Free M3U to CSV Converter Online

What is an M3U file?

An M3U file is a text-based playlist that records references to media locations. A basic file may contain only one address per line, while an extended M3U playlist can add an #EXTINF line before each address. That metadata can describe a channel name, group, TVG identifier, logo URL, language, country, catch-up settings and other information used by compatible players.

The playlist normally does not contain the video or audio itself. It points to locations that a player may open later. M3U8 uses the same general playlist structure with UTF-8 text encoding, which is especially useful for Arabic, French accents, German characters, emoji and other international text. This M3U playlist converter reads those text records only; it does not contact, test or play any listed stream.

Why convert M3U to CSV?

Converting a playlist into rows and columns makes its information much easier to review. A CSV file can be opened in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc and many data tools. You can sort channels by group, compare TVG IDs, locate blank fields, review language labels, identify repeated stream addresses and create a cleaner catalog of a playlist you are authorized to manage.

An M3U playlist to Excel workflow is useful when a long text file has become difficult to audit manually. Instead of searching through alternating metadata and URL lines, you get predictable columns for each entry. Editors can filter a sports group, find channels without logos, compare names against an electronic programme guide, or prepare corrections before rebuilding a playlist. The CSV is an organizational output; it does not grant access to or change the media referenced by the source file.

How to convert M3U to CSV

1. Select a playlist. Choose a local .m3u or .m3u8 file, or switch tabs and paste playlist text. The tool inspects the text structure rather than trusting the filename alone.
2. Choose CSV options. Select comma, semicolon or tab separation. Keep the UTF-8 BOM enabled for strong Excel compatibility, and decide whether to remove duplicate URLs or include extended metadata.
3. Start the local conversion. Select “Convert to CSV.” File reading and parsing run in a dedicated browser worker so the page can continue responding while large playlists are processed in chunks.
4. Save and review the result. Download the completed CSV or, in supporting browsers, write it progressively to the save destination you selected. Review the summary and first 50 rows before opening the file in a spreadsheet.

Data included in the CSV file

The extended export uses a documented order for channel name, TVG ID, TVG name, logo URL, group title, channel number, country, language, radio status, catch-up fields, time shift, user agent, referrer, duration, stream URL and extra attributes. Unknown #EXTINF attributes are preserved as valid JSON in the final column instead of being silently discarded.

If extended metadata is disabled, the output is reduced to channel name, group title, TVG ID, logo URL and stream URL. Empty cells mean that the source entry did not provide that value. For a direct URL without metadata, the converter attempts to derive a readable name from its path and otherwise assigns a neutral item number. Logo values remain text throughout the preview, preventing a third-party image server from receiving a request from your browser.

Private browser-based conversion

This M3U CSV converter online processes the selected file on your device. Playlist content is not submitted through a form, WordPress AJAX, a REST endpoint or a third-party conversion service. It is not written to the IPTIVO database, cookies, Local Storage, Session Storage or IndexedDB. The tool also avoids requesting stream and logo URLs, which may contain private usernames, passwords or provider-specific tokens.

There is no artificial file-size limit. Uploaded files are decoded progressively and parsed away from the main page in a Web Worker. In compatible Chromium browsers, CSV chunks can be written directly to a user-selected destination with backpressure. Other browsers assemble the final Blob in memory. Extremely large jobs therefore still depend on browser memory, available storage, permission support and device performance. Cancel stops the worker and discards unfinished output safely.

M3U vs M3U8 vs CSV

These three formats serve different purposes. M3U and M3U8 describe ordered media references, while CSV reorganizes extracted information for analysis. An M3U8 file is not automatically a list of video segments: it is the UTF-8 form of the playlist format and can hold a channel list or an HLS streaming manifest. This tool detects common HLS manifest tags and stops before segment addresses are mistaken for television channels.

Frequently asked questions