QTL stands for QuickTime Link and files with this file extension are used by the QuickTime Media player which was developed by the Apple Inc. QTL files are actually video or audio files facilitators that are required for QuickTime files running in the internet. QTL files are used to enable a QuickTime movie or audio file that is posted online to open in the QuickTime Player rather than just using any web browser plug-in. Meaning, QTL files contain all the required information to open QuickTime files in a QuickTime player.
QuickTime video files are actually saved in the MOV file extension and if a user clicks a link to a MOV file online, the web browser will automatically tap the plug-in needed to play or display the movie on the browser. However, some QuickTime videos are saved in a QTL format and when a user clicks a link to a QTL file online, he will either be asked to save the video file or open it with the QuickTime Player which should be installed already in his computer system. Some users usually prefer QTL over MOV format since they can save it in their hard drive and play it whenever they want. Users can also rename the file extension from MOV to QTL or from QTL to MOV without affecting the quality or the content of the video file.
QTL files may also contain just a small version of an actual movie to make it easier to download and thus it will also contain a link to watch the full movie online via streaming which is possible with a QuickTime Player. QTL files may contain XML data as well as it references to the actual movie online that is being displayed on the QuickTime Player. The only program that can open and create QTL files is the Apple QuickTime Player for both Mac OS and Windows platform.
