How can I download an MP3 to my phone instead of opening it in a music player? I'm trying to download podcast MP3s to my phone so I can listen to them in my car. Ideally, I'd like to be able to Chrome-to-Phone them from my computer at home, and then choose  to download and play them back from my device once I get in my car.

The problem is that when I send an MP3 URL to my phone, the browser only gives me the option of playing the audio directly in a media player. This is a really poor experience because it can't properly buffer the podcast file for smooth playback and it doesn't seem to allow me to play in the background.



I tried both Download All Files and using ASTRO's "Enable Browser Downloads". The screenshot above was taken with both apps installed. I've also tried using Google Listen to download podcasts, but I can never seem to use that without the download getting corrupted or the app crashing in some way.

Does anyone know what I need to do to be able to download MP3s instead of just playing them back immediately?
Are you able to Chrome-to-Phone a page containing the link to the mp3 you want? If so, Dolphin (and most most every Android browser) will allow you to "save link as" (or similar) when you long-press on it. This will download the file instead of trying to play or stream it.

More cumbersome solutions include downloading the mp3 you want on your PC then transferring via Dropbox or syncing via doubleTwist (or even their AirSync for-pay feature). Doubletwist even has its own built in podcast features much like iTunes. BigCaseyDog's answer about Amazon MP3 would be a very similar alternative to Dropbox.

FWIW, I'm a Pocket Casts fan for the purposes of this very question - I was stuck with the same problem you describe until I fell in love with their download feature, among other things.