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THE FILE FIELD GUIDE
.flac

FLAC Audio

Audio

Losslessly compresses PCM audio and can reproduce its samples. FLAC made from MP3 cannot recover information lost by MP3.

What it is used for
Lossless audio storage
What the file contains
Binary data
All sections, questions and sources

Content reviewed： · Editor：Kai

First: choose for your purpose

FLAC losslessly compresses PCM. It can reduce storage size, but not all music apps support every rate/depth. Check player support separately from library import.

Opening steps

Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.

Windows: inspect in a player

Separate audio format from output-device settings.

  1. Open the saved file in a supporting player such as VLC.
  2. Inspect rate, depth and channels and verify device support for high-rate audio.
  3. Listen to beginning, middle and end and inspect silence, noise and left/right channels.
macOS: use a supporting app

Do not assume direct Music import; use a compatible player/editor.

  1. Open a copy in a supporting player such as VLC or in Audacity.
  2. Check volume, speed, duration and source content including player speed settings.
  3. Keep the source and create a separate-format output copy.
iPhone / Android: files versus libraries

Saving locally may not import into a music library.

  1. Locate saved audio in the file manager and open it in a compatible player.
  2. Check supported formats/library import if it cannot be registered.
  3. Check destination encoding, size and duration and listen to the delivered copy.

Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.

Troubleshooting by symptom

  • Library rejection may reflect unsupported import or library workflow; test in a supported player first.
  • Distinguish device rate limits from corruption; re-download or use format-aware testing for decode errors.
  • Music import fails: inspect app support, verify playback elsewhere and create an appropriate copy if needed.
  • Only high-resolution files fail: inspect rate/depth/channel limits; FLAC support is not unlimited.
  • Titles disappear in WAV: inspect metadata export and destination support.

FLAC → WAV

  1. Decode with a compatible tool into PCM WAV at the original rate/depth.
  2. Compare duration/channels and check tag retention.
  3. Verify matching rate/depth/channels, duration, level and metadata.

Lossless audio and metadata retention are separate. Resampling/depth changes alter the samples.

What lossless means

FLAC losslessly stores the target PCM samples. FLAC made from MP3 stores decoded MP3 audio, not the pre-MP3 recording.

Use matching rate/depth/channels for WAV and document resampled copies as a separate operation.

Source for these steps：IETF · RFC 9639 — FLAC

Storage masters and playback copies

For unsupported devices, retain the source and create a compatible copy; MP3 is a lossy delivery choice.

Compare title, album, order and artwork as well as audio; metadata interoperability differs from sample losslessness.

Source for these steps：Audacity Team · Export Audio

Related-format differences

Related-format differences
Format / choicePurpose and preserved information
FLACLossless PCM compression with app-dependent metadata handling.
WAVMatching-PCM output option; inspect coding/metadata.
MP3Lossy delivery without full source information.

Handling and security

Review tags before publishing. Lossless coding does not establish a trusted source.

Questions and answers

Can FLAC reproduce WAV samples?

For supported PCM converted without changes, samples can be preserved exactly.

Does MP3-to-FLAC restore the master?

No. Discarded MP3 information is not recovered.

Are all tags retained in conversion?

It depends on format/tool; check audio and metadata separately.

Does FLAC→WAV preserve every tag?

It depends on metadata support; verify tags separately.

Does FLAC support cover every FLAC file?

Check rate, depth and channel limits too.

Format facts: name, steward and MIME type
Formal name
Free Lossless Audio Codec
Steward / specification
IETF / Xiph.Org
MIME type
audio/flac

Primary and official sources

  • StandardRFC 9639 — FLAC

    Defines FLAC lossless coding and audio/flac.

    IETF · Link checked：
  • Project documentationVLC User Documentation

    Player documentation for desktop, Android and iOS.

    VideoLAN · Link checked：
  • Project documentationImporting Audio

    Audio import for editing and format requirements.

    Audacity Team · Link checked：
  • Project documentationExport Audio

    Export range, channels and format settings.

    Audacity Team · Link checked：