How to convert from flac


5 Easy Ways to Convert FLAC to MP3 with High Quality on Mac & PC

FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec, an audio format that preserves original music quality while compressing file size. However, most audio formats offer a trade-off between music quality and file size. When you get better music quality with FLAC, the more storage space will be taken up on your Mac or PC.

Compared to FLAC, MP3 saves much space due to its small file sizes. In the meantime, MP3 is very popular and enjoys universal compatibility so it can be played literally on every single device. The situation is slightly different with FLAC. You can rarely see on a default music player installed on a Mac, PC, or other devices, which support playing FLAC files.

So, admit of no delay, you have to know how to convert FLAC to MP3. And we recommend you convert FLAC to a well-encoded MP3 at 320 kbps, in this way you get a MP3 that almost have the same quality as FLAC and at a much smaller size. If you have dozens of FLAC files on your Mac or Windows, pick the following best FLAC to MP3 converters.

  • >> Best FLAC to MP3 Converter for Mac
  • >> How to Convert FLAC to MP3 on Windows?
  • >> How to Convert FLAC to MP3 with VLC?
  • >> How to Convert FLAC to MP3 Online?

Batch Convert FLAC to MP3 without Lossing Quality

Converting FLAC to MP3 with Cisdem Video Converter is easy and effective. It has a wide range of features, built-in tools and optimized presets to provide an excellent experience for users. The reason it tops other FLAC to MP3 converters lies in that, apart from performing marvelous tasks beyond simple audio and video conversions, Cisdem Video Converter for Mac can also handle video files in batches and provide video editing, downloading YouTube to FLAC, MP3, and DVD ripping functions.

Free Download

Step 1Import your FLAC files

Once you've launched the best FLAC to MP3 converter Mac, you can start the audio change by moving FLAC files into the program. On the other hand, you can click the Media Brower button at the top-right corner to choose FLAC files. The program supports process files in batch, so you can load as many FLAC files as you like.

Step 2Select MP3 as the output format

Having done with the input files, choose MP3 format from General Audio categories. There are over 200 formats you can choose from, including output devices like Apple device, game console, mobile phone, etc.

You can click the settings button and set the quality to high, this will give a much better sound quality than a 128 kbps MP3 most of the other online converter offers. Many people can’t hear the difference between a 320 kbps MP3 and FLAC file. A typical song in MP3 (320 kbps) will be about 8 -10 MB of space, while the same FLAC will take up about 105MB of space. 

Step 3Convert FLAC to MP3 in bathes

Select output destination to save the converted MP3 files. And then convert FLAC to MP3 by clicking the button in the lower right corner.

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Convert FLAC to MP3 on Windows?

If you are looking for Windows software to convert FLAC to MP3, you can try an application which named FLAC to MP3. Despite the name, it is a full-featured audio converter that supports fast conversion, batch mode, and 20+ formats input. More importantly, FLAC to MP3 is easy to operate. With the straightforward interface, you will pull the job off within a short time.

  1. Run the software, and then click on the Add button or Add Folder button on the toolbar above to import FLAC files. Alternatively, drag & drop FLAC files into the file list directly.
  2. At the right bottom field, you can select MP3 from the list. Next, do some customization and choose an output path for your converted MP3 files.3. Click on Start Converting Now button. The FLAC to MP3 conversion process will appear on the progress bar.

How to Convert FLAC to MP3 with VLC?

When referring to free audio software, people tend to think of iTunes. But iTunes does not support the FLAC file format. Never mind! Here we introduce another great FLAC to MP3 converter option for you- VLC Media Player. Not only can VLC convert between different video formats but it also does the same with converting audio formats. One of its most popular audio conversions is converting FLAC to MP3, M4A, WAV, etc.

  1. Open up VLC and go to Media > Convert/Save from the VLC menu.
  2. In the Open Media window, drag FLAC file into the box or click Add button to browse your location file. Afterward, click the Convert/Save button to proceed.
  3. In the Convert Window, you should select MP3 as output format by clicking on the drop-down menu next to Profile.
  4. Finally, choose a destination by selecting the Browse option and click on the Start button to finish FLAC to MP3 conversion process.

