Extract text from Winamp playlists (B4S)
To convert B4S playlists to another format, you need Winamp or other Audio software.
To convert other file formats to the "Media Playlist" file type, you need software like Winamp or a similar tool.
The .B4S file is an XML-based audio playlist format created by Nullsoft for the Winamp media player, specifically introduced in version 3. It stores file paths, track titles, and play durations. It is critical to understand that this file does not contain any actual audio data, only text pointing to local media files.
You can open these files using Winamp or VLC media player. Because it is structured as raw XML text, any basic code editor like Notepad++ can open and read the contents.
The main disadvantage of the .B4S format is its rigid tie to the legacy Winamp ecosystem. Modern media players, smart speakers, and mobile apps rarely support it. Furthermore, because the file relies on local drive paths (like C:\Music\track.mp3), the playlist instantly breaks if you move your audio files to a new folder or device.
To restore compatibility, you must convert .B4S to M3U or M3U8, which are the universal standards for modern players like Apple Music or Plex. Converting to TXT or CSV is also recommended if you simply want to archive or print your tracklist.
Standard audio converters fail with this format because they look for audio streams, completely crashing when they encounter XML code.
Convert.Guru analyzes your B4S file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SPC, CMF and Q1 files.
If you want to convert B4S file to MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA, M4A, AIFF, OPUS, ALAC, APE or WV, you can use Winamp or similar software from the "Audio Playlist Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to B4S, try Winamp or another comparable tool in the "Audio Playlist Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our B4S converter.