The .m3u, .pls, and .asx formats are commonly used for creating playlists that can be played by various web and desktop media players.

Previously, Live365 provided these “quick links” for your use, found on the Listen screen of the station dashboard. Due to their declining usage and functionality, we’re removing them from the interface and are providing this article to guide you on how to create and host these “quick links” independently.


Potential use cases for quick links:

  • Creating custom playlists for media players or third-party mobile apps.
  • Providing a downloadable playlist for listeners to use with their preferred media player.
  • Hosting playlists on your own web server for easy access and distribution.


How to create M3U files

Example content:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:-1,Live365 Stream
https://streaming.live365.com/aXXXXX
  1. Open your preferred text editor (e.g. Notepad, TextEdit)
  2. Copy the example M3U content above
  3. Replace aXXXXX with your Live365 mount ID
  4. Save the file with a .m3u extension (e.g. station.m3u)


How to create ASX files

Example content:

<ASX version = "3.0">
   <Entry>
      <Ref href = "https://streaming.live365.com/aXXXXX"/>
      <Title>Live365 Station</Title>
   </Entry>
</ASX>
  1. Open your preferred text editor (e.g. Notepad, TextEdit)
  2. Copy the example M3U content above
  3. Replace aXXXXX with your Live365 mount ID
  4. Save the file with a .asx extension (e.g. station.asx)


How to create PLS files

Example content:

[playlist]
NumberOfEntries=1
File1=https://streaming.live365.com/aXXXXX
Title1=Live365 Station
Length1=-1
Version=2
  1. Open your preferred text editor (e.g. Notepad, TextEdit)
  2. Copy the example M3U content above
  3. Replace aXXXXX with your Live365 mount ID
  4. Save the file with a .pls extension (e.g. station.pls)


To save the file in a different format, change the .txt extension at the end of the file name to .m3u, .asx, or .pls, then select Save as type to All files.



How to self-host these files

Once you have created your .M3U, .ASX, or .PLS files, you can host them on your own web server to make them accessible online.

  1. Upload the files to your web server using FTP, SFTP, or your web hosting file manager
  2. Ensure the files are placed in a directory that is publicly accessible
  3. Share the URLs of these files with your audience. For example:
    1. https://yourwebsite.com/station.m3u
    2. https://yourwebsite.com/station.asx
    3. https://yourwebsite.com/station.pls


For any questions, suggestions, or concerns about this process, please contact our knowledgeable Support Team by creating a new ticket.