M3U

There is no formal specification for the M3U format; it is a de facto standard.

An M3U file is a plain text file that specifies the locations of one or more media files. The file is saved with the "m3u" filename extension if the text is encoded in the local system's default non-Unicode encoding (e.g., a Windows codepage), or with the "m3u8" extension if the text is UTF-8 encoded.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813210018/https://www.nero.com/enu/wGlobal/content/elements/sysreq/n2015pla-sysreq.php?viewmode=nElement&vlang=us |archive-date=2019-08-13 |url=https://www.nero.com/enu/wGlobal/content/elements/sysreq/n2015pla-sysreq.php?viewmode=nElement&vlang=us |title=Nero 2015 Platinum - System Requirements |quote=MP3 URL + UTF-8 (M3U8)}}

Each entry carries one specification. The specification can be any one of the following:

• an absolute local pathname; e.g., C:\My Music\Heavysets.mp3
• a local pathname relative to the M3U file location; e.g. Heavysets.mp3
• a URL

Each entry ends with a line break which separates it from the following one. Furthermore, some devices only accept line breaks represented as CR LF, but do not recognize a single LF.

The M3U file can also include comments, prefaced by the "#" character. In extended M3U, "#" also introduces extended M3U directives which are terminated by a colon ":" if they support parameters.

Apple used the extended M3U format as a base for their HTTP Live Streaming (HLS){{cite web|url=https://developer.apple.com/documentation/http_live_streaming/about_the_common_media_application_format_with_http_live_streaming|title=About the Common Media Application Format with HTTP Live Streaming | Apple Developer Documentation|website=developer.apple.com}} which was documented in an Independent Submission Stream RFC in 2017 as [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8216 RFC 8216].{{cite RFC | rfc=8216 | title=HTTP Live Streaming | author=R. Pantos and W. May | publisher=RFC Editor | section=4.3 | url=https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8216 | date=August 2007 | doi=10.17487/RFC8216 | issn=2070-1721 }}

Therein, a master playlist references segment playlists which usually contain URLs for short parts of the media stream. Some tags only apply to the former type and some only to the latter type of playlist, but they all begin with #EXT-X-.

The Unicode version of M3U is M3U8, which uses UTF-8-encoded characters. M3U8 files are the basis for the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) format originally developed by Apple to stream video and radio to iOS devices, and which is now a popular format for adaptive streaming in general.

The 2015 proposal for the HLS playlist format uses UTF-8 exclusively and does not distinguish between the "m3u" and "m3u8" file name extensions.{{cite web|url=https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-pantos-http-live-streaming-17.html|title=HTTP Live Streaming|first1=Roger|last1=Pantos|first2=William|last2=May|website=tools.ietf.org}}

The only Internet media type registered for M3U and M3U8 is application/vnd.apple.mpegurl, registered in 2009 and only referring to the playlist format as used in HLS applications.{{cite web|url=https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/media-types.xhtml#audio|title=Media Types|website=www.iana.org}}{{cite web|url=https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/application/vnd.apple.mpegurl |title=Data |publisher=iana |access-date=2019-10-21}}

The current proposal for the HLS playlist format acknowledges two media types which it treats as equivalent: application/vnd.apple.mpegurl and audio/mpegurl. Likewise, these are the two types recommended for HLS use by Microsoft.

For non-HLS applications, no media types were standardized or registered with the IANA, but a number of media types are nonetheless associated with the historical and ongoing use of the M3U and M3U8 formats for general playlists:

• application/mpegurl
• application/x-mpegurl
• audio/mpegurl
• audio/x-mpegurl{{cite web |url=http://www.iis.fhg.de/audio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970606171426/http://www.iis.fhg.de/departs/amm/layer3/winplay3/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=1997-06-06 |title=WinPlay3 - Windows real-time ISO/MPEG Audio Layer 3 Player |date=1996-10-30 |author=Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Fraunhofer Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen-A |access-date=2018-01-21 }}{{cite web |url=https://lockergnome.com/mp3/article14.html |first=Matt |last=Gruett |title=M3U FILES AND STREAMING |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010426110118/https://lockergnome.com/mp3/article14.html |archive-date=2001-04-26 |url-status=dead |work=LockerGnome}}

