What Is an M3U8 File? Complete Guide to the HLS Playlist Format
Learn what an M3U8 file is, how it works with HLS streaming, and how to open, edit, and create M3U8 playlists.
What Is an M3U8 File?
An M3U8 file is a UTF-8 encoded playlist file used by the HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) protocol. Despite being called a "video file," it doesn't contain any video data. Instead, it's a text file that lists the locations of video segments and provides instructions to the player on how to play them.
The "M3U" comes from "MP3 URL" (original use for MP3 playlists), and "8" indicates UTF-8 encoding (as opposed to ASCII). You can open any M3U8 file in a text editor — it's just readable text.
What Does an M3U8 File Look Like?
A simple VOD M3U8 file looks like this:
#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-VERSION:3
#EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:10
#EXTINF:10.000,
video-001.ts
#EXTINF:10.000,
video-002.ts
#EXTINF:10.000,
video-003.ts
#EXT-X-ENDLIST
Each line starting with #EXT is a tag providing metadata. Lines without #EXT are URLs or paths to video segments.
M3U8 vs Regular Video Files
| Aspect | M3U8 File | MP4 File |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Text playlist | Binary video data |
| Size | A few KB | MB to GB |
| Playable alone | No | Yes |
| Contains video | No | Yes |
| Editable | Yes (any text editor) | Requires video editor |
How to View an M3U8 File
To see the contents of an M3U8 file:
- In a browser: Open the URL directly — it will either display the text or download the file
- On your computer: Open with any text editor (Notepad, VS Code, Sublime Text)
- To play the video: Use an online M3U8 player or VLC Media Player
Common Uses of M3U8 Files
- HLS streaming — The primary use case, for web video delivery
- IPTV — Playlist files for internet television channels
- Live streaming — Real-time event broadcast delivery
- Video on demand — Streaming pre-recorded content with adaptive bitrate
- Audio streaming — Some audio-only HLS streams use M3U8 playlists
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