┌─ FILE ANALYSIS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┐
│ DEVELOPER : Xiph.Org Foundation
│ CATEGORY : Audio
│ MIME TYPE : audio/flac
│ MAGIC BYTES : 664C6143
└ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ┘
What is a FLAC file?
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an open-source audio format that compresses audio without any quality loss. It typically achieves 50-70% compression compared to uncompressed WAV while preserving bit-for-bit identical audio data upon decoding.
How to open FLAC files
- VLC Media Player (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free
- foobar2000 (Windows) — Lightweight, audiophile-focused
- Apple Music (macOS, iOS) — Native support since iOS 11
- Audacity (Windows, macOS, Linux) — Free audio editor
- MusicBee (Windows) — Free music manager
Technical specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| Bit Depth | 4-bit to 32-bit |
| Sample Rates | 1 Hz – 655,350 Hz |
| Channels | Up to 8 channels |
| Metadata | Vorbis comments, FLAC tags |
| Seekable | Yes, with seek tables |
Programs that open FLAC files
- foobar2000 — Audiophile music player
- MusicBee — Feature-rich music manager
- VLC — Universal media player
- Apple Music — Native support on Apple devices
- Tidal — HiFi streaming service
Common use cases
- Audiophile music: Lossless music collections
- Music archival: Bit-perfect audio preservation
- CD ripping: Exact digital copies of CDs
- Professional distribution: Hi-res music download services