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M3U M3U8
File conversion

Convert M3U to M3U8

Verified by Adam B.· reviewed by FE Editorial ·updated Jul 1, 2026
QUICK ANSWER
Is it possible to convert M3U to M3U8?
Yes - M3U converts to M3U8.

Open the .m3u in a text editor, convert the encoding to UTF-8, and save with the .m3u8 extension. If the playlist contains only ASCII characters, a simple file rename is sufficient - no re-encoding step needed.

3 programs
Also to M3U8: XSPF · PLS · ASX

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Tested on macOS, Windows & Linux
Last verified Oct 2026

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Why convert M3U to M3U8?

The .m3u8 extension signals UTF-8 encoding, which is required for playlists containing non-Latin characters such as Arabic, Chinese, or Cyrillic. It is also the standard extension for IPTV channel lists and HLS streaming manifests.

How to convert M3U to M3U8

VLC media player FREE

Open the .m3u via Media > Open File in VLC, then go to Media > Save Playlist to File and save with a .m3u8 extension; VLC writes the file in UTF-8.

Notepad++ FREE

Open the .m3u in Notepad++, go to Encoding > Convert to UTF-8, then File > Save As with the .m3u8 extension.

Programs that convert M3U

VLC media player
VLC media player for Mac
VLC media player for Linux

About these formats

.M3U M3U Media Playlist (MP3 URL)

An M3U file is a plain-text playlist that lists the locations of audio or video - it contains no media itself. Open it in VLC to play the listed tracks or IPTV channels, or in any text…

Open .M3U details →
.M3U8 UTF-8 M3U Playlist / HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) Playlist

An M3U8 file is a plain-text playlist that lists track paths or stream URLs - it holds no audio or video itself. Open it in VLC to play a local playlist or an HLS stream. To save a streamed…

Open .M3U8 details →

Quality & what to watch

  • M3U8 is not a different format - the '8' means UTF-8 encoding; any player that handles .m3u also handles .m3u8.
  • All #EXTINF tags, URLs, and metadata are preserved unchanged; only the character encoding of the text file changes.
  • Save as UTF-8 without BOM; some IPTV players reject a Byte Order Mark at the start of the file.

Frequently asked questions

Is M3U8 a different format from M3U?
No - M3U8 is the same format with UTF-8 encoding; the '8' refers to UTF-8, not a version number.
When can I just rename the file instead of re-encoding?
When the playlist contains only ASCII characters (standard Latin letters, digits, and URLs), a simple rename is all that is needed.
What is the BOM issue?
Some editors save UTF-8 files with a Byte Order Mark; if an IPTV player rejects the new .m3u8, try saving as UTF-8 without BOM - Notepad++ labels this option explicitly.
Will my player handle .m3u8 the same as .m3u?
Yes - any player that supports M3U also supports M3U8; the two are functionally identical for local file playlists.