Best way to email a free audio download link to sign ups?

by clarethwaites

Posted: 13 years ago 9 replies

PROGRAMMING

Hello everyone :-)

This is related to my last post about the soundcloud free track email unlock app...

I would like to give my subscribers a free music track download to say thanks for signing up to my record label email list.... This is NOT using the soundcloud email unlock app.

The problem is how do I get the track to them??

I don't want to just upload the track to sendspace or yousend it or something because then the link can be shared anywhere... ditto with if I just put it on a page on my website no matter how obscure the URL would be...

It would be great to use a script so that when someone signs up to my list using the autoresponder form, they get an email automatically with a download link, and the download URL in the email and also on my site where the file was hosted, was different for each unique email.

Or like, a script that has all of these different URLs, but they ALL redirect to the SAME URL as I can only host the track in one place!!

Hmm, or maybe a page with a password??? That could work.... one password for one time downloading the track... I don't know how to make a locked page on my website, OR how to generate the emails with a different password each time... but I bet it's possible....

I know that some of you know how to do this!! Please could you spare a few moments to help a fellow warrior out?? Thank you so much in advance for any replies.

Best wishes, Clare :-)

#audio #download #email #free #link #sign #ups

spider222 13 years ago

I found your post and almost laughed. I am in the exact same situation as you are - almost identical situation. I have spent nearly 40 hours this past weekend trying to figure this out.

You might try DLguard.com. I'm pretty sure the guy who runs it is a warrior on this forum. It's like $147, and unfortunately I need to wait a little while to be able to afford that. However, I think it's made to be used with a payment processor. Well, like me, you need to bypass the payment processor, and have this directly integrated with your autoresponder. With that in mind, it might require a little bit of customization (if it can even be done). If you can afford it, I would definitely check out dlguard.com and ask your question to their customer support. You might be able to research and find the guy that runs the site on the warrior forum.

If dlguard won't work or if you can't come up with any better solution, PM me and I'll tell you how I will be handling it on my side in the meantime. I have a plan to handle this but I haven't had a chance to implement and test it yet.

I'm actually going to keep an eye on this post to see if anyone else provides the perfect answer we have both been looking for.

Good luck.
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- Lovelogic 13 years ago
  
  The prevention of link sharing and hot-linking is most commonly achieved by the site hosting the download changing the name of either the file itself or folder (often it's both) at timed intervals to a randomly generated sequence. Below is a typically example from the Softpedia downloads website these generally get re-scrambled every 12 to 24 hours or more frequently in the event of viral uplift occuring.
  
  Code:
  
  http://download1us.softpedia.com/dl/574dba400791516d7bef129b5e5f740f/4f8dcf99/100173434/software/cd_dvd_tools/osfmount.exe
  
  The PHP commands behind this web tomfoolery are mt_rand and rename
  
  PHP Code:
  
  //// make a random number £random = mt_rand(); //// change the filename rename('album_1_track_1.mp3', £random.'.mp3');
  
  after that things get a bit more complicated because one needs to save both the original name and the random name as a pair using either a CSV file or a database so you can find where everything is when a visitor or the mail script asks for something.
  
  Thanks
  
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Earnie Boyd 13 years ago

So the track is just a file, yes a certain type of file but it is just a file. You can encrypt the file and give your client the key to decrypt the file. Then if someone downloads the file, they can't play it until they have the key.
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Earnie Boyd
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clarethwaites

13 years ago

Hey thanks for the replies...

Spider222 - LOL yes time just gets EATEN doesn't it when you are trying to figure out how to do stuff!! Thanks will check that thing you said, actually I would like ta payment processor also so maybe it could work and solve a few things all together, in which case I would invest, it's quite pricey if Im only using it to get a free track to someone...

Earnie - thanks - so a few questions about that, sounds interesting:

1. What program or software do I use to encrypt the file?
2. I guess I still need to make a page on my website hosting that encrypted file, no?
3. What's to stop people sharing the URL to the encrypted file AND the unlock key?

LOL Im not exactly Universal records or anything, haha, I just like to do things right and learn the best way to do things, as I hope to build on everything I learn :-)

please let me know and thanks so much for the replies!!

