Free online M3U to WPL converter

Windows Media Player and some Windows media libraries require .wpl playlists, so an existing music list may need conversion before it can be imported. The conversion changes playlist references and structure, not the audio files themselves.

What the M3U format is

M3U is a plain-text playlist format that stores one audio-file path or streaming URL per line. Extended M3U files can add metadata in #EXTINF lines, including track duration, artist, and title; M3U8 is the UTF-8 variant.

VLC, foobar2000, Winamp, AIMP, Kodi, Windows Media Player, and many other players can open or create M3U playlists. M3U files commonly result from exporting a local music collection, saving an internet-radio list, or moving a playlist between players.

An M3U does not contain the audio. Its entries may be relative paths such as Music\Album\Track.mp3, absolute paths such as C:\Music\Track.flac, network paths, or stream URLs.

What the WPL format is

WPL, or Windows Media Player Playlist, is an XML-based playlist format associated with Windows Media Player. It stores an ordered sequence of media references, normally in src attributes, rather than embedding the audio.

WPL is useful when Windows Media Player or software that supports Windows Media playlists specifically requires a .wpl file. It can reference local audio files, network locations, and, where supported by the player, streams. Its main limitation is portability: M3U has broader support outside Windows media software.

How to convert an M3U file to WPL

Using 101convert

1. Open the M3U-to-WPL converter on 101convert.com.
2. Select the source .m3u or .m3u8 playlist.
3. Choose WPL as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the generated .wpl file and open it in Windows Media Player or another WPL-compatible application.

The service converts the playlist text; it does not upload or transcode the referenced audio files as part of the playlist conversion. A playlist can still fail after conversion if its paths are inaccessible or unsupported. Keep the original M3U until the WPL has been tested.

Using Windows Media Player

1. Open the M3U with Windows Media Player using File → Open, or open it directly from File Explorer.
2. Check that the tracks appear in the playlist pane and that the files play.
3. Use the playlist pane's Save list command, enter a filename, and select WPL if Windows Media Player offers a format choice.
4. Close and reopen the resulting .wpl file to verify the track order and references.

Menu names differ between Windows Media Player versions. If the M3U opens as one item or does not populate the playlist pane, create a new playlist, add the M3U's tracks to it, and save that playlist as WPL. If the installed version cannot import the M3U reliably, use the 101convert method or a desktop playlist manager that supports both formats.

Compatibility and quality limitations

No audio is converted. MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and other referenced files keep their original codecs, quality, and sizes. Only the small playlist file changes.

Relative paths may be resolved from the playlist's location, but applications handle them differently. Moving the WPL without moving the audio can break it. Absolute paths work on the computer that created them but usually fail when the playlist is shared.

Verify drive letters, network shares, permissions, and filename characters after conversion. A reference such as \\NAS\Music\Track.mp3 requires the same network location and access rights on the playback device. Stream URLs can stop working if a station changes its address or requires authentication.

M3U metadata is not guaranteed to transfer to WPL. Track order and locations are normally preserved when they are valid, but album art, ratings, cue points, and player-specific settings generally require a separate library-export function. Playlist files can also contain private local paths or stream URLs, so review their contents before sharing or uploading them.