the parameters to the above URL:
- First off, the base URL is https://dispatch.mcnemanager.com/current/dlmin/DownloadManager_. This server, path & underscore prefix leads your users to the Download Manager.
- Next, you need to specify the DownloadSessionToken that you previously generated.
- Close the filename with another underscore and dot, _.
- Finally, you complete the URL with the extension depending on the platform: exe for Windows, or zip for Mac OS X.
You can then serve that link to the user's browser, or even send it via email. The user simply clicks the link (or is redirected to it). The user should run the downloaded file (Windows) or unzip & run (Mac), and the download session associated with the token will begin. If the customer has already downloaded the files or there are duplicates, they are warned before downloading. It's simple and painless, and the executable is signed for compatibility with modern operating systems' more stringent security requirements.
Now that you've integrated the Download Manager, don't forget to upload a custom banner using our Rhymba Manager tool, so that your users can enjoy a branded experience.