What is an M3U8 file?

M3U8 is a text-based playlist format used by HLS (HTTP Live Streaming). It lists the URLs of video segments (.ts files) that together make up a video stream. It is widely used for live streams, VOD content, and IPTV.

How do I find an M3U8 URL?

Open your browser DevTools (F12), go to the Network tab, filter by 'm3u8', then play the video on the page. The M3U8 URL will appear in the network requests.

Does it work with live streams?

Yes, but live stream recording is capped at 2 hours to protect server resources. For long recordings, a desktop tool like FFmpeg or OBS is recommended.

What output formats are supported?

MP4 (recommended), MKV, and TS (raw). MP4 is the most compatible format for playback on all devices.

M3U8 Downloader - Download HLS Streams as MP4 Free Online

How to Download M3U8 Streams

Find the M3U8 URL - Open your browser DevTools (F12), go to the Network tab, filter by "m3u8", then play the video. The stream URL ending in .m3u8 will appear.
Paste the URL - Copy the full M3U8 URL and paste it into the field above, then click Analyze Stream.
Review stream info - The tool shows detected resolution, codec, duration, and whether it is a live stream or VOD.
Choose output settings - Select MP4 (recommended), MKV, or TS format. Use "Copy" quality for fastest conversion with original quality, or choose a resolution to re-encode.
Download - Click Download. FFmpeg processes the stream on our server and your file is ready to save. Files are removed automatically after 4 hours.

For converting local video files, try our Video to MP4 converter or Video to GIF tool.

Features

Server-Side FFmpeg

Unlike browser-based tools, our server uses FFmpeg v7 to process streams - producing clean MP4 files with proper audio sync.

VOD and Live Streams

Works with both on-demand HLS content and live streams (capped at 2 hours for live recordings).

Quality Options

Copy the original stream quality for maximum speed, or re-encode to 1080p, 720p, 480p, or 360p. Also supports audio-only extraction.

Stream Analysis

Before downloading, ffprobe inspects the stream and shows you resolution, codec, framerate, and duration.

Multiple Formats

Output to MP4 (most compatible), MKV (preserves all metadata), or raw TS (for advanced use).

Auto Cleanup

All processed files are automatically deleted from our server after 4 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

M3U8 is a UTF-8 playlist format used by HLS (HTTP Live Streaming). It contains a list of URLs pointing to short video segments (.ts files). Players like VLC and browsers fetch these segments one by one to play the video. Our M3U8 Downloader downloads all segments and merges them into a single MP4 using FFmpeg.

Open DevTools in your browser (press F12), click the Network tab, type "m3u8" in the filter box, then start playing the video. A request ending in .m3u8 will appear - right-click and copy the URL.

Common reasons: the stream URL has expired (many streams use short-lived signed URLs), the stream is DRM-protected (Widevine, PlayReady), geo-restricted, or requires cookies/authentication. Our server cannot bypass DRM encryption. If the problem persists, please contact us and we'll be happy to help!

FFmpeg can handle AES-128 encrypted HLS streams if the key URI is publicly accessible from our server. Streams protected with DRM (Widevine, FairPlay, PlayReady) cannot be downloaded.

"Copy" keeps the original video and audio streams exactly as-is - it is the fastest option and preserves the best quality. Re-encoding (720p, 480p, etc.) re-compresses the video with FFmpeg's libx264, which takes longer but reduces file size or changes the resolution. Use re-encoding only if you need a specific resolution.

Yes, live streams are supported but recording is capped at 2 hours to protect our server. For longer live recordings, we recommend using FFmpeg locally or a tool like OBS Studio.

Important Notes

Only download streams you have the right to access and save. This tool is intended for developers, educators, and content creators working with their own or openly licensed material. Do not use it to bypass paywalls or download copyrighted content without permission.

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