Summary
FireDown already has a very useful resource interception mechanism: it can detect files, media resources, streams and other URLs requested by webpages. I would like to suggest exposing those detected URLs directly to the user, allowing them to copy or share the URL without having to download the resource.
In other words, this would not require creating a new detection system. FireDown is already detecting and displaying these resources; the missing piece is simply giving the user access to the URL itself.
Feature request
When FireDown detects a resource, the resource list could provide actions such as:
- Copy URL
- Share URL
- Open URL with another application
- Optionally, open the URL directly in a compatible external player
For example, the user could open the captured resources list, select a detected audio stream, and choose "Copy URL". FireDown would place the actual resource URL on the clipboard without starting a download.
Real-world use case: Internet radio streams
This would be particularly useful for Internet radio.
Many radio websites do not expose their actual stream URL directly to the user. The webpage may contain a player whose audio source is loaded dynamically, hidden inside HTML, JavaScript, an embedded player, or another network request.
FireDown is already in a great position to solve this because it can observe and intercept those resources.
A practical workflow would be:
- Open a radio station's webpage in FireDown.
- Start the radio/player on the page.
- FireDown detects the audio stream request.
- The stream appears in the intercepted resources/files list.
- The user selects the detected stream.
- The user chooses "Copy URL".
- The resulting URL can be pasted into VLC, another media player, a radio application, or another tool that accepts direct stream URLs.
This would make FireDown useful not only as a downloader, but also as a lightweight resource/URL inspection tool.
Accessibility use case
This feature would also have significant accessibility value.
Some radio stations have poorly accessible websites or custom players that are difficult or impossible to operate efficiently with screen readers. If FireDown can already detect the actual stream URL, allowing the user to copy that URL would provide an accessible alternative: the user could simply obtain the stream address and open it in an accessible or preferred external player.
For users who work with Internet radio directories, stream URLs are also valuable for testing, updating and verifying station entries.
For example, I contribute voluntarily to Radio Browser, where being able to quickly obtain the direct stream URL of a station can be very useful. Instead of manually inspecting HTML, JavaScript, browser network requests, or trying to reverse-engineer a website's player, FireDown could simply expose the URL it has already detected.
Why this fits FireDown particularly well
The important point is that this request does not fundamentally change what FireDown already does.
The application already has the ability to:
- detect resources requested by webpages;
- identify downloadable files and media;
- intercept streams and other network resources;
- present those detected resources to the user.
The proposed feature would simply expose the underlying URL as another available action.
This could therefore turn an existing internal capability into a very useful user-facing feature.
A simple "Copy URL" action in the intercepted-resource context menu would already be enough to provide most of the benefit.
It would be especially useful for streams, because downloading a stream is often not what the user actually wants. Sometimes the goal is simply to obtain the direct URL and let another application handle it.
Thanks for developing FireDown. I think this would be a relatively small addition with a surprisingly broad range of uses, especially for media streams, Internet radio, accessibility, troubleshooting, and general resource inspection.
Summary
FireDown already has a very useful resource interception mechanism: it can detect files, media resources, streams and other URLs requested by webpages. I would like to suggest exposing those detected URLs directly to the user, allowing them to copy or share the URL without having to download the resource.
In other words, this would not require creating a new detection system. FireDown is already detecting and displaying these resources; the missing piece is simply giving the user access to the URL itself.
Feature request
When FireDown detects a resource, the resource list could provide actions such as:
For example, the user could open the captured resources list, select a detected audio stream, and choose "Copy URL". FireDown would place the actual resource URL on the clipboard without starting a download.
Real-world use case: Internet radio streams
This would be particularly useful for Internet radio.
Many radio websites do not expose their actual stream URL directly to the user. The webpage may contain a player whose audio source is loaded dynamically, hidden inside HTML, JavaScript, an embedded player, or another network request.
FireDown is already in a great position to solve this because it can observe and intercept those resources.
A practical workflow would be:
This would make FireDown useful not only as a downloader, but also as a lightweight resource/URL inspection tool.
Accessibility use case
This feature would also have significant accessibility value.
Some radio stations have poorly accessible websites or custom players that are difficult or impossible to operate efficiently with screen readers. If FireDown can already detect the actual stream URL, allowing the user to copy that URL would provide an accessible alternative: the user could simply obtain the stream address and open it in an accessible or preferred external player.
For users who work with Internet radio directories, stream URLs are also valuable for testing, updating and verifying station entries.
For example, I contribute voluntarily to Radio Browser, where being able to quickly obtain the direct stream URL of a station can be very useful. Instead of manually inspecting HTML, JavaScript, browser network requests, or trying to reverse-engineer a website's player, FireDown could simply expose the URL it has already detected.
Why this fits FireDown particularly well
The important point is that this request does not fundamentally change what FireDown already does.
The application already has the ability to:
The proposed feature would simply expose the underlying URL as another available action.
This could therefore turn an existing internal capability into a very useful user-facing feature.
A simple "Copy URL" action in the intercepted-resource context menu would already be enough to provide most of the benefit.
It would be especially useful for streams, because downloading a stream is often not what the user actually wants. Sometimes the goal is simply to obtain the direct URL and let another application handle it.
Thanks for developing FireDown. I think this would be a relatively small addition with a surprisingly broad range of uses, especially for media streams, Internet radio, accessibility, troubleshooting, and general resource inspection.