Free online WMA to PLS converter

Some media players and streaming applications require a PLS playlist instead of a WMA file, especially when you need to group local audio tracks or publish a stream list. WMA contains audio; PLS only describes the location and metadata of one or more playable files, so this is a playlist conversion rather than an audio re-encoding.

What the WMA format is

WMA, or Windows Media Audio, is an audio container and codec family developed by Microsoft. It is commonly created by Windows Media Player, older Microsoft applications, CD-ripping software, and portable media-management programs.

WMA files may use lossy WMA Audio, lossless WMA Lossless, or voice-oriented WMA Voice encoding. The file can contain the actual compressed audio, metadata such as artist and album, and sometimes digital-rights restrictions. You typically encounter WMA in older music libraries, Windows-based media collections, and legacy portable-player workflows.

What the PLS format is

PLS is a plain-text playlist format used by Winamp-compatible players, VLC, foobar2000, internet-radio software, and some streaming applications. It stores references to audio files or streams rather than storing audio data itself.

A PLS file normally contains entries such as File1, Title1, and Length1, followed by NumberOfEntries and Version=2. Its main advantage is that it can combine local paths and streaming URLs in a compact, widely supported playlist. A PLS file cannot make an incompatible player decode WMA; the player still needs WMA support.

How to actually convert WMA to PLS

For a playlist containing existing WMA tracks, use a playlist-capable desktop player:

1. Install and open foobar2000, Winamp, or another player that supports both WMA playback and PLS export.
2. Add the WMA files to a playlist with File → Add files or File → Add folder.
3. Arrange the tracks in the required order and remove entries whose files are missing.
4. Use File → Save playlist or the equivalent export command, choose PLS as the format, and save the result as playlist.pls.
5. Open the PLS file in the target application and check that each path resolves correctly.

You can also create a basic PLS file manually in a plain-text editor. For one WMA file, save the following as playlist.pls and replace the path:

[playlist]
NumberOfEntries=1
File1=C:\Music\song.wma
Title1=Song
Length1=-1
Version=2

Use absolute paths for a playlist that will be opened on one computer. Use relative paths, such as Music/song.wma, when the PLS file and the music folder will be moved together. For multiple tracks, increment the entry number and set NumberOfEntries to the total. A length of -1 means that the duration is unknown.

You can use the free online converter on 101convert.com without installing software; select WMA as the source and PLS as the target if that conversion is offered. Because PLS is a playlist format, the service may instead require a list of files or produce a playlist containing references rather than embedding the WMA audio.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

Creating a PLS file does not change WMA audio quality, bitrate, sampling rate, or metadata embedded in the WMA files. It also does not reduce file size: the PLS file is only a small text index.

Paths are the main compatibility issue. Windows backslashes usually work in Windows players, while forward slashes are safer for portable playlists and cross-platform software. Moving or renaming a referenced WMA file breaks its playlist entry.

Some players support PLS but not WMA, particularly on systems where Microsoft codecs are unavailable. If the destination software cannot decode WMA, convert the audio separately to a supported format such as MP3, AAC, or FLAC, then create a new PLS playlist referencing those converted files.