Trying to stream mp3, Mac browsers are downloading instead

what response header do i send?

[mattglet]

I have an asp file that pulls an mp3 title from a database, then streams the file to the browser. I can't link directly to the mp3, because I need to do a couple of checks first to make sure the file id is valid, etc.

The problem is that Mac browsers don't handle the content-type correctly (audio/x-mpeg), and it tries to download the ASP page instead.

Is there a work-around for this?

[py9jmas]

Mac browsers don't handle the content-type correctly (audio/x-mpeg), and it tries to download the ASP page instead.

Explain how that is not "correct"?

Probably the best way to get the desired result would be to generate a "m3u" or "pls" file which the browser can download and pass to the configured player. If your webpage can link to the file (to cause it to be downloaded), then you have a URL for it to place in the .m3u/.pls file.

[mattglet]

Explain how that is not "correct"?

If you explicitly assign a content-type to the page, the browser should take action accordingly.

i.e.
I tell the browser that the page's content-type is audio/x-mpeg, and I tell the browser (via content-disposition) that the filename is c:\somewhere\something.mp3. It should then know to open the file via the system's default application to play mp3 files.

It would be a different story if I specified the content-type as text/html, and the content-disposition as test.asp, but that's not the case. So the browser shouldn't try to download my test.asp file.

Am I missing something?

Edit:
I will make it a little more clear: Mac browsers are trying to download the physical ASP file, like it was an attachment. Opera, IE, Netscape all handle the mp3 file correctly, and stream it.

[mattglet]

Ok, now I've finally got my problem identified...

I'm using an ASP file to dynamically stream an m3u file:

Response.ContentType = "audio/x-mpegurl"
Response.AddHeader "Content-disposition", "filename=audio_stream" & intFileID & ".m3u"
Response.Write "#EXTM3U" & vbCrLf
Response.Write "#EXTINF: 0," & rs("bandname") & " - " & rs("title") & vbCrLf
Response.Write "http://www.example.com/audio_standard/audio_standard.mp3?file_id=" & intFileID

When I try this on IE 6, Opera 7.53, even Netscape 6.2, it works fine. But if I try it on a Mac, it tries to download my ASP file, not the m3u file listed in the content-disposition.

[drbrain]

I don't see a disposition-type there. Try changing that to:

Response.write "Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=" ...

[mattglet]

No dice.

Mac still tries to download my ASP file.

[py9jmas]

Isn't Content-Disposition usually used to request the browser treats the file as an attachment - that is prompt to "save as" instead of passing the file to a helper application? That seems to be the opposite of what you want.
Also, has the Mac got a helper application configured for audio/x-mpegurl?

[mattglet]

py9jmas-

I am aware of the "attachment" thing... It's actually "inline" for my purposes, I just didn't bother to post the correction to drbrain.

As for the content handler-

x-mpegurl is the standard content-type for an M3U file. I have iTunes installed on the Mac, which covers that base.

Please keep the ideas coming :)

[plumsauce]

matt,

try using a sniffer against a site where this *is* working to see what they are actually sending out.

[mattglet]

Not a bad idea -- Now I just have to find a site that does what I'm looking to do, because I don't know of any off hand.

[plumsauce]

another suggestion:

is the query part of the returned url being handled properly by the client, ie:?file_id=" & intFileID

and is the returned content properly formed?

some clients, notably IE, will make allowances for ill-formed responses, maybe the mac client does not.

[mattglet]

plumsauce-

Can you go into more detail as to what you are asking there? Not sure I fully understand what you mean...

Thanks.

[plumsauce]

i am saying that you return "?file_id=nnn" as part of the mpegurl. the particular browser/plugin combo that you are having trouble with may fall down because it can only handle for example somefile.mpg without any parameters.

test this by trying to feed it just somefile.mpg as a test url.