What is a FLAC file?
FLAC keeps every detail of the original recording while taking around half the space of a WAV, and it stores artwork and track information properly. It is the format to keep a music collection in. You can convert FLAC files here, both into the format and out of it.
Specification
| Full name | Free Lossless Audio Codec |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .flac |
| Media type | audio/flac |
| Compression | Lossless |
| Transparency | — |
| Animation | — |
| Multiple pages | — |
| Colour depth | Up to 32-bit, up to 655 kHz |
| Size limits | — |
| Introduced | 2001 |
| Developed by | Xiph.Org Foundation |
| Standard | Open |
| Browser support | All current browsers |
What FLAC is used for
- Archiving CD rips without losing anything
- High resolution audio distribution
- Personal music libraries where quality matters
- Master copies to make all the smaller versions from
Strengths and limitations
What FLAC does well
- Identical to the recording at roughly half the size of a WAV
- Fast decoding and good tagging with embedded artwork
- Free, open and supported by most serious audio software
Where FLAC falls short
- Much larger than MP3, AAC or Opus
- No native support in Safari before recent versions or in older cars
- Wasted on speech and on recordings that were never good to begin with
Convert FLAC to
Every target this format can be written out as, each on its own page.
Convert to FLAC
Everything that can be turned into a FLAC file.
Tools that accept FLAC
Questions about FLAC
What is a .flac file?
FLAC keeps every detail of the original recording while taking around half the space of a WAV, and it stores artwork and track information properly. The extension .flac identifies it, and its media type is audio/flac.
How do I open a FLAC file?
Any current browser will open it directly, so dragging the file into a tab is usually enough. Most operating systems also preview it without extra software.
Is FLAC lossy or lossless?
Lossless. Nothing is discarded, so repeated saves never degrade the contents.
What is FLAC good for?
Identical to the recording at roughly half the size of a WAV. Fast decoding and good tagging with embedded artwork. Free, open and supported by most serious audio software. In practice that makes it a good fit for archiving CD rips without losing anything, and High resolution audio distribution.
What are the drawbacks of FLAC?
Much larger than MP3, AAC or Opus. No native support in Safari before recent versions or in older cars. Wasted on speech and on recordings that were never good to begin with.