What is an M3U8 file? How to open and convert M3U8 files?

What is an M3U8 file?

An M3U8 file is a playlist file used by video and audio players to store the locations of media files. The information in an M3U8 file is stored in plain text format, allowing users to play media files quickly. These files can reference specific media files or folders using URLs or absolute paths.

M3U8 files can also store information for streaming online media from internet radio stations. Major media players like iTunes, VLC Media Player, and Windows Media Player support M3U8 files. Since the information stored in the file is plain text, you can also open media files with text editors like Microsoft Notepad and Apple TextEdit.

How do I open and view an M3U8 file?

To open and read an M3U8 file, you can use a reliable text editor. For example, on Windows, you can use Notepad to view the contents of an M3U8 file. However, a text editor won't help you play the media files stored in the M3U8 file because it lacks the functionality of a media player or any media management software. Thus, you can only use a text editor to open and read the M3U8 file.

Fortunately, there are several media players that can open and play the media files stored in an M3U8 file on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Here's a list of popular media players that support opening and viewing M3U8 files on these major operating systems:

Windows

• VideoLAN VLC Media Player
• Vidmore Player
• KMPlayer
• Windows Media Player
• GOM Media Player
• MediaMonkey

Mac (Mac computer)

• Apple iTunes
• RealNetworks RealPlayer
• Songbird
• Vidmore Player
• VideoLAN VLC Media Player
• Clementine

Linux (pronounced "lee-nux") is a free and open-source operating system based on the Unix-like kernel created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. It is widely used across various devices, including personal computers, servers, smartphones, supercomputers, and embedded systems. Linux is often combined with the GNU toolset and other open-source software to form a complete operating system, commonly referred to as a Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, and Debian.

• XMMS
• Clementine
• VideoLAN VLC Media Player

Steps to open an M3U8 file using VLC Media Player:

Step 1. Open the VLC media player on your computer and click the “Media” option at the top. From there, select “Open File.”

Click the “Open File” option.

Step 2. Change the “File type” to “Playlist files.” Locate your M3U8 file and click on “Open” to successfully load it into the VLC media player.

How do I convert M3U8 to MP4 or other file formats?

Depending on your situation, you might need to convert an M3U8 file to another format, like MP4. However, since M3U8 files are plain text files, you can't directly change them into another format. For this, you'll need a reliable file conversion tool that can quickly transform M3U8 files into other formats.

However, before converting the M3U8 file, there is an issue that needs to be addressed. The media files stored in the M3U8 are located in different places on your computer, such as internal drives, floppy disks, and so on. For this reason, you need to gather all the media files in one location to use a file conversion tool. The process of manually copying all the media files to one place can be very time-consuming. Therefore, you might consider using the M3UExportTool to collect all the media files stored in the M3U8 file.

Once this tool has copied all your media files to one location, you can use any suitable conversion tool that suits your needs.

Final Thoughts

M3U8 files store our playlist files in plain text, preserving the original quality. Through these files, we can locate the saved media files and play them using compatible media players. This article presents a concise yet orderly exposition of the significance of M3U8 files. If you wish to convert M3U8 files to any format immediately, you can utilize the Video Converter tool to achieve optimal results efficiently.