What is M3U URL: Guide to Create, Edit, & Use M3U File

Nowadays, most IPTV service providers offer M3U URLs or Playlists to stream their content on different devices. The M3U playlist URLs provided by an IPTV service provider will contain information about the channel list, like the channel name, channel reference number, and the URL of the channel. Further, you can also create an M3U URL with your favorite audio or video files.

What is M3U URL

M3U URL is a text file that stores all details of a multimedia file. It is used to stream audio or video files and TV channels through the internet. The M3U URLs you could find will have a few similarities and differences. The number followed by #EXTINF is the length of audio in seconds. If you find -1 next to #EXTINF means the audio had been streamed online, but the length is not set.

Next, you will find the URL title displayed on the media player. The next section of the URL is the location of the file. So whenever you create an M3U URL, ensure you have the proper syntax.

How to Use an M3U URL

VLC Media Player is the most commonly used IPTV player to use the M3U URL. Many prefer using IPTV on VLC Media Player as it supports different file formats like M3U8, XSPF, IFO, WVX, ASX, and more. As mentioned previously, M3U URLs are used by most IPTV users to stream the content provided by the service providers. Do follow the below steps to use M3U URL with the VLC Media Player.

1. Locate the VLC Media Player on your device.

2. Tap the Media tab at the top left corner.

3. Select Open Network Stream from the menu that appears on the screen.

4. Click the Network tab and provide the URL provided by the service provider.

5. Hit the Play button to start using the M3U files.

You can use the M3U URLs on all devices, including Android and iOS devices, Smartphones, Smart TVs, MAG Box, Roku, STB Emulators, and more. Not only the VLC Media Player but also you can use any of the popular IPTV m3u Players that support M3U URL to use it to access your IPTV content.

Use M3U URL with iTunes

The next familiar method to use M3U audio URL is iTunes. All you need is a strong network connection. If your network connection is weak, it will take some time to load your playlist. To use the URL with iTunes,

1. Launch iTunes on your device.

2. Click the File tab and select Open Stream.

3. Now, a popup window will appear on the screen.

4. Paste the URL in the provided box.

5. Go to the Internet Songs section to play the audio songs.

How to Create an M3U URL

The VLC Media Player and iTunes can also be used to create an M3U playlist of audio and video files on your device.

Create M3U Playlist using VLC

1. Open the VLC Media Player on your device.

2. Click the View tab next to Tools.

3. Select Playlist and right-click on the window.

4. Click Add File or Add Folder and locate the files.

5. Arrange the order and press Ctrl + Y keys on the keyboard.

6. Choose the file location and rename the file.

7. Save the file type as M3U Playlist.

8. Finally, tap the Save button to create the playlist.

Create M3U Playlist using iTunes

1. Locate iTunes on your device.

2. Navigate to Playlists and click the + icon.

3. Select New Playlist, and tap Add To to locate the audio files.

4. Next, click the File tab and choose Library.

5. Tap Export Playlist and select the folder to create the Playlist.

6. Name the Folder and set the file type as M3U Files.

How to Edit an M3U URL

Remember, you cannot convert the M3U file to different formats like MP3 and MP4. Since M3U URL is a text file, you can edit it with the help of text editors like Notepad. After downloading the M3U URL, you can open it on the notepad app on your device.

Then, remove the unwanted files or channels from the playlist. Once the files get deleted, you can save that to another playlist. Now, you can use the customized URL to stream your favorite content.

Frequently Asked Questions