.M3U8 File Extension

UTF-8 M3U Playlist

Developer	Apple
Popularity	Average rating 3.7 / 5. Vote count: 200
Category	Audio Files
Format	.M3U8
Cross Platform	Update Soon

What is an M3U8 file?

.M3U8 files are playlists that contain references to audio and video files. These files are commonly used for streaming live TV or video on demand (VOD) over the internet. They act as pointers to media files rather than holding the actual audio or video content.

More Information.

M3U files were simple text-based playlists used by media players to organize and play music collections. Over time, with the rise of streaming technology, the .M3U8 extension evolved to support multimedia playlists, enabling the streaming of audio and video content over the internet.

Origin Of This File.

The .M3U8 file format is an extension of the M3U format, which originated from Winamp, a popular media player developed by Nullsoft. The ‘8’ in .M3U8 signifies the UTF-8 character encoding used in these files. Initially, M3U files were designed to organize and play music playlists.

File Structure Technical Specification.

.M3U8 files are text-based and use the UTF-8 character encoding. They consist of lines of text that serve as references to the location of media files, specifying their names, locations, and metadata. These playlists can contain information about multiple streams, bitrates, resolutions, and more.

How to Convert the File?

Windows

Using VLC Media Player:
- Open VLC and navigate to “Media” in the menu bar.
- Select “Convert/Save” and click on “Add” to import the .M3U8 file.
- Click “Convert/Save,” choose the desired output format, and click “Start” to begin conversion.

Linux

Using FFmpeg:
- Open the terminal and install FFmpeg if not already installed (sudo apt-get install ffmpeg on Debian-based systems).
- Use the command ffmpeg -i input.m3u8 output.mp4 to convert the .M3U8 file to the desired format (replace input.m3u8 with the file name and output.mp4 with the desired output format).

Mac

Using VLC Media Player:
- Launch VLC and go to “File” > “Convert/Stream.”
- Click on “Open media” and add the .M3U8 file.
- Select “Convert/Save” and choose the output format. Click “Start” to begin conversion.

Android

Using VLC for Android:
- Download and install VLC for Android from the Google Play Store.
- Open VLC, tap on the menu, select “Convert,” and choose the .M3U8 file.
- Select the output format and tap “Start Conversion” to begin.

iOS

Using VLC for iOS:
- Install VLC for iOS from the App Store.
- Open VLC, tap on the cone icon at the bottom right, and select “Convert/Save.”
- Add the .M3U8 file, choose the output format, and tap “Start Conversion.”

Advantages And Disadvantages.

Advantages:

Versatile format for streaming media content.
Supports various multimedia formats.
Allows for the creation of adaptive bitrate streaming, optimizing playback based on available bandwidth.

Disadvantages:

Requires a compatible media player or streaming software.
Vulnerable to errors if referencing incorrect file paths or locations.
Limited compatibility with some older media players.

               How to Open M3U8?
                  Open In Windows
                  Download and install VLC Media Player from the official website.
Open VLC, go to “Media” in the menu, and select “Open File.”
Navigate to the location of the .M3U8 file and select it to start playback.

                  Open In Linux
                  Install VLC on your Linux distribution via the package manager or download it from the official website.
Launch VLC, go to “Media” in the menu, and select “Open File.”
Locate and choose the .M3U8 file to begin playback.

                  Open In MAC
                  Download and install VLC Media Player for Mac from the official website or the App Store.
Open VLC, click on “File” in the menu, and select “Open File.”
Find the .M3U8 file and open it to start playing the media content.

                  Open In Android
                  Install VLC for Android from the Google Play Store.
Open VLC, tap the menu icon, and select “Directories.”
Navigate to the folder containing the .M3U8 file and tap on it to play the content.

                  Open In IOS
                  Download and install VLC for iOS from the App Store.
Open VLC, tap the cone icon at the bottom right, and select “Network Stream.”
Enter the URL or browse to the location of the .M3U8 file to start streaming.

                  Open in Others
                  For other platforms, use media players that support .M3U8 files, such as Kodi, MX Player, or other similar applications.
Navigate to the file within the player to initiate playback of the content.