Videos / songs play in the browser instead of downloading

Sometimes when selling audio or video files, the purchased file will open in the browser instead of providing the customer with a file download dialog. There are a number of reasons this can happen and several different solutions to the issue.

File download method

In the Misc tab of the Easy Digital Downloads’ settings page (Downloads → Misc → File Downloads), there is an option called “Download Method”. This can be set to either Redirect or Forced. See our FAQ on this setting for an explanation of the difference.

The easiest way to make files download instead of playing in the browser is to set the Download Method to
Forced. That will resolve it in most cases.

In some cases using
Forced will result in corrupted files. If this occurs, see alternative options below.

Serve files through Amazon S3

Amazon S3 is one of the most popular and reliable file hosting / delivery services available. If using the Forced download method is not an option for you, or you simply want an incredibly reliable and secure file delivery system, Amazon S3 is an excellent option. Our Amazon S3 extension makes it easy to connect to your S3 account and will handle file delivery in a secure, reliable manner that will also force files to download instead of playing in the browser.

Serve files through Dropbox

Dropbox is an incredibly popular file hosting / syncing service used by millions. It can also work very well for reliably and securely hosting files sold through Easy Digital Downloads. Our Dropbox File Store extension lets you easily connect your store to Dropbox and will resolve all issues with files playing in the browser instead of downloading.