M3U8 File Documentation

M3U8 format files are files that store information about the playlist , i.e. song names and paths or addresses to specific files and directories. Files containing the M3U8 extension are used by various media players, such as iTunes and Windows Media Player.

A file with the M3U8 extension stores the content in text form, therefore opening and editing M3U8 files is possible using any text editor.

Overview

Feature Value
File Extension .m3u8
Encoding UTF-8
File Type Text-based Playlist
Developed By Apple Inc.
Primary Use HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)
Adaptive Bitrate Streaming Supported
Media Types Audio, Video, Subtitles
Header Tag #EXTM3U
Version Tag #EXT-X-VERSION
Target Duration Tag #EXT-X-TARGETDURATION
Segment Info Tag #EXTINF
End List Tag #EXT-X-ENDLIST
Security Features None (requires external measures)
Platform Support Partial (requires specialized players)