From:Mark Virtue - HarmonySite <mark@harmonysite.com>
Sent:Friday, 25 November 2022 1:51:28pm
To:announcements@harmonysite.net
Subject:New feature in your HarmonySite (#1 or 2): Dropbox Embedded Folder

Dear HarmonySite Administrator,

 

If your group uses Dropbox to share music files with your members, then this new feature could be really important for you.  If you don't use Dropbox, this may be such a useful feature that you may want to start using Dropbox!

 

It is now possible in your HarmonySite to embed on a song's page ALL the files from one Dropbox folder in one simple action, just by copying-and-pasting one web-address.  The result would look something like this (on a song's page)...

 

 

This means that you would no longer need to "attach" files to each song in your HarmonySite, which usually means uploading the files from your own computer, either one by one or one set of learning tracks at a time.  Instead, you would simply do the following...

 

  1. Log into Dropbox and obtain the "Share" link for the folder containing the song's files (note that this implies that each song's files in your Dropbox account are stored in a separate folder.  It also implies that ALL the files in that folder are okay to be shared with all your members).  This is done in different ways, depending on where you do it: On the Dropbox website, on a Windows computer, on a Mac, etc. Generally speaking, you locate the specific folder in your Dropbox storage, right-click on it (or similar), and locate the "Share" option.  Share the folder (usually for "viewing" only, not "editing").
    You'll be presented with a Dropbox Share link, which would look something like this:
    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/abcdefghijklmno/ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY?dl=0
    (Note the "?dl=0" bit at the end.  That's needed, so make sure it's included.)
  2. Copy the Share link
  3. Back in your HarmonySite, update the song, and paste the Share link into the new field...
    Graphical user interface, text, application, Word

Description automatically generated
  4. Save your changes.

 

That's it!  Not only is this easy and quick, it doesn't use up any of your HarmonySite account's 1000 Meg space allowance!

 

All files can be opened, viewed, played directly in the new Dropbox area of the song's page.

 

That folder can even contain sub-folders.

 

The only downside to this new feature is that you can't track which of your members have downloaded each Dropbox file.

 

You can still use the existing HarmonySite feature for uploading files and resources, especially if the "resource" you want to attach to the song is a YouTube video.  And all files that have been uploaded to a song will still be accessible to your members in the normal way.  In other words, this new system does not affect anything at all - except giving you ANOTHER option for providing a song's files to your members.

 

I've looked, but unfortunately Google Drive does not offer a similar feature.

 

Enjoy!

 

In harmony,

 

Mark Virtue

HarmonySite

Australia

+61 2 8005 4277 (Australian number)

In North America, call:  1-415-651-7009 (San Francisco number)

Skype name:  mvirtue

mark@harmonysite.com

www.harmonysite.com

white 96dpi