Convert WPL to MP4

A phone, television, video editor, or sharing service may require an MP4 file instead of a Windows Media Player playlist. A WPL file contains references to media, so the referenced videos must be converted individually.

What the WPL format is

WPL is an XML-based playlist format used mainly by Windows Media Player and some Microsoft media applications. It stores references to local files, network locations, or streaming URLs, such as C:\Videos\clip.wmv; it does not contain the video or audio data.

Open the WPL file in a text editor to identify its referenced paths. A converter cannot process an entry if its source file was moved, deleted, stored on another computer, or protected by an unavailable network share. Renaming .wpl to .mp4 does not convert anything and produces an invalid or unplayable MP4 file.

What the MP4 format is

MP4 is a media container supported by most phones, browsers, televisions, editors, and sharing platforms. For broad compatibility, use H.264 video with AAC audio, normally saved with the .mp4 extension.

Converting the entries creates separate MP4 files; it does not turn the playlist into one combined video. If the WPL contains only audio, AAC in an .m4a container is usually more appropriate than an MP4 video file.

Convert the referenced files

Using HandBrake

1. Open the WPL in a text editor and locate each video file.
2. Install HandBrake from handbrake.fr, open one referenced video, and choose the Presets → General → Fast 1080p30 preset or another resolution-appropriate preset.
3. Set the destination filename to end in .mp4. Confirm that the Summary format is MP4 and that the video encoder is H.264; select AAC for the audio track when available.
4. Choose Start Encode. Repeat for each playable video, or add files to the queue before starting the batch.

Using VLC media player

1. Install VLC from videolan.org and open the referenced source file.
2. Select Media → Convert/Save, add the source, then select Convert/Save again.
3. Choose an MP4 profile. VLC commonly offers Video - H.264 + MP3 (MP4); for devices that require AAC, edit or create the profile with H.264 video and AAC audio.
4. Choose a destination ending in .mp4 and select Start. Repeat for each playlist entry.

Using FFmpeg

FFmpeg is suitable for repeatable conversions and batch scripts. Run this command against each accessible video:

ffmpeg -i input.wmv -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -b:a 192k output.mp4

Replace input.wmv with the actual path from the WPL; quote paths containing spaces. If a source already contains MP4-compatible H.264 video and AAC audio, remux it without re-encoding:

ffmpeg -i input.mkv -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0? -c copy output.mp4

Remuxing is fast and avoids generation loss, but it works only when the streams and container are compatible. FFmpeg does not automatically interpret every WPL entry as a batch job; extract the paths or create a script that processes them individually.

Online conversion services

CloudConvert and Zamzar can convert an individual video after upload, but they generally do not convert a WPL playlist into a usable MP4. Uploading exposes the media to a third party and can be impractical for large files, so use HandBrake, VLC, or FFmpeg for private recordings and local collections. Check the service's supported input codecs and file-size limits before uploading.

Quality and compatibility limits

Transcoding WMV, WMA, or another compressed source to H.264/AAC decodes and recompresses the media, so some quality is lost. Keep the originals and use a suitable H.264 quality setting or bitrate; increasing the output bitrate cannot restore detail already absent from the source.

A WPL can reference DRM-protected Windows Media files, unavailable network paths, or URLs that no longer work. VLC and FFmpeg normally cannot convert DRM-protected content, and a playlist entry remains unusable if its remote source has disappeared.

If one combined video is required, first convert the entries, then concatenate files with matching codecs, resolution, frame rate, and audio properties. Combining unrelated clips may require another re-encoding pass and changes the playlist's original playback behavior.