How to Download M3U8 Videos with an M3U8 Downloader Software?

In this article we look at a certain type of file extension called M3U8 and what they signify. Also, we delve into how to download such files and what kind of software or applications we can use.

Finally, we look at downloader software from StreamFab that makes it easy to download such files with a few clicks.

1. M3U8: What Are These Files?

Before we delve into M3U8 downloader applications we first take a look at the type of files M3U8 represents. From the term, it is apparent that we are talking of some kind of file format.

With an M3U8 downloader, you would be downloading files that are encoded audio playlist files. The UT8 encoded files are plain texts that can be read by video and audio players.

With an M3U8 download, you will get files of plain text which can be read by video or audio players. They can help users to know where media files are located, as referred to in a playlist. For instance, if you download an M3U8 file it could include references to different online files which are used in a radio station online.

2. Features of M3U8 Files

When you use an M3U8 downloader to download such a file, it usually has the following features:

• It could be an audio playlist encoded in UTF8 format.
• It can be read by media players such as Songbird, iTunes, VLC, and others.
• It can be converted into XSPF, HTML, or M3U using players such as VLC.

Usually, files of such extensions include encoded audio playlists. They are in the form of plain text which can be used by both video and audio players.

They include location details for media files that are mentioned in the playlist. You could create a playlist that includes your personal favorite songs or a series of your favorite videos.

These files help one to locate audio or video files that are part of a playlist. When you wish to listen to a list of songs over and over again, make an M3U8 file. This can act as a shortcut and help you play those files easily on a media player.

Here you will not need to download M3U8 online; files can refer to relative or absolute paths or URLs. They will refer to certain media files or folders where media files are kept.

Another similar file format is often downloaded with an M3U8 downloader file with an M3U file extension. M3U8 on the other hand shows that a file is using the encoding of UTF-8 format.

3. How to Make M3U8 Files?

Some M3U8 downloader software can help open as well as create such files. For instance, when you load several files onto a VLC player, you might want to save the same as a playlist.

In order to save the files for easy playback, you can opt to press the Media button on the player. Here, on clicking on this option, you will find Save Playlist to File. Here you can save the playlist as an M3U8 file.

Another way to do so is to convert the same to another format. For instance, if a playlist is of the format HTML, you can save the same in M3U8 format.

4. How to Open M3U8 Files?

When you download M3U8 these are files that can be read and edited by different text editors, for instance, Notepad as found in Windows. However, when you open such a file with a text editor, it allows you to read the different file references.

From the text editors, you cannot play the music files which are indicated in the playlist. That is because such programs are not media management programs or media players.

In order to be able to open M3U8 files and play the embedded playlist, you need media players such as VLC, Songbird, or iTunes of Apple.

You could also open these files with XMMS using Linux. Mac users can use programs such as CocoModX. There are also several programs, compatible with Windows that can open M3U8 files.

There are other ways to open such files online. For instance, you could try HSLPlayer. If you have a playlist of URLs as well as contents that have online references, then only this program comes of use.

Otherwise, when you have music or video files on a local drive or device, then creating a playlist to access the same is best done by VLC or similar programs.

5. How to Convert M3U8 Files?

You might want to save such playlist files in other media formats such as MP3 or MP4. However, such a file is actually plain text which includes references or directory pathways to audio or video files. There is no embedded audio or video file which can be converted into other file formats or played directly.

Of course, there is converter or downloader software that can claim to convert M3U8 files. Such programs will find the videos from the paths included in the file. It will then line up those media files for conversion. In general, a specific M3U8 file is of text-based format. Hence it cannot convert to anything other than a file of text format.

When you wish to capture the media files included in an M3U8 file, you would have to first locate the different media files as specified on the playlist. Once it is done, you can choose to convert the files to formats of your choice.

For instance, an MP4 file can be converted into an AVI file. Again, a WAV file could be converted into MP3. However, this would require one to physically collect the media files from different locations or various folders. These could be internal hard drives of your computer or external drives like cloud storage.

Instead of manually searching for files on a playlist, it is best to use export tool programs. There are free programs such as M3UExportTool which can use a playlist to identify sources for all media files.

It can then copy the files onto a single folder or location. This makes it easy to convert all the files using an audio or video converter. Media management programs such as VLC can resave open playlists of M3U8 format and save them in other formats such as HTML, XSPF, or M3U.

