Zayron guides

What is an M3U playlist?

An M3U playlist is a plain-text file that lists media streams and their titles, so a media player knows what to play and how to label it.

Quick answer

An M3U playlist is a simple text file (or a URL to one) that lists media streams — each entry has a stream address plus optional information like a title, group and logo. M3U8 is the same format saved as UTF-8, which supports international characters. A media player like Zayron reads the file and shows the entries as channels or items you can play.

How an M3U file is structured

An M3U file starts with the line #EXTM3U. Each item is then two lines: an #EXTINF line describing the item, followed by the stream address. A typical entry looks like this:

#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="" tvg-logo="https://…/logo.png?v=zd2" group-title="News",Example News HD
https://example.com/stream/playlist.m3u8

The parts you'll commonly see:

#EXTINF:-1 — marks a new entry; -1 means an unknown/continuous duration (normal for live streams).
tvg-id / tvg-name — an identifier used to match the item to a TV guide (EPG).
tvg-logo — a URL to the item's logo image.
group-title — the category the item is grouped under.
The text after the comma — the display name shown in the player.

M3U vs M3U8

They are the same playlist format. The .m3u8 extension simply means the file is encoded as UTF-8, so titles in non-Latin scripts display correctly. Confusingly, .m3u8 is also used for HLS video segment playlists — a different, lower-level use of the same format. For adding a source to a player, what matters is that you have a valid playlist URL.

Where an M3U playlist comes from

You obtain an M3U playlist from a source you are authorized to use — for example, an internal or private stream list, a licensed provider that issues you a playlist URL, or your own self-hosted media. Zayron does not supply playlists; you bring one you already have the right to use.

How to add an M3U playlist to Zayron

Open Zayron and go to Add playlist (or use the web page at zayron.pro/upload).
Choose the M3U option.
Paste your playlist URL (it should start with http:// or https://).
Give it a name and save. Zayron loads the entries and groups them by category.

For the full walkthrough on every device, see how to add a playlist to Zayron.

M3U troubleshooting

Playlist won't load: check the URL is complete and starts with http, and that it opens in a browser. A URL that has expired at the source will not load.
No logos or wrong names: the source's tvg-logo and titles may be missing — Zayron generates clean placeholder art when a logo is absent.
No TV guide: EPG needs matching tvg-id values and a guide source; see the FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

What does M3U stand for?

M3U originally meant "MP3 URL" (or Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 Uniform Resource Locator). Today it is a general playlist format for any media, not just audio.

What is the difference between M3U and M3U8?

They are the same playlist format; the .m3u8 file is saved as UTF-8 so it supports international characters. (.m3u8 is also used for HLS streaming playlists, which is a separate technical use.)

How do I add an M3U playlist to Zayron?

Open Zayron, choose Add playlist, select M3U, paste your playlist URL, name it and save. You can also add it from zayron.pro/upload using your Device ID.

Does Zayron give me an M3U playlist?

No. Zayron is a player. You add an M3U playlist you already have the right to use; Zayron does not supply playlists or content.

Why won't my M3U playlist load?

Usually the URL is incomplete, mistyped, or has expired at the source. Confirm it starts with http/https and opens in a browser, then re-add it.