Audio basics
What is FLAC, and when is it worth using?
October 31, 2026 • 2 min read
What FLAC does
FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. It compresses audio without losing data, so a FLAC file is usually much smaller than the same audio stored as uncompressed WAV.
When it helps
FLAC is a good choice for archiving your own recordings, because you can convert it to other formats later without starting from a damaged copy.
When it does not help
Converting an MP3 to FLAC makes the file bigger, but it does not restore the detail that MP3 removed. Check that your player or device supports FLAC too.