If you are trying to open an M3U8 file or wish to know how to download M3U8 videos, you might want to check the file extension. In many cases, people mistake M3U files for M3U8. The former term stands for Myriad Packed Musical Score file format. You can open such files using programs such as Melody Assistant or Myriad’s Harmony Assistant.

6. How to Download M3U8 Videos?

If you are wondering how to download M3U8, there are several ways to do so. One simple way is to use M3U8 downloader Chrome.

Steps to do so are as follows:

• Open the section of Chrome Developer tools; here you can find the Network tab.
• Navigate to the section where the video files are and click on them.
• Filer list of the files to the file extension M3U8.
• Find the master or index M3U8 file and click on the same.
• Save the file on a disk and look into the properties of the file.
• If there is a single master URL, copy the same.
• Run the program called M3U8X.
• Paste the URL on the text boxes and find the videos on Chrome.
• Select download M3U8 video format as MP4.
• Click on download after check-marking on ‘One’.
• A dialog box will open up, displaying all .TS files; click on download to get all the files together.

Occasionally you might come across dialog boxes asking whether you wish to continue to download videos from M3U8. You can click on Yes and continue to download everything.

7. Using StreamFab for M3U8 Download

If the above download process seems too complicated, there is an easier solution available. That is by using StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader. This software can make things easy.

It can download MP4 videos in 1080 quality, that also from websites that have M3U8 encryptions. You could try the free version of the software or opt to download the professional version for Windows.

7.1 How It Works?

You might come across a video that you wish to download and save for offline viewing. However, it might be protected with M3U8 encryptions. If you are unable to use any other video downloader tool, StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader software will come into use.

This software is designed to download or stream videos from different video-sharing platforms. These platforms could play videos on HTTP live streaming format or could stream the same from DRM M3U8 platforms. For instance, one such platform is ‘Beachbody On Demand’.

As soon as a video starts playing on the browser of this software, the downloader kicks in. It can detect the streaming video and give you options for download. Hence you can choose to download it in offline MKV or MP4 formats.

Also, you can choose video qualities such as 480p or 2160p. It would depend on the quality of the source video. Most video-sharing websites or streaming services can host videos with different quality levels.

This is also to cater to different internet speeds or playback devices. If you have a downloader software such as this, it can help you choose the video quality of the downloads. You could choose between 2160p to 480p. Of course, it often depends on the quality of the original videos.

7.2 Features of StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader

There are several useful features embedded in the software such as:

• Ads are removed from downloads by this software. Usually, free streaming platforms have commercials or ads placed in the beginning or in the middle. When you use StreamFab's M3U8 downloader software it will remove all commercials and ads from the downloads.
• Captions and subtitles can also be downloaded with this application. Hence, you have a choice of languages and subtitles when watching the videos offline.
• The format of the downloads is usually in the form of MP4 or MKV. These are file formats that most devices support, whether it is smartphones, PCs, tablets, or gaming consoles. The output format can be chosen by the user. Either of the formats is easy to view on different devices or transfer from one storage location to another.
• The batch feature is another useful function that this downloader software provides. It is possible to line up several videos for download in a batch. Also, the speed of the downloads is fast, allowing downloads to be processed fast.
• Videos downloaded can be burnt into Blu-Ray CDs. DVDFab has a Blu-Ray creator software with which it is possible to burn videos into such discs or save ISO files on HDDs.
• Metadata information is also saved with the downloads. Hence, all necessary information can be showcased or included in the playlist.

7.3 Steps to Use the Software

It is easy to use the downloader software, once you have downloaded it. Steps to do so are as follows:

• Download the trial program for free or choose to pay a subscription for the same.
• Once the file is downloaded on your computer, run it.
• On the main interface, visit the DRM-M3U8 website where you wish to download videos from.
• Play the video you wish to download; there will appear a button for download on the top left corner; once you click on it the file will save for offline viewing.

In order to use this M3U8 video download software to its fullest potential, ensure that you own a computer with Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7 OS. Also, ensure that RAM is 4 GB and free hard disk drive space is 40 GB.

Conclusion

Many of whom are unfamiliar with M3U8 files, will know that these are the playlist files that many libraries have. If you wish to export all media files from such a playlist file, all we need to do is use the right downloader software.

That is where StreamFab comes into use. Though there are ways to make M3U8 file download happen through Developer Tools on Chrome, the process is complicated.

On the other hand, using the M3U8 Downloader from StreamFab makes it an easy process.