Upload files that I create and provide download links to users that I can limit from sharing

Question

Hello,

I would like to create audiobooks (up to 2GB) and upload them, then send a link for each book to users who purchase them through my store site.

The tutorials use the word "share" in a way that is confusing to me, so I will ask here for help:
Through Dropbox, can I have a folder for the audiobooks (or one folder for each) and send a link to a purchaser and then revoke the link within 24 hours to prevent wider distribution of the audiobook? Can anybody explain the steps I would need to take to do that?

Many Thanks if you can!

Please note, I do not want to "share" contents of a folder in the sense that a user gets to look at it or mess with it. I want them to only be able to download a file, as in, click the link, the download begins. When I try to find this info from the Help tutorials, I keep getting tutorials on "sharing."  In my opinion, this is not sharing. It's downloading. And Dropbox doesn't clarify how it uses the term. So I am seeking help here.
Many Thanks!

Rich · Accepted Answer

@jeriwho wrote:... can I ... send a link to a purchaser and then revoke the link within 24 hours to prevent wider distribution of the audiobook?

You can create a link to a file or folder which only allows view/download access (known as view-only access), and you can revoke that link at any point you wish. Some plans allow you to set an expiration on links as well.

This will not, however, prevent wider distribution. Once someone has downloaded the audiobook or saved it to their own Dropbox account, they can do whatever they wish with that file. They could easily re-share it through Dropbox or upload it anywhere else they wish.

I want them to only be able to download a file, as in, click the link, the download begins. ... In my opinion, this is not sharing.

It's still considered sharing. You're sharing a file in your account with someone else, and this allows them to view the file online through the Dropbox website or download it. You're just not allowing them to edit the file within your account.