Free online M3U to TXT converter

A script, cataloging tool, or document editor may require an ordinary .txt file instead of an .m3u playlist. Since M3U is already text-based, conversion usually means preserving the playlist text under a new extension, or exporting only its paths and URLs for editing, sharing, or archiving.

What the M3U format is

M3U is a plain-text playlist format used for audio and video file paths, network stream URLs, and optional track metadata. Media players and library applications such as VLC, Windows Media Player, Kodi, and IPTV software can read M3U playlists.

A playlist can contain a header, metadata, and media entries:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:245,Example track
/music/example.mp3
https://example.com/live-stream

Lines beginning with # are comments or directives; other non-empty lines normally identify local files or network resources. The #EXTINF line commonly stores duration and display information, but it is not required in every M3U file.

What the TXT format is

TXT is a generic plain-text file with no required playlist structure, metadata syntax, or media-player behavior. It works well for reviewing and editing paths, importing lines into scripts, making a simple shareable list, and storing readable text without application-specific formatting.

A TXT file does not make URLs playable, download media, or remove inaccessible paths. A program that requires M3U syntax may reject a file named .txt even when its contents are identical.

How to convert an M3U file

Rename or copy the file

Use this method when the receiving program only requires a .txt extension and the original M3U contents must remain unchanged.

1. Keep a backup of the original playlist.
2. Show filename extensions in the file manager.
3. Rename playlist.m3u to playlist.txt, or copy it under the new name.
4. Confirm that the result is playlist.txt, not playlist.txt.m3u.

In Windows File Explorer, use View → Show → File name extensions. In macOS Finder, select the file and use File → Get Info, then edit “Name & Extension.” Renaming changes only the filename extension; it does not remove M3U headers or metadata.

Save a copy from a text editor

Open the file in Notepad, Notepad++, TextEdit in plain-text mode, VS Code, or another text editor. Choose File → Save As, enter playlist.txt, select plain text rather than RTF or another rich-text format, and save a copy.

Preserve the source encoding when possible. Many M3U files use a local legacy encoding, while M3U8 specifically indicates UTF-8; converting a legacy file to UTF-8 can change how filenames or metadata display in software that expects the original encoding. Use UTF-8 when the receiving application supports it and the source contains non-ASCII characters.

Use a command line

On macOS or Linux, copy the file without changing its contents:

cp playlist.m3u playlist.txt

In Windows Command Prompt, use:

copy playlist.m3u playlist.txt

These commands preserve headers, metadata, paths, URLs, line endings, and the source encoding because they copy bytes rather than rewrite the text.

Keep only paths and URLs

When the TXT file should contain playable entries but not M3U directives, remove comment, metadata, and blank lines. On macOS or Linux:

grep -v '^#' playlist.m3u | sed '/^[[:space:]]*$/d' > playlist.txt

In Windows PowerShell:

Get-Content playlist.m3u | Where-Object { $_ -and $_ -notmatch '^#' } | Set-Content playlist.txt -Encoding utf8

The filtering commands rewrite the output and may change encoding or line endings, so retain the original M3U file. They also treat every non-comment line as an entry; unusual playlists containing directives without a leading # require manual checking.

For a browser-based conversion without installing software, the built-in converter on 101convert.com can convert the file for free. VLC can play or inspect M3U playlists, but it is not needed for this text conversion and is not a general M3U-to-TXT exporter.

Compatibility limits

A byte-for-byte copy is lossless, but it remains structurally an M3U playlist inside a file with a .txt extension. Relative paths, absolute paths, drive letters, network shares, and stream URLs remain unchanged and can stop working if the TXT file or referenced media is moved.

To use the file again as a playlist, restore the .m3u extension and keep the playlist syntax intact. If the destination requires only one path or URL per line, remove #EXTM3U, #EXTINF, and other comment lines rather than merely renaming the file.