Verdict: VLC works really good at convert FLAC to MP3, but you can do one song at a time and it will out put the MP3 at 128 kbps, also you have no option to set the bitrate of the output MP3. 

How to Convert FLAC to MP3 with Audacity

Audacity is a well know app among audiophiles, it can be works as a very good FLAC Converter that available for Windows, macOS, and Linux users. It comes with tremendous audio refining and editing function such as trim audio, split audio, merge audio, audio effects, etc. and as it is very powerful it do have a learning curve. To convert FLAC to MP3 with Audacity you also need to download of an external file as Audacity requires to use LAME to encode MP3.

Steps on Converting FLAC to MP3 with Audacity:

Step 1: Download FFmpeg package.

Step 2: Open Audacity. In the menu click “Audacity” > “Preferences” > “Libraries” > locate and add FFmpeg library to Audacity.

Step 3: Go back to the main interface of Audacity. Add FLAC audio files to AUdacity.

Step 4: Click File > Export> Export as MP3. and then click “Save”.

Verdict: With Audacity you can easily convert FALC to MP3, and it can prrocess files in batches, you can trim to music to several clips, and edit the meta data. Though it is a little bit complex to use.

How to Convert FLAC to MP3 Online?

Unlike the software, you can use online FLAC to MP3 converters as if you are in a good network environment, ignoring the OS differences.

#1. Online Audio Converter

Online Audio Converter should give you a big surprise. It is a friendly web-based service, which supports 300+ file formats, extracting audios from videos, and editing of track information. Better than other FLAC to MP3 converters, this tool enables batch conversion as well.

  1. Upload FLAC file. There are four options: click Open files button; from Google URL; from Dropbox; type the URL.
  2. Choose the MP3 format and adjust its quality. Furthermore, you can customize the advanced setting and track information.
  3. At the last step, you are able to transfer audio tracks right in your browser. It’s convenient, secure, and free.

#2. Zamzar

Zamzar is one of the oldest online FLAC to MP3 tool for Mac & PC that also supports converting audio, video, image, document, etc. You can upload audio files limited in 50MB (sign up to get 100MB). For large FLAC size and more features, you should pay to upgrade to a professional version.

  1. Select FLAC files to convert or drag and drop your files directly.
  2. Choose an MP3 format to convert to.
  3. Enter the email address to receive files.
  4. Agree to terms and convert FLAC to MP3 Mac and PC by clicking the button Convert.

Conclusion

We’ve shared 5 reliable ways for converting FLAC to MP3 on Mac and Windows. If you're just converting from time to time, the web tools should be sufficient to meet your needs. But for long-time users, you must know online FLAC to MP3 converters may waste lots of time when uploading and converting large-size files. What’s more, you have to own a stable network connection.

As for VLC, people also gave some feedback on technical problems. One of the common issues is VLC no sound. That means after conversion, your audio might miss sound in VLC.

Picking the best FLAC to MP3 converter is a hard decision. As a Mac user, I focus on Cisdem Video Converter with great passion. It supports conversions between almost all major formats and contains quite a bit of functionality.

Peter William

Peter has always had great enthusiasm for writing, programming and web development. He likes writing about software and technology, his works are featured on some tech blogs or forums like Tom's Hardware, CNET, etc.

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How to Convert FLAC to MP3

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By Jon Martindale

A major perk that draws people to the FLAC file format is that it can shrink down large audio files. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of devices that still support the FLAC format, which means you might need to convert your files to the MP3 format. 

Contents

  • Step 1: Go to the Online Audio Converter website
  • Step 2: Select the files you want to convert
  • Step 3: Pick your format, quality level, and adjust your settings
  • Step 4: Convert and save your file
  • Alternative methods

Anytime you convert a file, you risk losing data in the process. However, we’ve got the science down, and we can walk you through the steps.

Step 1: Go to the Online Audio Converter website

Online Audio Converter is the quickest, simplest way to convert your FLAC files to MP3. It’s a free, web-based converter, and so you don’t need to purchase a subscription or download and install anything. Everything you need to convert your FLAC files is right on the main page of this website.

