M3U8 is a streaming playlist format where video content is split into small segments. To download M3U8 videos, you need to download and merge these segments into a complete video file. This guide covers multiple methods.

📋 Methods Overview

• FFmpeg - Command line tool, powerful (recommended)
• N_m3u8DL-RE - Professional M3U8 downloader with GUI
• Browser Extensions - Easy to use, beginner friendly
• Online Tools - No installation, but limited features

Method 1: FFmpeg (Recommended)

FFmpeg is an open-source audio/video processing tool. It can directly download M3U8 and convert to MP4.

Install FFmpeg

Windows:

winget install FFmpeg

Or download from ffmpeg.org

macOS:

brew install ffmpeg

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt install ffmpeg

Download Command

ffmpeg -i "M3U8_URL" -c copy output.mp4

Example:

ffmpeg -i "https://example.com/video/playlist.m3u8" -c copy video.mp4

💡 Common Parameters

• -c copy - Copy streams without re-encoding (fast)
• -bsf:a aac_adtstoasc - Fix some audio compatibility issues
• -headers "Referer: URL" - Add headers (some sources require)

Method 2: N_m3u8DL-RE

N_m3u8DL-RE is an open-source tool specifically for downloading M3U8/HLS videos with multi-threaded support.

✅ Pros

• Multi-threaded, fast download
• Supports encrypted video decryption
• Auto-merge segments
• Quality selection support

📥 Download

GitHub:

github.com/nilaoda/N_m3u8DL-RE

# Basic usage

N_m3u8DL-RE "M3U8_URL" --save-dir "./downloads"

Method 3: Browser Extensions

For users unfamiliar with command line, browser extensions are the easiest option.

🔧 Video DownloadHelper

Chrome & Firefox support, detects and downloads M3U8.

• Auto-detect page videos
• Multiple format support

🔧 HLS Downloader

Extension specifically for HLS/M3U8 streams.

• Lightweight
• Easy to use

🔧 Stream Recorder

Record and download streaming videos.

• Live stream recording
• Background download

🔧 CoCoCut

Video download and editing tool.

• Built-in video editing
• Batch download

Method 4: Online Tools

Some online tools can download M3U8 directly without installing software. But features are usually limited and may have ads.

⚠️ Note

Online tools may have privacy risks. Local tools (FFmpeg or N_m3u8DL) are recommended.

Method 5: yt-dlp / youtube-dl

yt-dlp (active fork of youtube-dl) also supports M3U8 downloads, especially from video sites.

Installation

pip install yt-dlp

Download M3U8

yt-dlp "M3U8_URL" -o "output.mp4"

Tips & Notes

✅ How to Get M3U8 URL

Press F12 to open DevTools → Network tab → Filter "m3u8" → Play video → Copy request URL

💡 Choose Best Quality

If multiple M3U8 links exist, choose ones with "1080p", "720p" labels, or the highest bandwidth value.

🔒 Encrypted Videos

Some M3U8 videos use AES-128 encryption. FFmpeg and N_m3u8DL can usually handle this automatically.

🚫 Copyright Notice

Ensure you have the right to download the content. Downloading copyrighted content may violate laws. This article is for educational purposes only.

Method Comparison

Method	Difficulty	Speed	Features
FFmpeg	Medium	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
N_m3u8DL-RE	Easy	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Extensions	Easy	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
yt-dlp	Medium	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary

There are multiple ways to download M3U8 videos. For regular users, N_m3u8DL-RE or browser extensions are recommended. For technical users, FFmpeg is the most powerful option. Test your M3U8 link with our online player before downloading.

How to Download M3U8 Videos? Complete Guide