Django: Serving Media Behind Custom URL

Question

So I of course know that serving static files through Django will send you straight to hell but I am confused on how to use a custom url to mask the true location of the file using Django. Django: Serving a Download in a Generic View but the answer I accepted seems to be the "wrong" way of doing things. urls.py: ``` url(r'^song/(?P<song_id>\d+)/download/$', song_download, name='song_download'), ``` views.py: ``` def song_download(request, song_id): song = Song.objects.get(id=song_id) fsock = open(os.path.join(song.path, song.filename)) response = HttpResponse(fsock, mimetype='audio/mpeg') response['Content-Disposition'] = "attachment; filename=%s - %s.mp3" % (song.artist, song.title) return response ``` This solution works perfectly but not perfectly enough it turns out. How can I avoid having a direct link to the mp3 while still serving through nginx/apache? EDIT 1 - ADDITIONAL INFO Currently I can get my files by using an address such as: `http://www.example.com/music/song/1692/down…

Accepted Answer

To expand on the previous answers you should be able to modify the following code and have nginx directly serve your download files whilst still having the files protected.

First of all add a location such as :

```
location /files/ {
   alias /true/path/to/mp3/files/;
   internal;
}
```

to your nginx.conf file (the internal makes this not directly accessible). Then you need a Django View something like this:

```
def song_download(request, song_id):
    try:
        song = Song.objects.get(id=song_id)
        response = HttpResponse()
        response['Content-Type'] = 'application/mp3'
        response['X-Accel-Redirect'] = '/files/' + song.filename
        response['Content-Disposition'] = 'attachment;filename=' + song.filename
    except Exception:
        raise Http404
    return response
```

which will hand off the file download to nginx.

Django: Serving Media Behind Custom URL

Solution

Problem