FLAC Converter

FLAC Converter Online

Using our online FLAC converter tool, you can quickly and easily convert FLAC files. You can convert FLAC to a range of other audio file formats such as MP3, WAV, M4A, M4R, OGG, WMA, OPUS, AIFF, and MMF. Our FLAC converter is 100% free to use, respects user’s privacy, doesn’t require any user registration, and doesn’t impose any limits other than the file size. All your files are processed and converted within your browser.

If you wish to convert audio to FLAC or convert FLAC to other audio formats, then the process is very simple and straightforward using our online FLAC converter.

How to Use FLAC Converter Online

Steps to convert FLAC to another format using our FLAC converter online tool:

Step 1: Using the upload box at the top of this page, browse and select (or drag and drop) the audio file which you wish to converter.

Step 2: Select the output format of the audio file, which is the new format that you want to convert it to.

Step 3: Press the Convert button. Our FLAC converter tool will automatically convert the audio file to the selected output format. Once it’s done, the download button will appear.

Convert from FLAC

AudioConverter.org can convert your FLAC files to these other formats:

Convert to FLAC

AudioConverter.org can convert your other files to FLAC format:

What is FLAC?

First things first, FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec file. It is an open-source audio compression format which is used to compress an audio file to a smaller size – almost half of its original size.

What makes FLAC files better than MP3 and M4P files is the fact that these files make use of the lossless algorithm. This means that the quality of the audio file is not compromised during the entire compression process.

These files first made their presence felt in 2001 as an open-source alternative to other lossless formats prevalent at that point in time. The other big players of that time include Apple Lossless (ALAC) and Waveform Audio Format (WAV). However, each of these file formats had their own shortcomings. While ALAC was majorly sued by iPod and iPhone users, WAV format was popular but its file sizes were very large and it was unable to retain any tag data.

This is when FLAC file formats changed the entire scenario. It was not only able to retain tag data – lyrics, artist, and album name and so on, but it was also compatible with a range of Apple devices.

How to Open a FLAC File

A FLAC file can be easily opened through VLC player. This is because VLC not only supports FLAC but a range of other audio and video formats as well.

That said, you can open a FLAC file with almost all media files. In the worst scenario, you might need an additional plugin or extension to be installed.

FLAC Advantages

Compression techniques take large files such as wave (.wav) files and reduce the data bits while preserving as much of the audio landscape as possible. A well-known audio compression format is MP3 (.mp3). MP3 files slim down bulky wave and compact disk files to a fraction of their original size, making MP3 an ideal format for portable audio players. The MP3 format allows a vast library of songs to fill a very small storage footprint. However, there is a trade-off in audio quality.

FLAC surpasses MP3 quality by preserving the original soundscape in exact detail. The FLAC format reduces the original file size by roughly 30-60% with no loss of quality, hence it is a lossless format. This differs from the MP3 format which is a lossy format, or a format that loses quality in the conversion process.

One of the great strengths of FLAC is its very fast decoding time, or ability to stream even on modest hardware. Technical specifics in the framed architecture also allow it to be error resistant, in that each frame has the information it needs to decode itself. If a frame is corrupted, the data lost in the stream is a mere blip. This differs from other types of lossless formats where the entire stream would essentially become corrupted.

FLAC Advantages follows as:

• Compatible with a range of devices, operating systems, and software
• Open source file format
• Lossless format of storing audio files
• Fast decoding
• Smaller file sizes
• Supports replay gain and cue-sheet
• Supports high-resolution streaming

FLAC Disadvantages

• Compression is less efficient when compared to other modern alternatives.
• The only real disadvantage of FLAC files is that the compression ratio is not as steep as other codecs. Files will be somewhat larger.
• However, with all of the advantages of FLAC, this is a happy trade off for many audiophiles.