What is the MTA file format?
Files with the .mta extension store multimedia file indexing information for a given folder shared via the Samsung AllShare service. .mta files allow users to navigate a file during playback - for example, selecting movie chapters. .mta is a plain-text file format based on the XML standard.
Such a file can contain:
- Chapter information - details about file segments
- Start time for each segment, in seconds
- Frame preview - a JPG thumbnail image encoded using base64
.mta files are created automatically on the host device by the AllShare tool. Filenames follow a double-extension pattern: the .mta suffix is appended to the original media file's full name. For example, for a file movie.mkv, a companion movie.mkv.mta is created and saved in the same folder. The .mta file is a sidecar index - deleting it does not harm the media file it references; AllShare simply regenerates it when needed.
Samsung AllShare was a multimedia file-sharing application that let users share data between TVs, PCs, smartphones, tablets, and other network-attached devices supporting the DLNA standard. AllShare was rebranded as Samsung Link in 2013 and the service was shut down on March 31, 2016; .mta files found today are essentially legacy leftovers from that era. The format is also encountered alongside AVI, MP4, and MP3 media files that AllShare once indexed.
Because .mta stores its data as plain text XML, it can be opened and inspected with any text editor. Users can also manually craft custom chapter files and place them in the appropriate media folders.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA Samsung AllShare .mta is a small text/index sidecar with no executable content, so it poses no infection risk and is safe to open in a text editor or to delete - AllShare simply regenerates it if ever needed (and the service is dead anyway). The only 'risk' is confusion: people sometimes hunt for shady 'MTA viewer/player' downloads to open these, which are unnecessary and can be adware. There is nothing to view; just ignore or remove the file.
Format details
in a nutshell- Microsoft Flight Simulator maintenance file (.mta) - An auxiliary/maintenance data file referenced by Microsoft Flight Simulator (the label in the source database, but a minor/undocumented use).
- Multi Theft Auto resource meta file (meta.mta) - MTA:San Andreas multiplayer mod uses an XML 'meta.mta' inside a server resource to declare its scripts and files.
Programs that open MTA files
Windows2 apps
NotePad++ text editor
Built-in Right-click > Open with > Notepad to peek inside - it's a small XML/text index, not media. Mostly there's nothing useful to read. 
Samsung AllShare / Samsung Link (historical)
Free The original creator - but the service was discontinued March 31, 2016 and is no longer distributed; do NOT seek it out. The .mta has no purpose without it. 
macOS1 app
TextEdit
Built-in Open with TextEdit to inspect the text/XML index. There's no media inside to play. Technical details
deep spec| File role | Sidecar index and metadata companion; references a neighbouring media file rather than being a standalone document |
| Naming convention | Double-extension: original filename plus `.mta` suffix (e.g., `movie.mkv.mta`), stored in the same folder as the source media |
| Internal format | Plain-text XML; typically opens with a standard XML declaration (`<?xml ...?>`) |
| Magic bytes / file signature | None - no fixed binary header; identified by naming context and folder placement rather than file signature |
| MIME type | `application/octet-stream` (default); `text/xml` also applicable |
| Typical file size | Under a few KB - stores only references and descriptive metadata, not media data |
| Stored data | Chapter segment boundaries, per-segment start times (in seconds), and base64-encoded JPEG thumbnail previews |
| Auto-generation behaviour | Created automatically by AllShare; regenerated on demand if deleted; safe to remove without affecting the source media file |
| Associated platforms | Windows (AllShare PC client), Android (Samsung Galaxy devices), Samsung Smart TVs |
| Developer | Samsung Electronics |
| Network context | Operates within DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) media-sharing environments |
| Editability | Can be opened and edited in any plain-text or XML editor; custom chapter files can be created manually |
| Related media formats | Accompanies AVI, MP4, MP3, MKV and other DLNA-compatible media files |
| Released | With Samsung AllShare (DLNA media-sharing software), c. 2010 (Galaxy S era) |
| Latest version | N/A (AllShare rebranded Samsung Link in 2013; service discontinued 2016) |
MTA conversions
Community Q&A
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