CodeCraft

M3U8 Player Online

Play M3U8 / HLS video streams online — a free HLS player that works directly in your browser, no install required.

🌐
Cross-browser
Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari
⚡
Low Latency
Supports low-latency HLS mode
🔒
Privacy Safe
Direct stream, no server proxy

How to Play M3U8 Online

  1. Copy the M3U8 URL of the stream or playlist you want to test.
  2. Paste the M3U8 URL into the input field above.
  3. Click Play to load and start the HLS stream.
  4. If the playlist and server configuration are valid, playback starts immediately — use Reload after changing the URL, or the standard video controls (pause, fullscreen, volume) once it's playing.

Related Developer Tools

Use these tools when you need to inspect a link or an API response around your stream.

HLS Player Try the general-purpose HLS player for another playback workflow.M3U8 Validator Check playlist syntax and structure before you play a stream.URL Encoder / Decoder Decode percent-encoded stream links and query parameters.API Tester Send HTTP requests and inspect API responses; authentication and CORS rules still apply.JSON Formatter Format and inspect JSON returned by APIs that provide stream URLs.

What Is an M3U8 File?

M3U8 is a UTF-8 encoded playlist format used by HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). An M3U8 playlist does not normally contain the video itself — instead, it lists media segments, stream variants, audio tracks, subtitles, and other playback metadata. An HLS player reads the playlist and loads the media segments required for playback.

M3U8 vs HLS

M3U8 and HLS are related but are not the same thing. HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is a streaming protocol developed by Apple for delivering live and on-demand media over HTTP. M3U8 is the playlist format commonly used by HLS to describe the available media streams and segments — this player uses hls.js to read that playlist and handle HLS playback in browsers without native support.

Use Cases

Stream Debugging

Paste an .m3u8 URL to check whether a live or on-demand HLS stream plays in your browser.

Cross-Browser Testing

Check playback in Chrome, Firefox, Edge (with hls.js), and Safari (native HLS) from one page.

CDN and CORS Checks

Check whether a video CDN returns Access-Control-Allow-Origin headers. Browser CORS rules are still controlled by the source server.

Quick Stream Preview

Share an M3U8 URL with a teammate so they can preview the stream in a browser without installing a player.

Why Is My M3U8 Not Playing?

  • ⚠CORS error: The source server must send Access-Control-Allow-Origin or the browser blocks playlist and segment requests.
  • ⚠403 Forbidden: A signed URL may have expired, or the source may require a specific referer, token, or login.
  • ⚠404 Not Found: The M3U8 URL may be wrong or the stream may have been removed.
  • ⚠Mixed content: An HTTPS page cannot load an HTTP stream. Use an HTTPS M3U8 URL.
  • ⚠Invalid M3U8: The server may return an HTML/JSON error instead of a playlist beginning with #EXTM3U.
  • ⚠HLS not supported: Older browsers may lack hls.js support and native HLS playback.

🔒 Privacy and Data Handling

Your browser connects directly to the video source. This site does not proxy the stream, and video data does not pass through our servers.

Standards and References

Frequently Asked Questions

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