M3U8 (.m3u8)
.m3u8 file signature | application/vnd.apple.mpegurl
M3U8 is a UTF-8 encoded variant of the M3U playlist format, originally associated with Winamp and maintained through broad industry use rather than by a formal standards body. It is used to define media playlists for audio and video playback, especially in HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and other streaming applications. The format is generally safe, though playlists may reference remote media or network resources that should be trusted before use.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
23 45 58 54 4D 33 55
Sources: Apache Tika, Wikipedia
Extension
.m3u8
MIME Type
application/vnd.apple.mpegurl
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .m3u8 files in Python
def is_m3u8(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid M3U8 by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x23, 0x45, 0x58, 0x54, 0x4D, 0x33, 0x55])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(7) == signatureHow to validate .m3u8 files in Node.js
function isM3U8(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x23, 0x45, 0x58, 0x54, 0x4D, 0x33, 0x55]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 7).equals(signature);
}How to validate .m3u8 files in Go
func IsM3U8(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x23, 0x45, 0x58, 0x54, 0x4D, 0x33, 0x55}
if len(data) < 7 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:7], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/m3u8
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/m3u8
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .m3u8 file?
A .m3u8 file is identified by the magic bytes 23 45 58 54 4D 33 55 at byte offset 0. M3U8 is a UTF-8 encoded variant of the M3U playlist format, originally associated with Winamp and maintained through broad industry use rather than by a formal standards body. It is used to define media playlists for audio and video playback, especially in HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and other streaming applications. The format is generally safe, though playlists may reference remote media or network resources that should be trusted before use.
What are the magic bytes for .m3u8 files?
The magic bytes for M3U8 files are 23 45 58 54 4D 33 55 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .m3u8 file?
To validate a .m3u8 file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (23 45 58 54 4D 33 55) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .m3u8 files?
The primary MIME type for .m3u8 files is application/vnd.apple.mpegurl.
Is it safe to open .m3u8 files?
M3U8 (.m3u8) 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.