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Can You Download M3U8 Playlist file?

Have you read tons of science articles and still don't quite understand what M3U8 is, but have a real need to want to download M3U8 videos?

I was like that at first, but after my own summarization and figuring out, in fact, in layman's terms, unlike MP4, M3U8 is a format that can't be played at will. This format is a text-based playlist format originally used for MP3 audio and now widely used in HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) streaming technology.

Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025)

After understanding its nature, it naturally answers the question that M3U8 Playlist File usually does not support direct download and save.

So what if I want to download videos from M3U8 Playlist File? There are some live contents that can only be stored via M3U8 files and the playback may only be available in limited time slots, which is very unfriendly to users who want to watch them repeatedly. So in order to deal with this nuisance, this article will introduce you the methods to download M3U8 Playlist File for different devices.

Download M3U8 Videos on PC (Windows & Mac)

For users who are accustomed to using the computer, there are still many options to download M3U8 format video, but most of them are expansion programs and can only download one video by one video, and can not download the file, I will introduce some software and expansion programs, some can download a single video, some can download the entire file, you can choose to use according to their own needs.

1. StreamFab: Best DRM M3U8 Playlist Flie Downloader

StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader is a professional downloader to download M3U8 Playlist File, easily grab M3U8 Playlists and encrypted video content. Whether it's HD blockbusters or paid courses, it can accurately analyze and download them in their entirety so that you can enjoy the freedom of offline viewing anytime, anywhere, and the most noteworthy thing is that it can download the whole file instead of just a single video.

Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): streamfab arm m3u8 downloader
StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader

Download 1080p/2160p MP4 videos from websites implemented with DRM M3U8 encryptions.

  Free Download
  Free Download
Features
  • StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader has no regional restrictions and can be used in any country and region
  • The maximum definition of the downloaded video is 2160P (but it depends on the quality of the video itself)
  • High-speed batch download to save time
  • Remove ads from M3U8 videos, and it can free DRM removal
  • With a built-in browser, there is no need to open multiple windows

StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader Tutorial

Step 1
First you need to download the corresponding version of StreamFab DRM M3U8 according to your computer system (Windows or Mac), install it according to the guidelines and launch the software.
Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): streamfab step1
Step 2
Copy the link to the M3U8 Playlist File you want to download, paste the link in the built-in browser and search for it, at which point StreamFab will automatically recognize what you're trying to download, and then a pop-up window will allow you to set the download format, you can choose download M3U8 videos to MP4, and if add subtitles and so on.
Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): streamfab step2
Step 3
You can click “Download Now” to start downloading immediately, or you can choose “Add to Queue” to wait for other content to be downloaded together, then the left status bar will show the video being downloaded, wait for the download to complete.Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): streamfab step3

2. CleverGet: Alternatives to StreamFab

CleverGet M3U8 Downloader can be used as an alternative to StreamFab and it has features that are similar to StreamFab. It can download M3U8 Playlist File and also has batch download and ads removal features.

The specific steps to be used are as follows:

Step 1: After downloading CleverGet, follow the instructions to install and launch the software.

Step 2: Copy the M3U8 Playlist File link you want to download and paste it into your internal browser.

Step 3: Wait for CleverGet to analyze your link, there will be a pop-up window for you to set the format, click download and wait for it to finish.

Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): cleverget step

However, our professional review revealed that it has some hidden flaws:

1. Its download speed is not as fast as the official website says, it takes longer to download the video than the progress bar you can see shows.

2. In the third video parsing feature mentioned earlier, the parsing speed is not fixed, sometimes it takes 1-2 minutes, but sometimes you even have to wait for almost 10 minutes, and often the parsing fails.

3. CleverGet does have a free trial feature, but the quality of the videos you download is limited, such as sound and picture quality, besides that, CleverGet is not willing to spend time on free users, so they don't give solutions to the problems that occur during the trial phase.

Therefore, in comparison, StreamFab is more versatile, it has been tested by several virus testing software to ensure that it is safe, it analyzes videos and downloads them at high speeds without invisible flaws, and you won't be limited in functionality when you try it.

3. CocoCut: Chrome Extension for M3U8 Videos

CocoCut is a highly rated M3U8 downloader with a rating of 4.7/5 in the Chrome App Store, and it differs from the previous two in that it is an expansion program. Many users have given positive reviews, but it is not 100% stable and some users have suggested that it has some problems.

For example, the netizen from France @Lord Venom said "You have to pay for everything, even to download with a good bitrate, not even in dream mode...", and the netizen from Korea said "It hasn't worked since the afternoon of May 6, and I keep getting Error code 502".

Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): cococut

Procedure for use：

Step 1: Open the playback page of the streaming video you want to save.

Step 2: Once the video is detected, CocoCut will display a number indicating its availability.

Step 3: Click on the CocoCut extension icon in your browser's toolbar.

Step 4: A file list will appear, presenting all available video options.

Step 5: Locate the desired video and click on the "save" icon to start the save process.

