The user short: A way to download faster and more securely.
The developer short: XML files describing download resources and file metadata for reliable, self-healing downloads.

Goals of the metalink specification:

• Automate good practices: automated download verification
• Failure resistance:
  • Allow the user to switch mirrors if any of these fail or are unreachable for them.
  • Allow users to continue downloads, without worrying about actually download part of another file because the completed file can be verified.
• Centralize the trust: A mirror can not be trusted, even if the redirecting project says it probably is. By getting your verification data from one source, you are sure to get the right data, even if the mirror hosts random junk.

Metalinks are special files, much like torrents. They require you to have a special download client that supports downloading a metalink. You can get these Download Clients for Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux.

Once you have a download client, it will either automatically pick up on the metalink once you click on it, or you will have to point the client to the metalink.

The client will then download the metalink file. In this metalink, it will find all the information it needs to find the file(s), download and verify the download.