File Extension Guide📻 What is a PLS File?
A PLS file is a plain-text playlist, a short list that tells a media player which songs or radio streams to play and where to find them, without holding any of the audio itself.
Think of it as a set of directions rather than a container of music. Open a PLS in a text editor and you will see a handful of lines naming where each item lives, whether that is a local file sitting on your drive or the web address of an online stream, plus optional details like a track title and its length. When you open that PLS in a player, the program reads the list and pulls in each item from wherever it lives. Because the file only stores pointers, it is tiny, often just a few lines, and deleting it never touches the actual songs. The flip side is that a PLS on its own plays nothing if the files or streams it points to have moved or gone offline.
The format is most closely tied to internet radio. When a station offers a listen link, that link is frequently a PLS file, and opening it hands your player the stream address so it can start playing. PLS grew up in the late-1990s MP3 era alongside Nullsoft's Winamp player and the SHOUTcast streaming service, and it remains a common way to bookmark and share stations today. The sections below explain how PLS compares to the similar M3U format, what the lines inside a PLS actually mean, and how to open, create or edit one.
Key Characteristics
- Lists songs or streams to play in order
- Points to media, never contains audio
- Written as plain text in an INI style
- Popular for internet radio stations
Good to Know
- Can store track titles and lengths
- Opens in VLC, Winamp, foobar2000
- Editable in any text editor like Notepad
- Sibling of the simpler M3U playlist
⚡ Quick Facts
| File Extension | .pls |
| Full Name | PLS Playlist File |
| File Type | Multimedia playlist (plain text) |
| Structure | INI style, case sensitive |
| Origin | museArc player, popularized by Winamp |
| Common Use | Internet radio, SHOUTcast and Icecast |
| Related Format | M3U, the simpler playlist |
| MIME Type | audio/x-scpls |
🔀 PLS vs M3U
PLS and M3U are the two playlists people meet most often, they do the same basic job, and the choice between them comes down to how much detail each one carries.
M3U is the simpler and more widespread of the pair. In its basic form it is little more than a bare list of file paths or stream addresses, one per line, with nothing else. PLS is the more expressive cousin. Built in the style of an INI configuration file, it labels each entry and can record a title and a running time for every track right in the playlist, so a player can show a proper station or song name before anything even loads. M3U can carry that kind of extra detail too, but only in its extended form, whereas PLS includes it by design. In practice the difference rarely matters for playback, since the popular players read both, and for a plain list of songs either format works. PLS tends to show up where the added labels help, most notably internet radio, while M3U remains the everyday default for local playlists. If you are simply saving a queue of songs, M3U is the lighter choice, and if you want named streams with tidy titles, PLS earns its slightly busier format. There is also a practical wrinkle worth knowing. Because PLS stores each title as its own line, some players keep a name you have edited more reliably in a PLS than in a plain M3U, where the title can revert to the raw address unless you use the extended form. For a shared music queue that difference rarely shows, but for a carefully labelled set of radio stations it can be the reason people reach for PLS. Neither format is a container, so switching between them never risks the audio, only the way the list is written.
| Aspect | PLS | M3U |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | INI style, labelled entries | Bare list, one line each |
| Metadata | Titles and lengths built in | Only in extended M3U |
| Complexity | A little more detailed | Simpler and lighter |
| Typical Use | Internet radio streams | Everyday local playlists |
| Support | Read by most players | Read by nearly all players |
🔎 What Is Inside a PLS
Opening a PLS in a text editor is the quickest way to understand it, because the whole file is readable and follows a simple, repeating pattern.
A PLS is arranged like an INI configuration file. It opens with a single header line reading [playlist], which marks the file as a playlist. After that come the entries, numbered one by one. Each entry has a File line giving the location of the item, which is the only required part, and it may add a Title line for a friendly name and a Length line giving the running time in seconds. A length of minus one is a signal that the item runs indefinitely, which is exactly how a live radio stream is written since it has no fixed end. At the bottom the file usually notes NumberOfEntries, the count of items, and a Version. Because the numbering ties each File to its own Title and Length, a single PLS can hold several streams or songs, each with its own label. The format is case sensitive, so the labels have to be written just so, and an entry can name either a streaming web address or a local file sitting on disk.
