Free online MKV to PLS converter

What the MKV format is

Matroska Video (MKV) is a container that can hold video, one or more audio tracks, subtitles, chapters, and metadata. It is commonly created by MakeMKV, HandBrake, OBS Studio, FFmpeg, and video-editing or screen-recording software. Although the extension identifies a video container, an MKV file can contain audio without a meaningful video stream.

MKV does not specify one audio codec. Its tracks may use AAC, MP3, Vorbis, Opus, FLAC, DTS, or other codecs, so a player must support both the MKV container and the embedded codec.

What the PLS format is

PLS is a plain-text playlist format used by desktop audio players, streaming applications, and some car or network-audio systems. It stores references to media files or streams rather than storing audio data itself.

A version 2 PLS file normally contains entries such as File1, Title1, and Length1 inside a [playlist] section:

[playlist]
NumberOfEntries=1
File1=track.mp3
Title1=Track
Length1=-1
Version=2

Relative paths make a playlist easier to move with its media files; absolute paths are useful when the playlist stays on one computer. PLS cannot select a particular audio stream inside an MKV, and it does not make an unsupported MKV codec playable.

How to actually convert MKV to PLS

Create a PLS that points directly to the MKV

Use this option when the target player supports MKV and the audio codec embedded in it:

1. Put the MKV file and the intended playlist in the same folder.
2. Open a plain-text editor and enter:

[playlist]
NumberOfEntries=1
File1=recording.mkv
Title1=Recording
Length1=-1
Version=2

3. Replace the filename and title, then save the file as recording.pls using UTF-8 text encoding. Do not save it as recording.pls.txt.
4. Open the PLS in the target player and confirm that it can read the MKV container and its audio stream.

For several files, increase NumberOfEntries and add matching numbered fields, for example File2, Title2, and Length2. Set Length to the duration in seconds when known; -1 tells many players to determine it automatically.

Extract compatible audio, then create the PLS

When the player expects ordinary audio files, install FFmpeg and extract the first audio stream to MP3:

ffmpeg -i input.mkv -map 0:a:0 -vn -c:a libmp3lame -q:a 2 output.mp3

-map 0:a:0 selects the first audio stream, -vn discards video, and -q:a 2 produces high-quality variable-bitrate MP3 audio. To extract a source codec without re-encoding, use -c:a copy only when the output container and target player support that codec.

Create playlist.pls with the extracted file:

[playlist]
NumberOfEntries=1
File1=output.mp3
Title1=Output
Length1=-1
Version=2

For a no-installation option, 101convert.com can convert files online for free, but a PLS result still depends on the destination player accepting the referenced media. A text editor and FFmpeg provide direct control over paths, stream selection, and audio encoding.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Creating a PLS does not change audio quality because it only writes file references. Quality changes only when the MKV audio is decoded and re-encoded, such as during MP3 extraction. If the source already contains MP3 or another supported codec, stream copying can avoid another lossy encode, but the resulting container must remain compatible with the player.

Some players accept PLS only with absolute paths, require forward slashes, or reject non-ASCII filenames. Test the playlist on the actual device, keep the referenced files in their expected locations, and use MP3 for the broadest compatibility.