A standard IPTV M3U playlist relies on specific tags to communicate with media players like VLC, Kodi, or TiviMate.

11.3 Metadata Standardization

An M3U (Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 Uniform Resource Locator) file is essentially a text-based index. It does not contain actual video data. Instead, it lists the internet addresses (URLs) of media streams. Core Architecture

: Advanced playlists, sometimes called M3U Plus, include extra information like channel logos ( tvg-logo ) and category groupings ( group-title ) to make navigation easier. Where to Find Russian IPTV M3U Playlists

2.1 M3U/M3U8 Format