What is PLS?

PLS (Playlist) files are INI-style plain text playlists - human-readable format listing media files for playback. Structure: [playlist] header, numbered entries (File1=, Title1=, Length1=), NumberOfEntries, Version=2. Each entry specifies: file path (local or URL), optional title (display name), optional length in seconds (-1 for unknown/streaming). Created by Nullsoft for Winamp (1998). Supports: local files (C:\Music\song.mp3), HTTP streams (http://radio.example.com/stream), relative paths (../Music/album/).

PLS files are widely used for internet radio - radio stations provide .pls files for listeners (click to open in media player). IPTV services use PLS for TV channel lists. VLC, MPC-HC, foobar2000, Kodi, iTunes all support PLS. Simple to create: text editor, list URLs/paths. Winamp pioneered PLS format (late 1990s MP3 era). Alternative to M3U (simpler, URL-only) - PLS adds metadata (titles, lengths). Common uses: streaming radio bookmarks, YouTube-DL batch downloads, podcast episode lists, IPTV channel lineups, music library organization.

Did you know? PLS files are plain text - edit with Notepad to add/remove streams!

History

Nullsoft created PLS for Winamp to provide structured playlists with metadata, improving upon the simpler M3U format with titles and durations.

Key Milestones

  • 1997: Winamp 1.0 released
  • 1998: PLS format introduced
  • 2000s: Internet radio adoption
  • 2010: VLC universal support
  • 2015: IPTV playlist standard
  • Present: Streaming media standard

Key Features

Core Capabilities

  • Metadata Support: Titles, lengths
  • HTTP Streams: Internet radio URLs
  • Local Files: Absolute/relative paths
  • Human-Readable: INI-style text
  • Cross-Platform: Windows, Linux, macOS
  • Media Player Support: VLC, Winamp, foobar2000

Common Use Cases

Radio

Streaming radio stations

IPTV

TV channel lineups

Music

Album/playlist organization

Podcasts

Episode lists

Advantages

  • Plain text (edit with any text editor)
  • Metadata support (titles, lengths)
  • HTTP stream compatibility
  • Cross-platform media player support
  • Internet radio standard
  • Human-readable INI format
  • Local and remote file support

Disadvantages

  • Less popular than M3U
  • More verbose syntax than M3U
  • No advanced features (no extended metadata)
  • Not all players support PLS
  • Manual editing required (no GUI)
  • File paths can break if moved

Technical Information

Format Specifications

Specification Details
File Extension .pls
MIME Type audio/x-scpls
Format Plain text (INI-style)
Encoding UTF-8, ASCII
Developer Nullsoft (Winamp)
Structure [playlist], File1=, Title1=, Length1=

Common Tools

  • Players: VLC, Winamp, foobar2000, Kodi, MPC-HC
  • Creation: Any text editor (Notepad, VS Code)
  • Streaming: Internet radio stations, IPTV providers
  • Conversion: Online tools (M3U ↔ PLS)