A PLS lists each stream or song as a numbered entry
[playlist] # marks the file as a playlist File1=http://stream.example.com:8000 # a radio stream Title1=Example FM Length1=-1 # -1 means it plays indefinitely File2=C:\Music\song.mp3 # a local file Title2=A Local Song Length2=213 NumberOfEntries=2 Version=2
📂 How to Open a PLS File
How you open a PLS depends on whether you want to play what it lists or simply read what is inside, and both are straightforward.
To play the playlist, open the PLS in a media player that understands the format. VLC is the reliable choice on any system and handles PLS without setup, and Winamp, foobar2000, iTunes, MPC-HC and Kodi all support it as well. Double-clicking the file usually launches your default player and starts the list, though the first time you use a PLS the player may ask to associate the format so it opens automatically from then on. One common surprise is Windows Media Player, which does not read PLS on its own without extra codecs, so VLC is the simpler path. For an internet radio stream that will not start from a double-click, you can open the player and use its Open Network Stream or Add URL option, then paste the stream address from the PLS. On a phone the built-in music apps rarely handle PLS, so the simplest route is the VLC app, which opens a PLS or its stream address on Android and iOS just as it does on a computer. To read or check a PLS rather than play it, open it in any text editor such as Notepad, where the plain-text lines show exactly which files or streams it points to.
📝 How to Create or Edit a PLS
Because a PLS is just text, you can make or change one by hand, which is handy for building a custom station list or fixing a broken link. There are two easy routes, writing the file yourself in a text editor or letting a media player save it for you.
Writing a PLS by hand in Notepad
Open Notepad or any plain text editor and type the file line by line. Begin with the [playlist] header on its own line. Then add a File line pointing to a stream or song, for a radio station this is the stream address such as File1=http://203.0.113.5:8000, and add a Title line like Title1=Smooth Jazz Radio for the name your player will show. A Length line of Length1=-1 tells the player the item runs until the stream ends, which is how live radio is written, while a real track uses its length in seconds. Finish with NumberOfEntries giving the count and Version set to 2. When you save, change the Save as type box to All Files and give the file a name ending in .pls, otherwise the editor may add a hidden .txt. That single small file is now a working playlist.
Letting a player build it
Most media players write the structure for you without any typing. In Winamp, foobar2000, Clementine or VLC you add your tracks or a stream, then choose Save Playlist and pick PLS as the format, and the program produces a correctly formed file. Clementine is a handy free option here because it exports several playlist types, so you can save the same list as PLS and swap between formats later.
Editing an existing PLS
Editing is just as direct, since you open the file in a text editor to correct a stream address, rename a title or remove an entry, remembering to update the NumberOfEntries count if you add or delete items. Keeping the labels in their exact case matters, because the format is case sensitive and a mistyped label may be ignored. If a station added to a PLS refuses to play, the usual cause is the wrong stream address rather than the file itself, so pasting the station's real direct stream URL is the fix. When you point a PLS at local songs, an absolute path like C:\Music\song.mp3 is the most reliable, since a relative path only works if the songs stay in the same place next to the playlist.
🗂️ PLS vs Other Playlist Formats
PLS and M3U are the two you meet most, but a handful of other playlist formats exist, each favoured by a particular player, and knowing them helps when a file will not open where you expect.
M3U is the closest thing to a universal default, and its UTF-8 version M3U8 is the same format with wider support for accented and non-English characters in names. XSPF, pronounced spiff, is an open XML format from the Xiph.Org Foundation that VLC and Audacious lean toward. WPL is Windows Media Player's own playlist, and ASX is an older Windows Media format used mainly to redirect to a stream. CUE is different again, describing track boundaries within a single long audio file rather than pointing at separate ones. Because players do not all read each other's formats, converting is common, and the safest target when a playlist will not load anywhere is plain M3U or M3U8. VLC handles this well, since it imports PLS, XSPF, ASX and more and can export the list as M3U, and free tools like Clementine do the same across formats while keeping titles and lengths wherever the target supports them. If your station names or file paths use accented or non-English characters, the UTF-8 M3U8 form is the better target, since plain M3U can mangle those characters while M3U8 preserves them. That makes M3U8 a good default for international radio lists and libraries with names outside plain English.
