Skip to content

M2P (.m2p)

.m2p file signature | application/octet-stream

M2P is an MPEG Program Stream container format defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group and standardized through ISO/IEC MPEG specifications. It is used to package multiplexed video, audio, and timing data for digital television, DVDs, and other media distribution systems. The format is legacy in many workflows and is generally safe to open, though damaged or malformed media files can still cause parsing issues in some players.

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0
00 00 01 BA

Sources: Wikipedia

Extension

.m2p

MIME Type

application/octet-stream

Byte Offset

0

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .m2p files in Python

Python 
def is_m2p(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid M2P by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0xBA])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(4) == signature

How to validate .m2p files in Node.js

Node.js 
function isM2P(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0xBA]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 4).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .m2p files in Go

Go 
func IsM2P(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0xBA}
    if len(data) < 4 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:4], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/m2p
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/m2p

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Related Formats

.mpg .vob

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .m2p file?

A .m2p file is identified by the magic bytes 00 00 01 BA at byte offset 0. M2P is an MPEG Program Stream container format defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group and standardized through ISO/IEC MPEG specifications. It is used to package multiplexed video, audio, and timing data for digital television, DVDs, and other media distribution systems. The format is legacy in many workflows and is generally safe to open, though damaged or malformed media files can still cause parsing issues in some players.

What are the magic bytes for .m2p files?

The magic bytes for M2P files are 00 00 01 BA at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .m2p file?

To validate a .m2p file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (00 00 01 BA) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .m2p files?

There is no officially registered MIME type for .m2p files. Systems typically use application/octet-stream as a generic fallback when handling this format.

Is it safe to open .m2p files?

M2P (.m2p) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.