When wanting to listen to music, we prefer to choose a playlist than to manually create a queue. This is because we have certain moods that only music can neutralize, so we tend to have M3U files saved on our computer to listen to that one stream on the web.

But, M3U files aren’t exactly audio files but text files. And if you still want to listen to music, then you can just convert M3U to MP3. We’ll show you different ways or converting methods to transfer M3U to MP3 on Mac/Windows, or online.

Contents: Part 1. How to Convert M3U to MP3 on MacPart 2. How to Convert M3U to MP3 on Windows?Part 3. Best M3U to MP3 Converter on Mac and WindowsPart 4. Convert M3U to MP3 Online for FreeFAQs about “M3U to MP3”

Part 1. How to Convert M3U to MP3 on Mac

To convert M3U playlists to MP3 files on a Mac, you'll need to use a media player that supports M3U playlists and can convert or export the audio files. One such application is VLC Media Player, which is free and versatile. Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Download VLC from the official website and install it on your Mac.
  2. Launch VLC Media Player after installation.
  3. Go to File > Open File and select the M3U playlist file you want to convert. This will load the playlist in VLC.
  4. Go to File > Convert/Stream or use the shortcut Shift + Command + S.
  5. In the Convert/Stream window, click Open media and select the M3U file again if necessary.
  6. Choose the Profile as Audio - MP3.
  7. Click Browse next to the Destination field to choose where you want to save the converted MP3 files and name the output file. Click Save and then Go to start the conversion process.

How to Convert M3U to MP3

Part 2. How to Convert M3U to MP3 on Windows?

Here is how to convert M3U to MP3 Using Notepad:

  1. Simply open the file using a notepad then you’ll see a list of links for the audio files.
  2. Do a copy and paste on your browser and you can either download or stream the music.
  3. You can even do a right-click on the player, choose “Save As” and then you’ll have your MP3 file.

Convert M3U to MP3 Using Notepad

You can also create an M3U playlist in iTunes or use VLC and Windows Media Player to create the .m3u playlist.

Create an M3U Playlist Using VLC

Part 3. Best M3U to MP3 Converter on Mac and Windows

When you have a ton of M3U files and can’t be bothered to use Notepad to open the links, then you can just convert M3U to MP3. And what better MP3 converter to use than the iMyMac Video Converter?

Get A Free Trial Now!Get A Free Trial Now!

It is a great tool to help you with all your video/audio conversion needs. Not only that but it can do all sorts of edit options, as well as adding subtitles, clipping a video, putting a watermark, and many more. It offers a lot of video editing functions which is handy for someone who has a lot of creativity on their mind.

M3U to MP3 Converter on Windows 10

You can also try other conversions because it supports many media formats, such as MP4, M4V, SWF, AAC, AVI, VOB, 3GP, MP3, WAV, M4A, WMA, AC3, OGG, FLAC, FLV, etc.

Part 4. Convert M3U to MP3 Online for Free

To convert M3U to MP3 online for free, you can use web-based tools that simplify the process. Here’s a step-by-step guide using an online service like Online Audio Converter or Convertio:

Using Online Audio Converter:

  1. Go to Online Audio Converter.
  2. Click the Open files button to upload your M3U file from your computer.
  3. Select MP3 as the output format.
  4. Click the Convert button to start the conversion process.
  5. After the conversion is finished, click the Download button to save the MP3 file(s) to your computer.

Using Convertio:

  1. Go to Convertio's M3U to MP3 converter.
  2. Click the Choose Files button or drag and drop your M3U file into the upload area.
  3. Ensure the output format is set to MP3. Click the Convert button to start the conversion process.
  4. Once the conversion is complete, click the Download button to save your MP3 file(s) to your computer.

FAQs about “M3U to MP3”

Users who are new to M3U files have at least a question or two on their minds. Presented below are some of the questions everyone has been wondering on what the answer is.

#1.Is M3U the same as mp3?

M3U – short for MP3 URL – files are text files but they provide a list of links to MP3 files. With the given links, you can either download or stream music. MP3, on the other hand, is an audio file. It is short for MPEG Audio Layer 3 and is one of the most commonly used formats when it comes to listening to music.

#2. How to Open an M3U File? What Media Player Can Play .m3u Files?

You can find several media players on Mac/Windows/Android/iOS to open the M3U files. Some of these popular programs that can play .m3u files or convert M3U to MP3 are Windows Media Player, VLC, iTunes, Audacious, Foobar, Songbird, etc.

#3. How to Make an M3U Playlist? How to Do it from a Text File?

To do so, you will need to:

  1. Open Notepad then type “#EXTM3U” at the beginning of the file.
  2. Make sure that the URLs start with “HTTP://” or “FTP.” and make sure you use the proper slashes. Here is an example: http://www.sample-domain-name.com/song.mp3
  3. Insert the code (#EXTINF:0, Artist – Song) above each URL then replace “Artist” with the singer and replace “Song” with the title.
  4. Choose “Save As” when you click “File” then choose a folder, a file name, and don’t forget to add “.m3u” as a file extension.
  5. Lastly, besides “Save as file type” is the drop-down menu. Click it then select “All Files” and after that, click “Save”.