---
title: ".m3u file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .m3u file is a Media Playlist. A plain-text list of tracks or stream URLs — it holds no audio itself. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/m3u/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .m3u files

**.m3u file: Media Playlist**

A plain-text list of tracks or stream URLs — it holds no audio itself.

## What opens a .m3u file

- **Windows:** VLC, Media Player (built in), foobar2000, Notepad (built in)
- **macOS:** Music (built in), VLC, TextEdit (built in)
- **Linux:** VLC, Rhythmbox / Music (built in), Text Editor (built in)

## What a .m3u file is

An M3U is just a text file listing file paths or internet radio URLs, one per line, which players read as a playlist. Because it only points at files, moving or renaming the music breaks the playlist and copying the M3U alone copies no music. The .m3u8 variant is the same thing saved as UTF-8, and is also what HLS streaming uses to index video segments.

## Converting it

A .m3u file is commonly converted to .pls, .xspf or .txt. It is a plain text format, so any text editor can open and edit it directly.

## Details

- **Extension:** .m3u
- **Full name:** Media Playlist
- **Category:** Audio
- **MIME type:** audio/x-mpegurl
- **Created by:** Fraunhofer / Winamp convention
- **Format:** Plain text

## Common questions

### How do I open a .m3u file?

On Windows use VLC; on macOS use Music (built in); on Linux use VLC. A plain-text list of tracks or stream URLs — it holds no audio itself.

### What is a .m3u file?

Media Playlist. An M3U is just a text file listing file paths or internet radio URLs, one per line, which players read as a playlist. Because it only points at files, moving or renaming the music breaks the playlist and copying the M3U alone copies no music.

### Can I convert a .m3u file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .pls, .xspf or .txt, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.mp3 — MPEG-1 Audio Layer III](https://atoneplace.net/file/mp3/)
- [.wav — Waveform Audio File](https://atoneplace.net/file/wav/)
- [.m4a — MPEG-4 Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4a/)
- [.flac — Free Lossless Audio Codec](https://atoneplace.net/file/flac/)
- [.aac — Advanced Audio Coding](https://atoneplace.net/file/aac/)
- [.ogg — Ogg Vorbis Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/ogg/)
- [.opus — Opus Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/opus/)
- [.mid — MIDI Sequence](https://atoneplace.net/file/mid/)
- [.wma — Windows Media Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/wma/)
- [.aiff — Audio Interchange File Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/aiff/)
- [.m4b — MPEG-4 Audiobook](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4b/)
- [.amr — Adaptive Multi-Rate Audio](https://atoneplace.net/file/amr/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)