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.
How to open 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. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see how to open a .m3u8 file.
Windows
- VLC
- ffmpeg
- any text editor
macOS
- VLC
- Safari (HLS)
- ffmpeg
Linux
- VLC
- ffmpeg
- mpv
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 file signature (magic bytes)
Programs recognise a .m3u8 file by the bytes at the start of the file, not by its name. These are the signatures for M3U8.
| Hex signature | Offset | Note |
|---|---|---|
| (no fixed signature) | 0 | plain text, UTF-8; starts with #EXTM3U |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
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
Details on this page were checked against authoritative references: