pyM3U is a very simple Python script (usable also as a module) allowing the generation of M3U playlists (Python recipe) by Foo Bear

ActiveState Code (http://code.activestate.com/recipes/286234/)

I modified this to add a few things.

I modified this program to add a randomizer and to make it only add files that include at least one of the
(optional) words at the end of the command line and to also add ogg files.

I have a couple more ideas for features including:
    - allowing python regular expressions instead of search terms
    - limiting the playlist to a certain number of songs
    - limiting the playlist to a certain length in minutes and/or seconds
    - better ogg support and possibly other formats
    - adding CD burning support

I have a feeling I will also use this to make a CGI program to create a playlist and either play it in xmms
or burn it to a CD, possibly even create a batch file/shell script to download the songs from the playlist.

Anyway here is my code with the mentioned additions

Blake Revai
-----------
psycosys[a]gmail.com
http://www.thenme.net

*begin code*

#!/usr/bin/python

import os, sys, re, random, getopt, mad, ID3

__doc__ = "Generate m3u playlists (default: local dir, sorted)"
__author__ = r"Lawrence Oluyede , modified by Blake Revai "
__date__ = "Jul 12 2004, modified Dec 22 2004 to add randomize, search and to also add oggs as well as mp3s"
__version__ = "0.2mod1"

"""
A simple m3u file is like this:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:111,Coldplay - In Myplace
/path/to/the/song/Coldplay - In My Place.mp3

- #EXTM3U is the format descriptor (unchanging)
- #Extinf is the record marker (with extended info, unchanging)
- : is the separator
- 111 is the length of the track in whole seconds
- , is the other separator
- the name of the track (a good generator parses the ID3,
  if there isn't an ID3 use the file name without the extension)
- /path/etc. etc. is the absolute (or relative) path to the file name
  of the track

Requirements:

- Python 2.2
- pymad for track length - http://spacepants.org/src/pymad/
- id3-py for reading ID3 infos - http://id3-py.sourceforge.net/


"""

FORMAT_DESCRIPTOR = "#EXTM3U"
RECORD_MARKER = "#EXTINF"

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def _usage():
    """ print the usage message """
    msg = "Usage:  python pyM3U.py [options] playlist_name [path] [PATTERN]\n"
    msg += __doc__ + "\n\n"
    msg += "Only include files with at least one word from PATTERN in ID3 artist, title or filename.\n"
    msg += "Example: python pyM3U.py playlist_name.m3u /path/to/mp3s music good \n"
    msg += "This example creates a sorted playlist called playlist_name.m3u from any mp3s in /path/to/mp3s/ with the word \"music\" or \"good\" in the ID3 artist, title, or filename.\n\n"
    msg += "Options:\n"
    msg += "%5s,\t%s\t\t%s\n" % ("-n", "--no-sort", "do not sort entries by filename")
    msg += "%5s,\t%s\t\t\t%s\n" % ("-r", "--rand", "randomize list")
    msg += "%5s,\t%s\t\t\t%s\n" % ("-w", "--walk", "walk into subdirs (default: no walk)")
    msg += "%5s,\t%s\t\t\t%s" % ("-h", "--help", "display this help and exit")

    print msg

def generate_list(name="songs_list.m3u", path=".",
                  sort=True, walk=False, regExp="", rand=False):
    """ generates the M3U playlist with the given file name

    and in the given path """

    output = None
    try:
        try:
            if walk:
                # recursive version
                mp3_list = [os.path.join(root,  i) for root, dirs, files in os.walk(path) for i in files  if i[-3:] == "mp3" or i[-3:] == "ogg"]
            else:
                # non recursive version
                mp3_list = [i for i in os.listdir(path) if i[-3:] == "mp3"]

            #print mp3_list

            if sort and not rand:
                mp3_list.sort()

            output = file(name, "w")
            output.write(FORMAT_DESCRIPTOR + "\n")

        if rand:
        random.shuffle(mp3_list)

            for track in mp3_list:
                if not walk:
                    track = os.path.join(path, track)
                else:
                    track = os.path.abspath(track)
                # open the track with mad and ID3
                mf = mad.MadFile(track)
                id3info = ID3.ID3(track)

                # M3U format needs seconds but
                # total_time returns milliseconds
                # hence i convert them in seconds
                track_length = mf.total_time() / 1000

                # get the artist name and the title
                artist, title = id3info.artist, id3info.title

            wanted=re.compile(regExp, re.IGNORECASE)

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#       if wanted.match(artist)!=None or wanted.match(title)!=None or wanted.match(track)!=None: print artist + " - " +title+":"+track
        # match command line parameters to artist, title or filename
        if wanted.match(artist)!=None or wanted.match(title)!=None or wanted.match(track)!=None:
            if artist and title:
                        output.write(RECORD_MARKER + ":" + str(track_length) + "," + artist + " - " + title + "\n")
                    else:   # use filename if no artist and title
                        output.write(RECORD_MARKER + ":" + str(track_length) + "," + os.path.basename(track)[:-4] + "\n")

                    # write the fullpath
                    output.write(track + "\n")

        except (OSError, IOError), e:
            print e
    finally:
        if output:
            output.close()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    if len(sys.argv) == 1:
        sys.stderr.write("No playlist name given\n")
        sys.exit(1)

    options = "nhwr"
    long_options = ["no-sort", "help", "walk", "rand"]

    try:
        opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], options, long_options)
    except getopt.GetoptError:
        print "error"
        _usage()
        sys.exit(2)

    name, path, sort, regExp, rand, walk = "songs_list.m3u", ".", True, "", False, False

    #print opts, args

    # check cmd line args
    for o, a in opts:
        if o in ("-n", "--no-sort"):
            sort = False
    if o in ("-r", "--rand"):
        rand = True
        if o in ("-w", "--walk"):
            walk = True
        if o in ("-h", "--help"):
            _usage()
            sys.exit(1)

    try:
        name = args[0]
    except:
        pass

    try:
        path = args[1]
    except:
        pass

    try:
    regExp = ''
    for i in range(2,len(args)):    #insert regExp characters and params
            regExp += ".*" + args[i] + ".*"
        if i!=len(args)-1:      #insert or between
         regExp+= "|"
    except:
    pass

    #print name, path, sort

    if os.path.exists(path):
        generate_list(name, path, sort, walk, regExp, rand)
    else:
        sys.stderr.write("Given path does not exist\n")
        sys.exit(2)

*end code*