Free online ASX to PLS converter

Understanding ASX and PLS file formats

ASX (Advanced Stream Redirector) is a Microsoft playlist format used to store multimedia playlists, typically for streaming audio or video over the internet. It is based on XML and references media files or streams rather than containing the media itself.

PLS (Playlist) is a widely used playlist format, especially with audio players like Winamp and VLC. It is a simple text-based format that lists paths or URLs to media files, along with optional metadata such as titles and lengths.

Why convert ASX to PLS?

Converting ASX to PLS is useful when you want to use playlists created for Windows Media Player or streaming services with other popular media players that support the PLS format. This ensures compatibility and seamless playback across different platforms.

How to convert ASX to PLS

Since both ASX and PLS are text-based playlist formats, conversion involves extracting the media URLs from the ASX file and formatting them according to the PLS specification.

Best software for ASX to PLS conversion

VLC Media Player is a versatile, free, and cross-platform media player that can open ASX playlists and export them as PLS files. Here’s how to do it:

• Open VLC Media Player.
• Go to Media → Open File and select your ASX file.
• Once the playlist loads, go to Media → Save Playlist to File.
• In the save dialog, choose PLS as the file type and save your new playlist.

Alternatively, you can use online converters like Playlist Converter (playlist-converter.net), which supports ASX to PLS conversion directly in your browser.

Manual conversion method

If you prefer, you can manually convert an ASX file to PLS by opening the ASX file in a text editor, copying the media URLs, and formatting them in the PLS structure:

[playlist]
NumberOfEntries=1
File1=http://example.com/stream
Title1=Example Stream
Length1=-1

Repeat the FileX, TitleX, and LengthX lines for each entry, updating NumberOfEntries accordingly.

Summary

Converting ASX to PLS is straightforward with tools like VLC Media Player or online converters. This allows you to use your playlists across a wider range of media players and devices.