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M3U8 file: what it is and how to open it

Media playlist. Here is what a .m3u8 file contains, how to open one on any device, and a viewer that opens it right in your browser.

Open a .m3u8 file hereChoose fileRead in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

What the viewer shows

  • Whether the file matches the .m3u8 signature
  • The text inside the file
  • A preview when your browser can display it

What is a .m3u8 file?

A .m3u8 file is a media playlist. Its registered MIME type is application/vnd.apple.mpegurl, which places it in the application or document family of formats.

Technically it is a specialised form of text/plain (the .asc format), so tools that understand that format can often read at least part of it.

M3U8 is a text-based format: the contents are readable characters, so any text editor can open it, and it compresses well.

The same format is also saved with the extension .m3u.

M3U8 file format details

Extension.m3u8
FormatMedia playlist
MIME typeapplication/vnd.apple.mpegurl, audio/x-mpegurl, audio/mpegurl
CategoryApplication or document
Text or binaryText
Based ontext/plain
File signatureNone fixed
Registered with IANAYes
Other extensions.m3u

How to open M3U8 files

WindowsM3U8 files are plain text, so Notepad opens them: right-click the file, choose Open with, then Notepad. Notepad++ and VS Code are free and show long files more comfortably.
MacTextEdit opens plain text files. For code or data files, a free editor such as BBEdit or VS Code keeps the formatting intact.
iPhone and iPadSave the file to the Files app and tap it; iOS previews most plain text. Or drop it on the viewer above, which shows the text right in the browser.
AndroidMost file manager apps open plain text files in a built-in viewer. The viewer above also works in Chrome.

Can you convert a .m3u8 file?

TapToConvert does not convert M3U8 files. The usual route is to open the file in the program that made it and use its Export or Save as option.

M3U8 file FAQ

What is a .m3u8 file?

A .m3u8 file is a media playlist, with the MIME type application/vnd.apple.mpegurl.

How do I open a .m3u8 file?

With any text editor, such as Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac, or with the viewer on this page.

Is a .m3u8 file safe to open?

M3U8 files hold data rather than programs, but any file from an unknown source can be crafted to exploit the software that opens it. Keep that software up to date. The viewer on this page only reads the bytes and never runs anything.

What is the MIME type of .m3u8?

application/vnd.apple.mpegurl, and it is also seen as audio/x-mpegurl or audio/mpegurl. Web servers send this type so browsers know how to handle the file.

Is M3U8 a text or binary format?

Text. Its contents are readable characters.

File type facts come from the IANA media type registry, the mime-db project and the freedesktop.org shared MIME database.

Similar file types

Try MP4 to MP3, HEIC, merge PDF or compress video.