These types, plus application/vnd.apple.mpegurl and application/vnd.apple.mpegurl.audio, are supported for HLS applications by (for example) Microsoft's Windows 10{{cite web|url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ie/2015/01/29/simplified-adaptive-video-streaming-announcing-support-for-hls-and-dash-in-windows-10/|title=Simplified Adaptive Video Streaming: Announcing support for HLS and DASH in Windows 10 – IEBlog|website=blogs.msdn.microsoft.com}} and Internet Explorer 9,{{cite web|url=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/HTMLVideoElement|title=HTMLVideoElement|website=MDN Web Docs|date=10 April 2025 }} and LG's WebOS.{{Cite web |url=http://developer.lge.com/webOSTV/api/supported-standard-web-api/html5-standard/audio-video/ |title=::: LG Developer | Audio & Video ::: |access-date=2015-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222151959/http://developer.lge.com/webOSTV/api/supported-standard-web-api/html5-standard/audio-video/ |archive-date=2015-12-22 |url-status=dead }}

{{Example farm|section|date=August 2016}}

;Example 1

This is an example of an extended M3U file on the Windows platform. Sample.mp3 and Example.ogg are the media files. 123 and 321 are the lengths in seconds.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122001027/http://www.clearone.com/uploads/resource/030055_Creating_Playlists_to_Work_with_the_Streaming_Music_Manager-0.pdf|archive-date=2018-01-22|url=http://www.clearone.com/uploads/resource/030055_Creating_Playlists_to_Work_with_the_Streaming_Music_Manager-0.pdf|title=DigiLinX Application Note - Creating Playlists to Work with the Streaming Music Manager|date=2007-10-05}} A length of -1 or 0 may be used when the media file is a streaming file, as there is no actual, predefined length value. The value after the length is the title to be shown, which is generally the same as the location of the file which is on the second line. On the macOS and Linux platforms, Unix paths are used.

#EXTM3U

#EXTINF:123, Sample artist - Sample title

C:\Documents and Settings\I\My Music\Sample.mp3

#EXTINF:321,Example Artist - Example title

C:\Documents and Settings\I\My Music\Greatest Hits\Example.ogg

;Example 2

This example shows how to create an m3u file linking to a specified directory (for example, a flash drive, or CD-ROM). The m3u file should contain only one string: the path to the directory. After starting, the media player will play all contents of the directory:

C:\Music

;Example 3

Here is another example, using relative format. The M3U file is placed in the same directory as the music, and directories must be preserved when moving the playlist to another device if subdirectories are used. This method is more flexible, as it does not rely on the file path staying the same.

This is the same file as above, saved as sample.m3u in C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Music\

#EXTM3U

#EXTINF:123, Sample artist - Sample title

Sample.mp3

#EXTINF:321,Example Artist - Example title

Greatest Hits\Example.ogg

This format in an M3U allows copying to another device for playback. All files and directories referred to must also be copied.

;Example 4

Here is a mixed example:

Alternative\Band - Song.mp3

Classical\Other Band - New Song.mp3

Stuff.mp3

D:\More Music\Foo.mp3

..\Other Music\Bar.mp3

http://www.example.com:8000/Listen.mp3

http://www.example.com/~user/Mine.mp3

Notes:

• Alternative and Classical are sub-directories of the directory that this playlist is stored in.
• "Song" and "New Song" are in sub-directories of the directory that this playlist is stored in.
• "Stuff" is in the same directory that the playlist is stored in.
• "Foo" is in the specified (Windows) volume and directory, which may or may not be the same directory the playlist is in.
• "Bar" is in a different directory at the same level as the playlist directory. The double-dots reference the parent directory of the playlist directory, then into the sub-directory "Other Music" to reach "Bar".
• "Listen" is a Shoutcast stream.
• "Mine" is an MP3 stored on a web server.

;Example 5

References to other M3U playlists, for example, are generally not well-supported.