Thanks
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Earnie Boyd

13 years ago

Originally Posted by clarethwaites

Hey thanks for the replies...

Earnie - thanks - so a few questions about that, sounds interesting:

1. What program or software do I use to encrypt the file?

You can use PHP functions to encrypt/decrypt the file. You could encrypt on the fly before the download happens and use users email address or some other important user data for the key.

2. I guess I still need to make a page on my website hosting that encrypted file, no?

That depends on the method used but probably you'll want to especially if you code the encryption with the PHP functions.

3. What's to stop people sharing the URL to the encrypted file AND the unlock key?

You'll not completely stop the stealing, just build it in your business model and take the loss off on your taxes.

LOL Im not exactly Universal records or anything, haha, I just like to do things right and learn the best way to do things, as I hope to build on everything I learn :-)

please let me know and thanks so much for the replies!!

Check the functions openssl_encrypt and gnupg_encrypt out on php.net. If you serve the file virtually then the likely hood of stealing is lessened. The user is directed to use a URL that will expire after X days and the password to decrypt the file is the email address used to give the user the URL to the encrypted file.

Thanks

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Earnie Boyd

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northernstar 13 years ago

I'm not quite sure if this is what you are looking for, but e-junkie (the payment processor) offers 'free downloads' which is called Free Checkout. There are quite a lot of indie folks who use e-junkie for selling their music, and that includes providing free tracks as a digital download to customers.

The checkout would be similar to when a customer buys a paid product, except the price would be 0. You can collect the customer's name, email and other data, and then they will be given an individually generated unique download link with an expiration. So the file will be stored on e-junkie. You would still need to register a paid account with them, but the lowest package costs only 5 dollars a month.

As I have never tried this function, it's better to go through the help pages and tutorials on their site, but I thought this information may help you.
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clarethwaites 13 years ago

northern star - thanks, it does help, I will look into it. the important thing is that when people sign up for the free track that their email also goes to my autoresponder.

I posted another post about the soundcloud email unlcok app - its great but i can't integrate with imnica mail and soundcloud doesnt capture the IP.

so I'll ask ejunkie about this, thanks for the heads up :-)

love logic, thanks loads but that is WAYYYYYY over my head, haha - I know this is the programming forum but I have NO IDEA how I could implement that... do you? If you do please PM me and maybe we could talk more about it

I actually found ONE person on fiverr willing to make a custom widget (with good feedback too!) so I sent him all the details and said Id be willing to negotiate more than one gig so will see what he gets back with.

This app on soundcloud is perfect : Email Unlock / Forces Of Nature - Exotic Particles - Free Promo Track :-)

EXCEPT for I need the emails to go to Imnica mail in addition to soundcloud to unlock that track for subscribers...

am speaking to them about possible mods - if anyone knows how to jam an autoresponder form and that above together - please let me know...

it'd be brilliant to have it as a widget I could stick in facebook, my sidebar, etc

:-)
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webpeon 13 years ago

this may not be helpful as im not sure what language you are building in, however if by chance you are building in asp.net (unlikely but i'll continue just incase) I'd personally just modify the email subscription to transfer the page to the track download page on email submission..

eg...

1. user submits email
2. email is passed to auto responder
3. user is redirected to the track download page

by using asp.nets server.transfer option the user will be redirected to the download page however the url will not change allowing the actual downlad page url to remain hidden indefinitely, its also alot easier to keep maintained as it keeps a constant download page.

note: im sure there are alternatives to accomplish this using other languages but im not able to help with that.
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clarethwaites 13 years ago

Hey guys,

Thanks for the input. I can't build code myself. I can just about make a table in wordpress html editor, lol.

Wishlist was suggested to me in case anyone wants to check that out. I've not yet, but if it does the trick then I'll post back in case it helps someone else. Its $100 and a wordpress plug in.

If I can find a coder to make all these things you suggest, or if the other things dont work and i HAVE to build myseld, then I'll look back...

thanks so much again :-)
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http://help-pay-bills.com - motivation, product reviews and tips to go from earning enough to pay your bills, to a LOT more.
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Best way to email a free audio download link to sign ups?

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