An M3U is essentially a text file that contains a list of URLs and file paths. It stands for MPEG version 3.0 URL, and it was originally intended for the Winamp Player. Today, many popular media players support it. Among these are iTunes, Windows Media Players, VLC, Real Player and Foobar2000. A typical M3U playlist contains the EXTM3U tag, a list of URLs or paths as well as a few details about each included file. Many converters exist online, but you can easily convert any text file to M3U using a plain text editor such as Notepad.
Step 1
Start Notepad. Press "CTRL+O," select your text file and then click on "Open."
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Step 2
Type or insert "#EXTM3U" at the beginning of the file (exclude the quotes).
Step 3
Make sure that each URL or path in your text file is complete and properly formatted. For local files, don't forget to include the drive letter. For online sources, make sure that the URLs start with "http://" or "ftp:." Ensure proper use of slashes, and that there is only one URL or path per line. Note the examples below.
C:\Music\song.mp3 (contains backslashes) http://www.sample-domain-name.com/song.mp3 (contains forward slashes)
Step 4
Insert the following code above each URL or path in your text file. Replace "Artist" with the name of the author or artist. Replace "Song" with the title of the file.
#EXTINF:0,Artist - Song
Step 5
Click "File" and then select "Save As." Choose an appropriate location for your file and enter your preferred file name. Don't forget to include the ".m3u" file extension.
Step 6
Click the drop-down menu beside "Save as file type" and then choose "All Files." Click on "Save."
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