| Format | Style | Favoured By |
|---|---|---|
| PLS | INI style, with metadata | SHOUTcast, Winamp, radio |
| M3U / M3U8 | Plain list, UTF-8 for M3U8 | Nearly every player |
| XSPF | Open XML | VLC, Audacious |
| WPL | Microsoft XML | Windows Media Player |
| ASX | Windows Media redirect | Older Windows streaming |
🛠️ What PLS Files Are Used For
The PLS format turns up wherever a media player needs to be handed a list of things to play, and its knack for labelled streams gives it a few favourite homes.
Its signature use is internet radio. Stations publish a PLS file as their listen link, and clicking it passes the stream straight to your player with the station name attached, which is why so many radio directories offer PLS downloads. The same strength suits IPTV channel lineups, where each entry is a labelled stream, and podcast or episode lists that benefit from named items. On a local machine PLS also serves as a way to organize a music library into playlists, though M3U is more common for that everyday task. Because a PLS is small and readable, it travels well too, making it easy to share a set of stations or a curated queue as a single tiny file. Most of the PLS files people meet are downloaded rather than written, offered by radio directories and streaming sites as a ready-made listen link, and you can always open one in a text editor to see the stations or songs it names. Across all of these the pattern is the same, a PLS is the lightweight map that points a player at the media, holding names and locations while the audio itself stays wherever it already lives.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
A PLS file is a plain-text playlist that lists the songs or radio streams a media player should play, along with where to find each one. It holds no audio itself, only pointers, either paths to files on your computer or web addresses for online streams, so the file stays tiny. Each entry can also carry a title and a length. Built in the style of an INI configuration file, PLS is used most often for internet radio, where a station hands you a .pls file that starts its stream when opened. Popular players like VLC and Winamp read it, and because it is plain text you can open or edit it in any text editor.
To play what a PLS lists, open it in a media player that supports the format. VLC is the dependable choice on any system and needs no setup, and Winamp, foobar2000, iTunes, MPC-HC and Kodi work too. Double-clicking the file usually launches your default player and starts the list, and the first time you may be asked to associate the format so it opens automatically afterward. Windows Media Player is the notable exception, since it does not read PLS without extra codecs, so VLC is the easier route. If a radio stream will not start from a double-click, open the player and use its Open Network Stream or Add URL option with the address from the PLS. To simply read the file, open it in a text editor like Notepad.
Both are playlist files that point to media rather than containing it, and the difference is how much they describe each item. M3U is the simpler and more common format, in its basic form just a bare list of paths or stream addresses, one per line. PLS is the more expressive one, written in an INI style that labels each entry and stores a title and a length inline, so a player can show a station or song name before anything loads. M3U can hold that detail too, but only in its extended version, whereas PLS includes it by design. Most players read both, so for a plain song list either works, while PLS is favoured for internet radio because of its built-in labels.
No. A PLS holds only the locations of songs or streams, never the audio itself. Every line names a target, sometimes a media file kept somewhere else on your drive and sometimes the address of an online stream, and the player pulls the real sound from those locations when you open the playlist. This is why a PLS is so small, often just a few lines of text, and why deleting one never removes any songs. It also means a PLS stops working if the files it points to are moved or renamed, or if a stream it lists goes offline, because the pointers no longer lead anywhere.
You can make one by hand in a text editor or let a player build it for you. To write it yourself, open Notepad, start with the [playlist] header, add a File line for each song or stream with optional Title and Length lines, then finish with NumberOfEntries and Version, and save the file with a .pls extension. To let a player do it, add your tracks or a stream in VLC, Winamp or a similar program and choose Save Playlist with PLS as the format, which writes the correct structure for you. Either way the result is a small text file you can reopen, edit or share, just remember the format is case sensitive so the labels must be typed exactly.
