What is an M3U playlist?
An M3U file is a plain-text list of streams. Each entry has a name, often a logo and a group, and the address of a stream. IPTV providers usually share it as a link, for example one ending in .m3u or .m3u8, or one containing get.php?username=…&password=…&type=m3u_plus.
M3U8 is the same format saved in UTF-8, which keeps accents and non-Latin names, such as Arabic channel names, readable. OSM PLAYER reads both.
How to play an M3U link with OSM PLAYER
- 1
Install OSM PLAYER
On your Samsung, LG, Android TV or Fire TV, or on your phone. Note the MAC address and device key on the start screen.
- 2
Add the link
Sign in on Manage playlist, choose M3U link, paste the address and give the playlist a name. Add an EPG link if you have one.
- 3
Refresh
Press Test connection, save, and press Refresh on the device. The playlist opens with its groups as categories.
How OSM PLAYER reads your M3U
OSM PLAYER reads the playlist on the device itself. Live channels go into live TV and films into the films section, each sorted into the groups your provider set with group-title, so even a large list stays easy to browse.
If your M3U link is really an Xtream Codes link, one containing get.php with a username and password, OSM PLAYER notices and saves it as Xtream Codes instead. You then get the series library and the TV guide automatically, with nothing more to do.
Add a TV guide (EPG) to an M3U playlist
An M3U list carries no programme times by itself. If your provider gives you an EPG link, usually an XMLTV file, paste it in the EPG URL field next to the playlist. Live TV then shows what's on now and next on every channel.
Several playlists in one app
You can keep several playlists on the same device, each with its own name, for example one per provider. Protect any of them with a 4 to 6-digit PIN, and nobody can edit or delete it without the code.
Can you make your own M3U playlist?
Yes. An M3U playlist is a plain-text file that starts with the line #EXTM3U, then has two lines per stream: an #EXTINF line with its name (and, if you like, a logo and a group-title), and the stream's address. Any text editor will do, for streams you're allowed to play, such as your own media server or a broadcaster's free public streams.
OSM PLAYER opens playlists from a link, so put the file somewhere reachable on the internet, for example your own web server, and add that address as an M3U link.
Why not just use VLC?
VLC can open an M3U file, but on a TV you get one long flat list with no guide, no posters and no remote-friendly categories. A dedicated IPTV player like OSM PLAYER is made for the couch: big categories, now and next, films and series, and playlists you manage from your phone.
Updated 3 Oct 2026