How to Create a Downloadable File from Google Drive

Last Updated: October 09, 2024

If you encounter an error indicating that your audio file cannot be downloaded or the duration is missing, then you will need to make sure your file is in a downloadable format. Follow these steps to ensure the file is publicly available and downloadable.

1. Make the file publicly available.

Follow these steps to change the sharing settings of the file in Google Drive.

1. Open Google Drive:

   • Go to Google Drive.
   • Locate the File
   • Find the file you want to share

2. Open Sharing Settings:

   • Right-click on the file and select “Share”.
   • Alternatively, select the file and click the “Share” icon.

3. Change Link Sharing Settings:

   • In the sharing settings window, under “Get Link”, click on “Change to anyone with the link”.
   • Ensure the setting is “Anyone with the link” and the access level is set to “Viewer”.

4. Make the URL downloadable.

A downloadable URL initiates an automatic download when accessed via a browser. To convert a Google Drive link to a downloadable link, you need to modify the URL format. Google Drive URLs typically look like this:

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/FILE_ID/view?usp=sharing

To make this link directly downloadable, you should change it to

• https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=FILE_ID

Follow these steps to change the URL:

1. Identify the File ID: The FILE_ID is the part of the URL between /d/ and /view.
2. Construct the Downloadable URL: Replace the original URL with the new format.

• For example, if your original link is: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A2B3C4D5E6F7G8H9I0J/view?usp=sharing The downloadable link would be:
  • https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1A2B3C4D5E6F7G8H9I0J
• You can use this new URL with our transcription service.