AnotherPlayList.m3u

;Example 6

The following is an example of an M3U playlist file for "Jar of Flies" album by "Alice in Chains" that was created by Mp3tag with the following custom option settings:{{cite web|url=http://help.mp3tag.de/options_export.html|title=Mp3tag Help - Configuration > Export|website=help.mp3tag.de}}{{cite web|url=http://help.mp3tag.de/options_playlist.html|title=Mp3tag Help - Configuration > Playlist|website=help.mp3tag.de}}{{cite web|url=http://help.mp3tag.de/main_scripting.html|title=Mp3tag Help - Scripting functions|website=help.mp3tag.de}}

• playlist extended info format = "%artist% - %title%"
• playlist filename format = "%artist%_%album%_00_Playlist.m3u"
• tag to filename conversion format = "%artist%_%album%_$num(%track%,2)_%title%"

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:419,Alice in Chains - Rotten Apple
Alice in Chains_Jar of Flies_01_Rotten Apple.mp3
#EXTINF:260,Alice in Chains - Nutshell
Alice in Chains_Jar of Flies_02_Nutshell.mp3
#EXTINF:255,Alice in Chains - I Stay Away
Alice in Chains_Jar of Flies_03_I Stay Away.mp3
#EXTINF:256,Alice in Chains - No Excuses
Alice in Chains_Jar of Flies_04_No Excuses.mp3
#EXTINF:157,Alice in Chains - Whale And Wasp
Alice in Chains_Jar of Flies_05_Whale And Wasp.mp3
#EXTINF:263,Alice in Chains - Don't Follow
Alice in Chains_Jar of Flies_06_Don't Follow.mp3
#EXTINF:245,Alice in Chains - Swing On This
Alice in Chains_Jar of Flies_07_Swing On This.mp3

{{category see also|Tag editors}}

The following tag editor software allows users to edit the ID3 tags in MP3 files, and has support for creating M3U files.

;Linux

• Kid3, Puddletag.

;Windows

• Mp3tag, Puddletag.

{{category see also|Media players}}

The following media player software supports playing M3U files.

;Multi-platform

;Android

• Astro Player,{{cite web|url=http://astroplayer.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201025112/http://www.astroplayer.com/|url-status=dead|title=Loading...|archive-date=December 1, 2009|website=astroplayer.com}}{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.astroplayerbeta|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172333/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.astroplayerbeta|url-status=dead|title=Astro Player (old) - Sidenis LLC|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.astroplayer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303122125/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.astroplayer|url-status=dead|title=Astro Player - Sidenis LLC|archive-date=March 3, 2016}} Kodi, N7Player,{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.n7mobile.nplayer&hl=en_US|title=n7player Music Player - Apps on Google Play|website=play.google.com}}{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.n7mobile.nplayer_1&hl=en_US|title=n7player 1.0 - Apps on Google Play|website=play.google.com}} Musicolet{{Cite web|title=Musicolet Music Player [No ads] - Apps on Google Play|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.krosbits.musicolet&hl=en_US&gl=US|access-date=2020-11-02|website=play.google.com|language=en}}

;macOS

• Music, QuickTime Player, IINA

;Nintendo

• New Nintendo 3DS (including XL and 2DS XL variants) with Internet Browser app
• Nintendo Switch with the YouTube (site-specific) app
• Wii U with the Internet Browser or YouTube app

;Windows

• foobar2000, JRiver Media Center, JuK, MediaMonkey, PotPlayer, Winamp, Windows Media Player, XMPlay{{cite web|last1=Hindley|first1=Nathan|title=XMPlay 3.8.2|url=http://support.xmplay.com/files_view.php?file_id=670|website=XMPlay|publisher=Un4seen Developments|access-date=11 July 2016}}

• List of tag editors

;Other playlist file formats

• PLS - SHOUTcast
• XSPF - Xiph.Org Foundation

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web |url= http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=65772 |title= Unofficial M3U and PLS file specification |work= Forum |series= Tech Support Greatest Hits |orig-year= 2001 |date= 2008 |publisher= WinAmp }}
• {{cite web |url= http://gonze.com/playlists/playlist-format-survey.html |work= Draft |title= Survey of playlist formats |date= 2003 |first= Lucas |last= Gonze }}
• {{cite web |url= https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-pantos-http-live-streaming-23 |title= HTTP Live Streaming specification |work= Draft |quote= Includes M3U and M3U8 |date= 2017 |publisher= IETF |editor-first= R. |editor-last= Pantos |first= W. |last= May }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:M3u}}

Category:Playlist file formats

Category:Digital audio

Category:Filename extensions