Free online XSPF to WPL converter

Windows Media Player and some Windows applications require WPL playlists, so an XSPF playlist may need conversion before it can be opened or transferred. The conversion changes the playlist XML and its media references; it does not re-encode, copy, or reduce the audio and video files.

What the XSPF format is

XSPF, the XML Shareable Playlist Format, is an XML document designed for exchanging playlists between media players. Each track normally contains a <location> element holding a local file URI or network URL; optional elements can store the title, creator, album, duration, track number, and other metadata.

VLC, Winamp, Clementine, Audacious, and other players can create or export .xspf files. XSPF is useful when a playlist must remain relatively independent of one particular player, but support for its metadata and URI handling varies between applications.

What the WPL format is

WPL is Windows Media Player's XML-based playlist format. Its structure follows SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language), typically placing ordered <media src="..." /> elements inside a <seq> element.

WPL is appropriate when the destination is Windows Media Player or another application that imports WPL but not XSPF. A WPL can reference local Windows paths, file URIs, UNC network paths, and—in applications that support them—network URLs. It contains references rather than the media itself, so the target computer must still be able to reach every referenced file.

How to convert an XSPF playlist

Using 101convert: Convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. Upload the .xspf file, select WPL as the output format, start the conversion, and download the resulting .wpl file. Open it in Windows Media Player and verify several entries. An online converter can transform the playlist references, but it cannot make media on your private computer available to the destination player.

Using a local Python script: Use this option when the playlist contains private paths or when you need explicit control over relative references. Save the following as xspf_to_wpl.py:

import re
import sys
from pathlib import Path
from urllib.parse import unquote, urlparse
from xml.etree import ElementTree as ET
from xml.sax.saxutils import quoteattr

source = Path(sys.argv[1]).resolve()
target = source.with_suffix('.wpl')
root = ET.parse(source).getroot()
ns = {'x': 'http://xspf.org/ns/0/'}

def to_src(value):
    value = value.strip()
    if re.match(r'^[A-Za-z]:[\\/]', value):
        return value.replace('/', '\\')
    parsed = urlparse(value)
    if parsed.scheme.lower() == 'file':
        path = unquote(parsed.path)
        if parsed.netloc:
            path = '//' + parsed.netloc + path
        if len(path) >= 3 and path[0] == '/' and path[2] == ':':
            path = path[1:]
        return path.replace('/', '\\')
    if parsed.scheme:
        return value
    return str((source.parent / unquote(value)).resolve())

items = []
for element in root.findall('.//x:track/x:location', ns):
    if element.text and element.text.strip():
        items.append(to_src(element.text))

with target.open('w', encoding='utf-8', newline='\r\n') as output:
    output.write('<?wpl version="1.0"?>\n')
    output.write('<smil>\n  <head><meta name="Generator" content="XSPF to WPL converter" /></head>\n  <body>\n    <seq>\n')
    for item in items:
        output.write('      <media src=' + quoteattr(item) + ' />\n')
    output.write('    </seq>\n  </body>\n</smil>\n')

print('Wrote ' + str(target) + ' with ' + str(len(items)) + ' entries')

Place the script and the XSPF file on the computer, then run python xspf_to_wpl.py "My playlist.xspf". It creates My playlist.wpl beside the source file. Open the result in Windows Media Player or another WPL-compatible player.

The script preserves track order, resolves relative locations against the XSPF file's folder, converts local file:// URIs to Windows-style paths, and leaves non-file URLs unchanged. It copies only the <location> values; titles, album data, artwork, durations, and vendor-specific XSPF extensions are not transferred.

Compatibility and limitations

Playlist conversion does not change media quality or size. The files are neither decoded nor re-encoded. A WPL is usable only when its src references remain valid. Moving the playlist without the media folder, changing a drive letter, or opening it on another computer can make entries unavailable.

Relative paths are usually more portable, while the script above deliberately writes absolute paths so that local files resolve reliably from the current computer. If portability is more important, edit the generated src values to use paths relative to the WPL location, then test them in the target player.

Network locations require the correct permissions and an available server; converting a URL does not download the media or grant access. If Windows Media Player rejects a path, edit the WPL in a text editor and replace src with the correct path, such as \\server\share\music\track.mp3. Keep XML characters escaped: an ampersand must appear as &, and a less-than sign as <.