What is the difference between M3U and M3U8?

M3U8 normally indicates a UTF-8 encoded M3U playlist. M3U is a broader playlist extension that does not itself guarantee a particular character encoding.

Is every M3U8 file an HLS stream?

No. M3U8 is commonly used for HLS manifests, but the extension by itself does not prove the type of every playlist.

Does renaming M3U to M3U8 change the file?

No. Renaming changes only the filename. It does not change the encoding, media locations or source authorization.

M3U vs M3U8: what is the difference?

Both extensions describe playlists in text. The key difference is the text encoding convention; in practice, M3U8 is also widely used for HLS streaming manifests.

Updated July 30, 2026 · 4 min read

M3U: a general playlist file

An M3U file lists media locations: they may be local paths or network URLs. It can include metadata such as an item name. The extension tells a compatible player that it should interpret the text as a playlist, but it does not validate the addresses inside it.

M3U8: an UTF-8 playlist, often used for HLS

M3U8 is an M3U playlist convention that uses UTF-8 text. UTF-8 supports international characters consistently, which helps with titles and categories. In HLS, M3U8 manifests describe a master set of quality variants or the segments of a stream, so an M3U8 URL may be one part of a live or on-demand delivery system.

	M3U	M3U8
Primary meaning	Text playlist	UTF-8 text playlist
Common use	Lists of local or network media locations	HLS master or media manifests, plus other UTF-8 playlists
Contains the video?	No, usually it contains locations	No, it usually contains variants or segment locations
What to add in Lumio	The original authorized file or URL	The original authorized file or URL

What changing the extension will not fix

It will not convert the character encoding of the file.
It will not restore an expired address or missing credentials.
It will not change a browser’s HTTPS or CORS requirements.
It will not turn a playlist into a video file or change its resolution.

Which one should you add to a player?

Use the complete file or URL exactly as it was provided by the source you are authorized to access. In Lumio, select M3U for either M3U or M3U8 playlist addresses; the player reads the returned playlist. If the source supplied a server address, username and password separately, use the credentials-based setup rather than constructing a URL yourself.

Play an M3U or M3U8 source

Lumio supports compatible, authorized playlist sources across TV, phone and desktop.

Read the M3U player guide

Download the right Lumio app

Ready to add your authorized M3U or M3U8 source? Download Lumio for Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Windows or Linux and use the player designed for your device.

Download Lumio