A PLS suits internet radio because it can carry a stream address together with a friendly station name, so your player shows what you are tuning into before the audio arrives. The format grew up alongside the Winamp player and the SHOUTcast streaming service in the MP3 era, and streaming systems like SHOUTcast and Icecast adopted it, so it became the natural way to publish a listen link. A single PLS can also list several streams at once, each with its own label, which fits radio directories that offer many stations. Clicking a station's .pls file simply hands the stream to your player, which is why so many broadcasters distribute their links this way.
Open the PLS in a text editor and add a new numbered entry for the station. Give it a File line with the station's direct stream address, such as File2=http://203.0.113.5:8000, and if you like a Title line like Title2 for the name and a Length line of -1 for a live stream. Then update the NumberOfEntries count at the bottom to match the new total, since a wrong count can cause a player to skip entries. Save the file, keeping the .pls extension. If the station will not play afterward, the address is almost always the reason, so make sure you used the real direct stream URL rather than the web page it sits on. Many radio directories list that direct link for exactly this purpose.
The easiest way is to let a media player do it. VLC can import a PLS and then export the same list as M3U, and free programs like Clementine read a PLS and save it back out as M3U or several other formats, carrying the titles and lengths across where the target allows. Because both are plain-text playlists, you can also rewrite a small one by hand, turning each PLS File line into a bare path or URL for M3U. Converting to M3U, or its UTF-8 version M3U8, is a common move when a playlist will not open in a particular player, since M3U is the most widely supported format. The songs and streams themselves are untouched, as you are only changing how the list that points to them is written.
Since a PLS only points to media, the trouble is almost always with what it points to rather than the file itself. For a radio stream, the address may be outdated or you may have saved the web page link instead of the direct stream URL, so replacing it with the station's real stream address usually fixes things. For local songs, the paths break if the music was moved, renamed or is on a drive that is not connected, and an absolute path like C:\Music\song.mp3 is more dependable than a relative one. It is also worth checking your player supports PLS, since Windows Media Player needs extra codecs while VLC does not, and making sure the NumberOfEntries count matches the actual entries.
Yes, a PLS can list television channel streams the same way it lists radio stations, with each channel written as a File entry pointing to its stream address and an optional Title for the channel name. Players and IPTV apps that understand PLS then show the list and connect to each channel on demand. That said, M3U and its UTF-8 form M3U8 are the more common choice for IPTV channel lineups, and many IPTV apps expect M3U specifically, so if a provider hands you a PLS and your app will not load it, converting the list to M3U in VLC or a playlist tool is the usual workaround. Either way the playlist holds only the channel addresses, not the video itself.
Both are playlists that point to media, but they are written differently and favoured by different players. PLS uses a simple INI style with a [playlist] header and numbered File, Title and Length lines, and it grew up around Winamp and SHOUTcast internet radio. XSPF, pronounced spiff, is an open format built on XML from the Xiph.Org Foundation, and players like VLC and Audacious lean toward it. XSPF can describe a playlist in more structured detail thanks to XML, while PLS stays lighter and more human-readable in a text editor. In everyday use either works for listing songs or streams, and VLC reads both, so what really decides it is the player or service the playlist is meant for.
Most PLS files you come across are offered as listen links. Internet radio stations and directories publish a .pls file so that clicking it opens the stream in your player with the station name attached, and streaming and IPTV services hand them out for the same reason. You will also find them alongside downloaded music or created by media players when someone saves a playlist. Because a PLS is small plain text, people share them freely too, passing a set of stations or a music queue as a single tiny file. When you make your own, it comes from a text editor or from a player's Save Playlist option. Wherever it originates, the file only lists locations, so it is always worth checking the streams or songs it points to are still available.
Key Takeaways
A PLS file is a plain-text playlist that points a media player to songs or radio streams, listing their locations and optional titles and lengths without holding any audio of its own.
Written in an INI style with a [playlist] header and numbered entries, it is the more descriptive cousin of the simpler M3U, which is why internet radio stations favour it for named streams. Both are read by players like VLC and Winamp.
You open a PLS in VLC or another player to play its list, or in a text editor to read it, and you can create or edit one by hand since it is just text, remembering that the format is case sensitive.