What is a .m3u8 file?
UTF-8 M3U Playlist / HLS · Video · Apple / Nullsoft · 2009
An .m3u8 file is a UTF-8 encoded M3U playlist. Beyond ordinary playlists, it is the manifest format for HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), the technology behind much of the internet's live and on-demand video.
What is a .m3u8 file used for?
As a plain playlist it is an M3U saved in UTF-8. As an HLS manifest it lists the small .ts video segments (and quality levels) a player downloads and stitches together for smooth adaptive streaming.
VLC opens M3U8 playlists and can play HLS streams. Downloading an HLS video from an .m3u8 usually means fetching all its segments with a tool like ffmpeg or yt-dlp.
What opens a .m3u8 file?
The .m3u8 format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- VLC
- ffmpeg
- any text editor
macOS
- VLC
- Safari (HLS)
- ffmpeg
Linux
- VLC
- ffmpeg
- mpv
Open a .m3u8 file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .m3u8. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with VLC or ffmpeg.
- On Mac, use VLC or Safari (HLS).
- On Linux, try VLC or ffmpeg.
- Still stuck? Convert the .m3u8 to mp4 (via ffmpeg), which opens more widely.
Why can't I open my .m3u8 file?
Almost always because no installed app understands M3U8. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.
The other possibility is that the file is not really a .m3u8 at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.
How to convert a .m3u8 file
You can convert a .m3u8 file to mp4 (via ffmpeg), m3u using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
M3U8 has no fixed magic number, so there is no signature table on this page. Its bytes alone do not prove the format: identification relies on the extension, the structure of the content and the program that created it. The magic-numbers reference lists the formats that do carry one.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .m3u8 file?
An .m3u8 file is a UTF-8 encoded M3U playlist. Beyond ordinary playlists, it is the manifest format for HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), the technology behind much of the internet's live and on-demand video.
How do I open an .m3u8 file?
Open it in VLC to play the listed media or stream. As text, it lists the segments or tracks; an HLS .m3u8 points at .ts video chunks.
How do I download a video from an .m3u8 file?
An HLS .m3u8 lists video segments rather than one file. Tools like ffmpeg (ffmpeg -i playlist.m3u8 out.mp4) or yt-dlp fetch and join them.
What is HLS?
HTTP Live Streaming, Apple's adaptive streaming method. An .m3u8 manifest lists short video segments at several qualities so playback adjusts to your connection.
Related formats
Sources
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