What is a .m3u file?
M3U Playlist · Audio · Fraunhofer / Nullsoft (Winamp) · 1990s
An .m3u file is a playlist: a plain-text list of paths or URLs pointing to the songs or videos to play, in order. It holds no audio itself, only references to the media files.
What is a .m3u file used for?
Each line of an M3U is a file path or a web URL. An extended M3U begins with #EXTM3U and adds #EXTINF lines with track titles and durations. Because it only points at media, moving or renaming the referenced files breaks the playlist.
Almost every media player (VLC, Winamp, iTunes) opens M3U. The UTF-8 variant is M3U8, which is also the backbone of HLS streaming.
How to open a .m3u file
The .m3u format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see how to open a .m3u file.
Windows
- VLC
- Winamp
- Windows Media Player
macOS
- VLC
- Music (iTunes)
Linux
- VLC
- Rhythmbox
- any text editor
How to convert a .m3u file
You can convert a .m3u file to pls, xspf using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
.m3u file signature (magic bytes)
Programs recognise a .m3u file by the bytes at the start of the file, not by its name. These are the signatures for M3U.
| Hex signature | Offset | Note |
|---|---|---|
| (no fixed signature) | 0 | plain text; extended playlists start with #EXTM3U |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .m3u file?
An .m3u file is a playlist: a plain-text list of paths or URLs pointing to the songs or videos to play, in order. It holds no audio itself, only references to the media files.
How do I open an .m3u file?
Open it in a media player like VLC, which loads the listed tracks. A text editor shows the raw list of paths and URLs.
Why won't my M3U playlist find its songs?
M3U stores file paths, not the audio. If the music files moved, were renamed, or are on another computer, the player cannot find them.
What is the difference between M3U and M3U8?
They are the same playlist format; M3U8 is saved as UTF-8, so it handles non-English characters and is used for HLS internet streaming.
Related formats
Sources
Details on this page were checked against authoritative references: