Audio format
The FLAC format
FLAC is lossless audio at roughly half the size of WAV. FLAC was released in 2001 as an open lossless format and became the standard for music archives and hi-res downloads.
When to use FLAC
Use FLAC to archive music and recordings you may want to convert again later.
It is best for archiving music and recordings without losing anything, and it opens on most modern players, Android and recent iPhones; some car stereos and older apps don’t.
How to open it: VLC, foobar2000, Windows Media Player, Apple Music and Android play FLAC files.
| Full name | Free Lossless Audio Codec |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .flac |
| MIME type | audio/flac |
| Introduced | 2001 |
| Compression | Lossless |
| Typical quality | lossless, 16 or 24-bit |
| Support | Opens almost everywhere |
| Typical size | About 5–7 MB a minute for music |
Good at
- Bit-perfect copy of the original
- Around half the size of WAV
- Proper tags and cover art
Not so good at
- Still five or six times the size of an MP3
- Chat apps and many forms won’t accept it
The common mistake
FLAC made from an MP3 is lossless only in name: it perfectly preserves an already lossy recording, at five times the size.
Convert FLAC to another audio format
Convert to FLAC from
Compare FLAC with
Questions
What is an FLAC file?
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is lossless audio at roughly half the size of WAV. FLAC was released in 2001 as an open lossless format and became the standard for music archives and hi-res downloads.
How do I open an FLAC file?
VLC, foobar2000, Windows Media Player, Apple Music and Android play FLAC files.
How do I convert FLAC to another format?
Pick the target on this page, or open the Audio Converter, drop the FLAC file and choose a format. It converts in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.