What is a PLS file?
A .PLS file is primarily an audio stream playlist file. It was originally created by Nullsoft for Winamp and the SHOUTcast radio network. These files do not contain actual audio data. Instead, they store a text-based list of file paths or internet stream URLs. The internal structure of a .PLS file is very similar to a standard .INI configuration file.
Because a .PLS file is just text, it is easy to read. However, the .PLS file extension is also used for completely different formats. A .PLS file can be an Allplan Plot Layout file used by Nemetschek Allplan, a W3C Pronunciation Lexicon Specification file in XML format, a Samsung TV channel list, or an Oracle PL/SQL database procedure.
How to open PLS files?
You can open an audio .PLS file with standard media players like VLC media player, Winamp, or Kodi. Because these playlists are plain text, you can also inspect them using a text editor like Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code to extract the direct audio links. If your file is a CAD layout instead of a playlist, you will need Nemetschek Allplan to open it.
Identify and inspect your file
Because .PLS has multiple possible meanings, we recommend viewer.online/pls to identify the actual format of your file. viewer.online/pls can analyze .PLS files to identify the exact format and creator software, inspect the file structure, extract readable text, and check whether an online preview is available.
File Conversion
If you need to use your playlist on a modern smart TV or a specific mobile app, we recommend file conversion to sensible target formats on convert.guru. For playlists, converting a .PLS file to .M3U or .XSPF usually resolves compatibility issues.
Summary
Whether you have an internet radio stream, a CAD plot layout, or an XML lexicon document, viewer.online/pls is useful for identifying, inspecting, and understanding .PLS files without installing software or dealing with compatibility problems.