How to Open M3U Playlist with URL IPTV Links

Most older and experienced computer users remember the .m3u file extension. Back in the day, we used it to create music playlists so we wouldn’t have to open the same folders over and over again.

These days, however, the format has come back with the goal to provide us with online TV streams that are free in most cases. Read on to see how you can set up IPTV in certain computer programs, as well as receive some m3u playlist link recommendations.

Keep in mind that this is mostly considered illegal, so proceed at your own discretion.

Opening M3U Playlists

Besides just opening these playlists in your web browser, you can use certain software to do so. For example, one of the most popular free media players, VLC Media Player, is able to do this.

Download the VLC Media Player from this link and install it.
Open it, then open the “Media” dropdown menu. Select “Open Network Stream.”
The “Open Media” window will appear. Go to the “Network” tab and copy the URL into the “Please enter a network URL” textbox.
Click the “Play” button and wait for the channels to load.

Alternatively, you can also open an M3U file if you prefer downloading these first. To do so, open the “Media” menu and select “Open File.” Again, loading all the channels might take a while.

Note: VLC Player tends to have the occasional skipping bug while streaming. If the stream skips in VLC every thirty to forty seconds, click the “Loop” button.

About M3U Playlists

Mp3 URL playlists, known as m3u, are handy because they link to certain media and provide important information, such as the login credentials. They are now used for video files as well as audio, but they are most popular nowadays because of online TV streams.

All m3u files consist of a name and a link. Names are important because they let you see the name of each channel. Links provide a way to access these channels. They consist of a username, password, and IP address. Another element that comes along these in most cases is the channel ID.

Media players use both the name and the link when opening an m3u file. They are required to find this file online. The media player needs to send a request to the server, but the traffic is encrypted, so the server separates the file into multiple packets. Once the connection is established, the player can collect all of these packets, connect them into a single video file, and play that file.

M3U Playlist Websites

There are many websites that contain m3u playlists, so it’s a bit of a challenge choosing the right ones. If there even is a site that’s better than others, that might be iptvm3ulist.

The great thing about it is that it lets you look for channels by country. In addition to the States, channels from the UK, Italy, Germany, Turkey, and even more countries are all on the list. To watch channels from the US, first, go to the America IPTV Lists section. After that, if you click on a USA IPTV icon, you can download the m3u file and play it in a media player.

Another good streaming site is m3uplaylist. Unlike the previous one, this site focuses on Fluxus playlists. Apart from lots of categorized channels, m3uplaylist also offers radio channels. If you prefer Fluxus playlists, there’s also mytruemedia.

Be Careful

If you’re all about cord-cutting, you’re probably excited to hear about m3u playlists. However, once again, don’t forget that these are at best something of a gray area in terms of legality, so opening them might get you into trouble. As such, you’re better off using a VPN for this occasion.

Are you going to watch these streams regardless of their possible shadiness? Do you have any advice about ways to increase security, e.g. the VPN choice? Let us know in the comments below.