FLAC file format
| Extension | .flac |
| Category | audio |
| Programs | СomboPlayer VLC media player Winamp Foobar2000 Cog MacAmp Lite X aTunes |
| Description | FLAC, or Free Lossless Audio Codec, is a binary audio format used for reducing the file size of audio files while maintaining their quality. Essentially, it's a lossless audio compression format. FLAC files provide an exact copy of audio CDs but are significantly smaller in size compared to CD and WAV files. However, FLAC files are still bigger than MP3 files, sometimes by a factor of 16. The FLAC format has gained popularity due to its superior sound quality. Unlike MP3, which is a lossy format, FLAC is lossless, which means no audio elements are removed to reduce the file size. All elements, such as reverbs, transients, and guitar sounds, are preserved even after compression. |
| Technical details | How does one create and open a FLAC file? Typically, there are two suggested ways to produce a FLAC audio file: ripping an audio CD, or downloading from a store that offers FLAC files. Alternatively, convert your MP3 files to FLAC using online converters or downloadable software. Some software, such as digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Audacity, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro, also allow users to save files in the FLAC format. Opening FLAC files is a simple process as many Windows and Mac audio players support this format. However, not all players support FLAC. FLAC audio files can be opened with VLC, Audacity, Adobe Audition CC, Roxio Creator NXT Pro, File Viewer Plus, MPlayer, aTunes, jetAudio, and more. Mobile users can also open FLAC files using VLC for mobile and other smartphone players. What other formats can FLAC be converted into and why? FLAC, like other audio formats, can be converted to many formats. The most common conversions include: MP3 WAV AIFF ALAC Converting FLAC to MP3 and vice versa is quite frequent, but a wide array of conversions are possible based on your needs. FLAC's main advantage is its superior sound quality. Like WAV and CDs, FLAC is lossless, offering significantly better sound quality than MP3 files. However, they are up to 16 times larger than MP3, so converting to MP3 can be more suitable for uploading and streaming purposes. While FLAC files are larger than MP3, they are considerably smaller than WAV files. Users can decrease WAV and CD file sizes by up to 60% by converting to FLAC using the suggestions from cell. |
| MIME type | audio/flac |