4. Live Stream Downloader: Firefox Extension for M3U8 Videos

Some users are used to using Firefox browser, but there are not many M3U8 extensions that can support Firefox browser, but Live Stream Downloader is one. Compared to the previous two extensions, it only has a rating of 4.3/5. Some users pointed out that the stability of this extension is poor, and it often fails to download, and is only available on some websites. Netizen @Yui W pointed out “It's only able to download the first 4 seconds of live stream then it would automatically stop ....” which can be very disruptive to the experience. However, it does have the advantage of supporting batch downloads, but it can download up to 5 tasks at a time.

Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): live stream downloader

After installing, users should refresh the Play in HLS tab once so the extension can identify streams. The toolbar button's badge will display the detected media link count. Clicking it opens a pop-up for quality selection, after which the download starts. Keep this dialog open until the download finishes.

Download M3U8 Videos on Mobile Devices

In today's network background, cell phones and tablets are people's daily life is difficult to leave the carry-on items, then watch the video on the phone is a very daily phenomenon, in addition to the computer software and expansion programs, for users who want to download M3U8 playlist file on mobile devices, the next step will be to introduce you to three good software.

1. StreamFab for Android: M3U8 Videos Download App (Android)

StreamFab for Android is an app developed for Android users, you can download M3U8 videos from more than 1,000 websites, which also includes more popular platforms like YouTube, Facebook, etc. The downloaded videos can be up to 1080P/4K resolution, and even up to 8K resolution if the original video is of high quality.

StreamFab for Android Tutorial
Step 1
Scan the QR code on the official website of StreamFab for Android or download StreamFab from Google Play.
Step 2
After opening the app, paste the link of M3U8 videos you want to download into the built-in browser of the app.
Step 3
After playing the video, click to set the download settings, such as download format, whether you need subtitles, etc.
Step 4
After clicking Start Download, the system will download the video automatically, you can continue to browse other videos.
Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): streamfab for android steps

2. Seal APK Downloader: M3U8 Videos Download App (iOS & Android)

For iOS mobile users, you can try Seal APK Downloader, and of course Android users can use Seal as an alternative to StreamFab for Android. This software requires you to install the program package in the official website instead of downloading it from the app store. There are many different versions of Seal, so you can choose the one that suits your device, and more tutorials can be found on GitHub.

Find The Best Way to Download M3U8 Videos (real and effective in 2025): seal

However, it should be noted that this is a free app, so it may not have a high success rate, so if you are not a user who needs to download M3U8 on your phone with high intensity, then consider trying this app.

Comparison Among M3U8 Downloaders

Products Playlist File Download Bulk Download Price Download Speed Video Quality Compatibility
StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader Yes Yes Free Trial Fast 1080p/2160p Win & Mac
CleverGet M3U8 Downloader Yes Yes Free Trial Slow 1080p Win & Mac
CocoCut No No Free Fast 1080p Win & Mac
Live Stream Downloader No Yes Free Slow 480/720p in usual Win & Mac
StreamFab for Android No Yes Free Trial Fast 1080p/2160p Android
Seal APK Downloader No No Free Medium 1080p iOS & Android

With the above table, I believe you will have a clearer perception of several products and feel that StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader is the best choice. Next, I will give you suggestions on how to use it according to your different needs:

avatar
Jacob
If you are a user who requires high video quality and has the need to download Playlist File for a long period of time, then it is recommended that you prefer StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader, because StreamFab is better able to fulfill your various needs and have a better experience than another alternative that can download Playlist File.
avatar
Jacey
If you are a user who doesn't have much requirement for downloading needs and just want to download some M3U8 occasionally, then you can consider using the recommended extensions.
avatar
Jacob
If you are a cell phone user, Android users are recommended to try StreamFab for Android, while iOS users are recommended to use StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader and then transfer the videos to your cell phone, which can maximize the guarantee of the best quality of the M3U8 videos you download.

FAQs about M3U8 Videos

1. How Do I Find the M3U8 File From the URL and Download It?

Here’s the general outline for finding a .M3U8 file from a URL and downloading it. Please be aware that this may not work for all websites due to differences in structures and protections.

  1. Go to the website where you suspect the .M3U8 file is hosted.
  2. Right-click anywhere on the webpage and select inspect.
  3. From the developer tools pane, select the ‘Network’ tab.
  4. Refresh the webpage.
  5. In the ‘Network’ tab, you can type “.m3u8” into the filter bar at the top to limit the files displayed.
  6. You should see the .M3U8 file requests in the name or type column.

The most stable way is still to find the URL of the m3u8 video and paste it into StreamFab to download it.

2. How to Open an M3U8 Video and Watch It?

If you want to open M3U8 files, or you need special software that can decrypt the file for you. That said, you already have access to the M3U8 DRM protected content, but it cannot be played or opened on your device.

To solve this problem, you can use SF to download m3u8 video streams as generic mp4 video files, which will 100% guarantee you can open M3U8 videos on any MP4-enabled device.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, if you simply want to download M3U8 videos, then there are many expanders on the market that you can use (please identify the presence of virus programs), and of course StreamFab can do it too. However, if you want to download M3U8 Playlist File, then the best choice must be StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader. hope the solution provided in this article can help you break through the online playback limitations and enjoy your favorite video content anytime!