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Windows Media Player playlist (.wpl)

.wpl file signature | application/vnd.ms-wpl

Windows Media Player playlist (WPL) is a playlist file format created and maintained by Microsoft for Windows Media Player. It is used to store ordered lists of media files and streaming items for playback in Windows Media Player and other compatible media applications. The format is generally safe and has no special security concerns beyond the risks associated with opening referenced media files; it remains a legacy Windows playlist format in many environments.

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 84
4D 69 63 72 6F 73 6F 66 74 20 57 69 6E 64 6F 77 73 20 4D 65 64 69 61 20 50 6C 61 79 65 72 20 2D 2D 20

Sources: Gary Kessler

Extension

.wpl

MIME Type

application/vnd.ms-wpl

Byte Offset

84

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .wpl files in Python

Python 
def is_wpl(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid WPL by magic bytes at offset 84."""
    signature = bytes([0x4D, 0x69, 0x63, 0x72, 0x6F, 0x73, 0x6F, 0x66, 0x74, 0x20, 0x57, 0x69, 0x6E, 0x64, 0x6F, 0x77, 0x73, 0x20, 0x4D, 0x65, 0x64, 0x69, 0x61, 0x20, 0x50, 0x6C, 0x61, 0x79, 0x65, 0x72, 0x20, 0x2D, 0x2D, 0x20])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        f.seek(84)
        return f.read(34) == signature

How to validate .wpl files in Node.js

Node.js 
function isWPL(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x4D, 0x69, 0x63, 0x72, 0x6F, 0x73, 0x6F, 0x66, 0x74, 0x20, 0x57, 0x69, 0x6E, 0x64, 0x6F, 0x77, 0x73, 0x20, 0x4D, 0x65, 0x64, 0x69, 0x61, 0x20, 0x50, 0x6C, 0x61, 0x79, 0x65, 0x72, 0x20, 0x2D, 0x2D, 0x20]);
  if (buffer.length < 118) return false;
  return buffer.subarray(84, 118).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .wpl files in Go

Go 
func IsWPL(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x4D, 0x69, 0x63, 0x72, 0x6F, 0x73, 0x6F, 0x66, 0x74, 0x20, 0x57, 0x69, 0x6E, 0x64, 0x6F, 0x77, 0x73, 0x20, 0x4D, 0x65, 0x64, 0x69, 0x61, 0x20, 0x50, 0x6C, 0x61, 0x79, 0x65, 0x72, 0x20, 0x2D, 0x2D, 0x20}
    if len(data) < 118 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[84:118], signature)
}

API Endpoint

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

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Related Formats

.sln .xlc .xld .xll .xlm .xlt

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .wpl file?

A .wpl file is a Windows Media Player playlist file. Windows Media Player playlist (WPL) is a playlist file format created and maintained by Microsoft for Windows Media Player. It is used to store ordered lists of media files and streaming items for playback in Windows Media Player and other compatible media applications. The format is generally safe and has no special security concerns beyond the risks associated with opening referenced media files; it remains a legacy Windows playlist format in many environments.

What are the magic bytes for .wpl files?

The magic bytes for Windows Media Player playlist files are 4D 69 63 72 6F 73 6F 66 74 20 57 69 6E 64 6F 77 73 20 4D 65 64 69 61 20 50 6C 61 79 65 72 20 2D 2D 20 at byte offset 84. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .wpl file?

To validate a .wpl file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (4D 69 63 72 6F 73 6F 66 74 20 57 69 6E 64 6F 77 73 20 4D 65 64 69 61 20 50 6C 61 79 65 72 20 2D 2D 20) at offset 84. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .wpl files?

The primary MIME type for .wpl files is application/vnd.ms-wpl.

Is it safe to open .wpl files?

Windows Media Player playlist (.wpl) 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.