LounjyIPTV
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What is an M3U file?

An M3U is a list of links to channels, films or series. Your service gives it to you as a link or as a file. This guide explains what is inside and how to open it in an M3U player.

Lounjy does not provide any content. The app has no channels, films, series or playlists. You use your own service. Only use one that holds the rights to what it streams.

What is M3U?

M3U is a simple text format for a playlist. It started out for music, but IPTV services use it for their channel list. You might get one from your TV provider or your own media server or NAS, or make one yourself with streams you are allowed to watch. Each channel takes two lines: one with information about the channel, and one with the link to the stream.

So an M3U is not a video in itself. Think of it as a table of contents. A player reads the list, shows the channels neatly and plays the stream you pick. Without a player, all you see is text.

Your service will give you the list in one of two ways:

  • An M3U link. A web address, for example http://service.example:8080/playlist.m3u. The player fetches the list from there. When your service changes its channels, the player picks up the new version the next time it updates.
  • An M3U file. A file on your computer or phone, ending in .m3u or .m3u8. It is a snapshot: changes at your service don't make it into the file.

If you can choose, go for the link. It stays up to date.

One thing to watch: an M3U link often contains your username and password. Treat it like a password and don't share it.

M3U vs M3U8

M3U8 is the same format, always saved as UTF-8. That keeps characters like é, ü or Arabic script intact. For a channel list it makes no other difference: Lounjy reads .m3u and .m3u8 the same way.

The confusing part is that .m3u8 is also used for a single video stream (HLS). A link like that belongs to one channel and is not a channel list, so don't load it as a playlist.

What's inside

Here is a short piece of an M3U. The names are made up:

#EXTM3U url-tvg="http://service.example/guide.xml"
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="channel1.example" tvg-name="Channel 1" tvg-logo="http://service.example/logo/1.png" group-title="News",Channel 1 HD
http://service.example:8080/live/1001.ts
  • #EXTM3U is always the first line. It tells the player this is an M3U. That line sometimes also holds a link to the TV guide (url-tvg or x-tvg-url), in XMLTV format.
  • #EXTINF starts the information line. After the comma that follows the quoted details comes the name you see on screen.
  • group-title is the group, such as a country or a type of channel. A player uses it to show channels by group.
  • tvg-id is the code the channel has in the TV guide. When it matches, the player finds the right programme.
  • tvg-logo links to the channel logo.
  • The line below is the link to the stream itself.

Services sometimes add more, like tvg-chno for a channel number. An M3U can also contain films and series. Lounjy can tell from the link: if it contains /movie/ or /series/, or ends in a video file such as .mp4 or .mkv, it goes under Movies or Series. For those links, names with S01E02 (or 1x02) become episodes of one series.

Opening it in Lounjy

  1. Choose Add playlist. You'll find it on the Live TV screen, or under Playlists in Settings if you already have a playlist.
  2. Pick the M3U playlist tab.
  3. Got a link? Paste it into Or paste an M3U link and choose Load. Got a file? Choose Choose an M3U file and find it on your computer or device.
  4. Lounjy shows how far along loading is, and you can always cancel. Afterwards you get an overview with the number of channels and the largest groups. Choose Go to Live TV.

If the playlist contains a guide link, Lounjy downloads the TV guide by itself. The overview after loading shows under TV guide whether Lounjy found one.

On a TV you don't have to type the link with the remote. Choose With your phone, scan the QR code and paste the M3U link on your phone. See Set up from your phone for how it works.

Does your link contain get.php with your username and password? Then it is an Xtream Codes link. Lounjy turns it into an Xtream Codes login automatically, with films, series and the TV guide included.

Lounjy stores your link encrypted on your own device. A backup does not include your password: Lounjy removes the username and password from the link. Still, don't share a backup with others.

Common errors

  • “No channels found”. What you loaded isn't an M3U playlist. A real M3U starts with #EXTM3U. Often the link has expired, or you are getting a web page instead of the list. Ask your service for the correct link.
  • “Paste a link that starts with http:// or https://”. Part of the start of the link is missing, or there is a space in front of it. Copy the link again.
  • Double-clicking opens a music player. Windows often links .m3u to a music app. Open the file from inside Lounjy instead, with Choose an M3U file.
  • New channels don't show up. If your playlist came from a file, Lounjy can't update it by itself. Load the new file again, or ask your service for a link.
  • The TV guide is empty for a few channels. The tvg-id doesn't match the guide. Go to Settings → Playlists and, in the TV guide row, choose Link (it shows how many channels still need a guide). The Link TV guide window suggests which guide channel belongs to which channel, and you can link them yourself too.
  • There is no TV guide at all. Your playlist has no guide link. Lounjy tells you so after loading. Ask your service whether a TV guide (XMLTV) comes with it. There is more in TV guide empty or wrong? Here's how to fix it.
  • Channels end up under “Other”. They have no group in the list, or a group without a usable name. That comes from your service's playlist.

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