browser independant method to play a soundfile in html5 audio from webContentLink

Question

In Google Chrome, a HTML5 audio element plays a google drive webContentLink as source.
For example: src="https://docs.google.com/uc?id=xxxxxxx&export=download">.
(this is a temporary link to a .mp3 file stored on my google drive)
However, in IE10 or IE11 nothing plays and no error is invoked.
Is there a workaround for all browsers in pure html/javascript?

You may refer on this related SO thread. It seems that it has issue in playing MP3 in IE so it is suggested to add the audio attribute preload="auto". You can also use Direct Link Creator plugin of Google Drive and get the link easily. — abielita

user2707695 user2707695 · Accepted Answer · 2016-10-29T19:01:18

I think I figured it out.
The stated problem has nothing to do with the audio element.
It has to do with the sharing of the file on the google drive.
Google chrome loads any of the files from a folder that is shared to anyone.
IE only loads the files that are also individually shared to anyone.
My problem is solved by sharing each individual file to anyone.
The share setting of sub-folders in the path seems of no importance.
I have no clue on how this works in other browsers.

browser independant method to play a soundfile in html5 audio from webContentLink

1 Answers