Why convert M3U to PLS?
Some hardware media players, Shoutcast-compatible streaming servers, and older Winamp-era software expect PLS rather than M3U. The two formats are functionally equivalent for local file playlists, so the only reason to switch is player or service compatibility.
How to convert M3U to PLS
VLC media player FREE
In VLC, go to Media > Open File and select the .m3u; tracks load into the playlist pane. Then go to Media > Save Playlist to File, choose PLS playlist (*.pls) from the type dropdown, and save.
Playlist Manager APP
Open the .m3u in Playlist Manager and export or save the playlist as a .pls file.
Helium Music Manager APP
Import the .m3u playlist into Helium Music Manager and export it in PLS format.
Programs that convert M3U
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 →
.PLS
PLS Playlist File
A .pls file is a playlist that points to audio files or internet radio streams - it contains no audio data itself. Open it with VLC, foobar2000, or Winamp; double-clicking usually starts…
Open .PLS details →Quality & what to watch
- File paths, track titles (#EXTINF), and durations map directly to PLS fields; IPTV-specific tags like tvg-logo, tvg-id, and #EXTGRP are silently dropped.
- PLS is not used in IPTV; if the M3U is an IPTV channel list, the converted PLS will lose all channel metadata and is unlikely to work in an IPTV player.
- Standard PLS files use local codepage encoding; use a UTF-8-aware tool if track names contain non-Latin characters.
