Last updated on 2024-10-31, by Lumi

How to Convert M3U8 Videos to MP4

If you find M3U8 files on your computer, you may be curious about how to open them. Although this format is related to song files, it does not contain any audio data itself and, therefore, cannot be played like other multimedia formats. M3U8 files are generally stored in text form. If you want to open them, the best way is to convert them to MP4 format. There are many tools that can do this. In this article, we will introduce you to 6 options. Some of them are online tools, while others need to be downloaded to your desktop. No matter which platform you prefer to convert M3U8 to MP4, read this guide. We will provide specific instructions for each tool to ensure that you can complete all operations successfully.

Part 1: What Is M3U8 Playlist Files

As we mentioned earlier, M3U8 is not a multimedia file in the traditional sense. It does not contain any audio or video data itself but is simply a file used to store a playlist. This is why its content is often plain text. This type of file exists to make it easy for users to quickly play videos or audio according to their preferences. They generally use URLs or absolute paths to reference specific multimedia folders. In addition to common videos and audio, the M3U8 format can also be used on radio stations. Once you have created your own media library and playlist, you can use VLC Player, iTunes or other mainstream players to read M3U8 and play your multimedia files in the order they are listed. When you want to edit your own M3U8, you can use the computer’s built-in Notepad to modify the content. They usually have a file extension of .m3u8. Please remember that Notepad can only be used to modify and read the text version of the M3U8 file and cannot help you index the videos or audio corresponding to the playlist.

Part 2: How to Convert M3U8 to MP4 Online

After quickly understanding the meaning of M3U8, let’s get to the main topic of today, which is how to convert M3U8 to MP4. First, let’s learn about three online platforms that can help you convert it into your browser. The biggest advantage of these platforms is that they are very easy to use. We don’t need to download or install any plug-ins or software on our computer to start converting. Therefore, online platforms are very suitable for when you have urgent conversion tasks. However, they are highly dependent on network speed. If your WiFi connection is not stable, the conversion may fail at any time.

Method One: Online-Convert

This is an online platform that can help you with any type of format conversion task. You can choose to upload your own M3U8 files from your computer’s local drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and other paths. You can also see more format converters on its homepage, and this platform supports users in clipping, rotating, cropping, and other operations on multimedia files, with a high level of overall personalization. However, it does not provide a file preview function, so we may not be sure whether the result meets our requirements before exporting the file.

Method Two: Aconvert

Some online websites may require you to complete lengthy registration and login procedures before you can start using them. However, this is not an issue with Aconvert. It does not have any registration requirements, and you can access the main interface by simply opening the URL. This platform also allows users to adjust the resolution, frame rate, and bit rate of the screen before exporting the MP4 file. In addition to M3U8, you can also convert other multimedia formats to MP4 on this platform, such as AVI, WMV, MOV, etc. However, please note that this platform may take a relatively long time to upload and convert M3U8 files. Please be patient and wait for the entire operation to complete.

Method Three: Files Conversion

Files Conversion is a format conversion platform that provides you with free services. On the homepage of this M3U8 to MP4 online converter, you can see a list of all the formats that the platform supports in the extended list. Compared to the previous two online platforms, its interface is simpler, and you can directly set the screen size and quality of the output file.

Part 3: 3 Best M3U8 Downloaders to Convert M3U8 to MP4

Although online tools are quick to use and don’t use up any memory on our devices, they can be very unstable. Sometimes, it can take a long time before you can successfully upload your M3U8 file. A common feature of these online tools is that they do not support previewing the converted file. If you need to work with larger files or if you need a more stable environment for your tasks, we recommend using desktop applications. They generally do not crash or freeze and provide you with stable technical support. And they usually have a video preview window. In this section, you will find 3 of the best M3U8 to MP4 converters.

No.1 Moyea M3U8 Downloader [Recommended]

The first desktop app we want to introduce to you is the Moyea M3U8 Downloader. More and more streaming services are now using HTTP live streaming to ensure that videos can be transmitted in the highest quality. Moyea M3U8 Downloader can help you download movies, TV series, etc., from DRM-protected M3U8 streaming services and save them locally on your device in MP4 format. You can choose to paste the link to the video into the app and download it directly, or find the target video directly in the built-in browser of M and use the download button provided by the app to save the video. Moyea M3U8 Downloader supports batch processing of videos, and the achievable resolution has reached 1080p. After converting it, you can still watch the exported video on various devices and platforms that support high-definition playback.

The important points are that in addition to high quality and efficiency, there is also a lot of user-friendly design. For example, when a download or conversion task fails due to an unstable network, you only need to click once to start again, without having to add the list again. In addition, you can also set the app to automatically help you turn off the computer after completing the task to save more space.

If you want to download M3U8 to MP4, here is what you need to do.

Step 1: Download and install Moyea M3U8 Downloader from its official website on your computer.

• 

• Moyea M3U8 Downloader

  – Download DRM-Protected M3U8 Videos in Up to 1080P
  – Support batch downloading M3U8 videos
  – Download from HLS Streaming Websites to MP4/MKV
  – Retain Multilingual Subtitles and Audio Tracks
  – Remove ads from M3U8 videos permanently

  DownloadDownload

Step 2: You can use the browser within Moyea M3U8 Downloader to search for the target M3U8 video. Then play it. Moyea M3U8 Downloader will start the parse the video.

Step 3: After that, you will see a download icon button. Click on it.

Step 4: A new window will jump out. You can set MP4 as the output format, and choose a resolution for your video.

Step 5: Finally, click Download to save the converted video on your computer.

No.2 VLC Player

In addition to playing multimedia files in various formats, VLC Player can also be used as a video converter and editor. What’s more, all its services are free, so

you can use it confidently. Whether you’re a Windows or Mac user, you can convert M3U8 to MP4 in just a few steps.

If you want to download M3U8 with VLC, read the step-by-step guide below.

Step 1: Get the latest version of VLC Player on your computer. Otherwise, some VLC Player functions may not work properly. If your VLC Player version is old, please update it in time.

Step 2: Click Media, and choose Convert/Save in the drop-down menu.

Step 3: When you come to the Open Media window, go to the File tab and click Add to load the M3U8 file you want to convert. Then click Convert/Save.

Step 4: Choose a save folder under the Destination tab. You can set the output format as MP4 under Profile.

No.3 FFmpeg

In addition to the two visual video editing software mentioned above, there is also a special platform worth trying, which is FFmpeg. This platform executes tasks through code instructions. To use it to convert file formats, you need to enter specific codes and fill in the name of the target file. Although FFmpeg is very efficient, it is not very user-friendly for novices. Inexperienced users may not know how to prepare the codes.

If you want to let FFmpeg convert your M3U8 files to MP4, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Download and install FFmpeg on your device.

Step 2: Open the live M3U8 file with your browser. Copy the link, and fill in the command line below into the FFmpeg platform. Replace the http://…/playlist.m3u8 part with your copied link. For example:

ffmpeg -i http://…/playlist.m3u8 -c copy -bsf:a aac_adtstoasc output.mp4

Step 3: Find the Command Prompt, paste the command line you prepared, and click Enter.

Step 4: When the conversion is over, you can find the MP4 file in the path before the command line.

Part 4: Conclusion

In this article, you will learn about six tools that can help you convert M3U8 to MP4. Among them, online converters are quite easy to use, but they are not as stable as desktop software, and the editing tools are not comprehensive enough. However, desktop software may take up more storage space on our computers and start up more slowly. You can decide which type to choose based on their characteristics.