The only issue is that batch conversions take a little more time with Online Audio Converter than they do with some of our other choices.  The site was clearly designed with smaller conversions in mind.

Step 2: Select the files you want to convert

Select the large, blue Open Files button — if you want to select your files from local storage — or just click one of these three uploading options to select your files: Google Drive, Dropbox, or URL.

Step 3: Pick your format, quality level, and adjust your settings

Within the second section of the Online Audio Converter, select your desired format and quality level. The converter automatically defaults to the Standard level (128kbps) when converting files to MP3. If you tap the Advanced Settings button, you can adjust things like bitrate, sample rate, channels, and other features. This section also offers the option to edit your file’s track info with its Edit Track Info button. 

Step 4: Convert and save your file

In the last section of the converter, marked with the number 3, select the Convert button to finish converting your file. Once the conversion is complete, Online Audio Converter offers three ways to save your new file: Download (to save your file on your local storage) or Save to Google Drive or Dropbox.

Alternative methods

Fre:ac (Windows)

Fre:ac doesn’t have the prettiest interface or even the most user-friendly one. But it is a free audio converter for Windows PCs that can make quick work of converting your FLAC files to MP3s because it’s designed to utilize multi-core CPUs to optimize conversion speeds. Plus, you can easily download it from the Microsoft Store and get right to converting as soon as it’s installed.  In addition to an audio converter, Fre:ac also includes features such as an integrated CD ripper, a user interface that can be displayed in 43 languages, and Unicode support for tags and file names, just to name a few.

To MP3 Converter Free (MacOS)

One of the most popular audio converters in the Mac Store is the aptly titled To MP3 Converter Free, an easy-to-use utility for converting from one of over 200 audio and video formats to MP3. The software supports FLAC files and the process for making the conversion couldn’t be simpler. The software also allows you to change the output from a constant bitrate to a variable bitrate and transfer tags from the source file.

An annual subscription for $7 will help you batch convert folders and files. You will also be able to modify sound using fade in and fade out, and cut silence before and after songs. 

CloudConvert (Google Chrome extension/online option)

CloudConvert is a web-based app that only needs an internet connection to function, so you can reserve more memory space for other apps or better performance. For those using Google Chrome or a Chromebook, you can work with it as a Chrome add-on.  

CloudConvert can convert a wide variety of files, so you aren’t limited to audio. Its list of services includes documents, videos, images, and e-books. Additionally, it can handle FLAC and MP3 files seamlessly. You’ll find it especially beneficial if you use online storage options like Chromebook or Google Drive since the app is web-based.   

Compared to other options on our list, CloudConvert has fewer advanced features due to it being a web-based service. You can manipulate some basic controls like bitrate, but more in-depth controls are mostly absent. On the bright side, you will encounter fewer complications with a more simplistic system and thus experience a more streamlined operation for file conversion.

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FLAC to MP3 | Zamzar

Convert FLAC to MP3 - online and free

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FLAC (Audio)

File extension .flac
Category Audio File
Description Free Lossless Audio Codec, or FLAC for short, is an audio compression technique. This is a type of lossless compression that compresses without removing any data. FLAC is an open source codec. The format is recommended for backing up CD collections, as the sound quality will remain high, while MP3 compression will result in degradation from the original.
Actions
  • FLAC Converter
  • View other audio file formats
Technical details Using FLAC it is possible to compress an audio file to about 50% of its original size. The main advantages of the FLAC format, in addition to lossless compression, is that it can be used for streaming, decoding is fast, allowing real-time decoding. FLAC includes several data integrity checks in the header file. The metadata associated with audio is meant to be improved, adding new fields will not affect existing decoders.
Associated programs
  • Windows Media Player
  • VLC Media Player
  • Real Player
Designed by Xiph.Org Foundation
MIME type
  • audio/x-flac
  • audio/flac
Useful links
  • Details of FLAC
  • More about FLAC

MP3 (Audio)

File extension . mp3
Category Audio File
Description MP3 is a digital music format that allows CD tracks to be compressed to about one tenth of their normal size without significant loss of quality. MP3 gets rid of a lot of the information in the song that our ears can't hear, and then uses complex algorithms to reduce the file size. This allows us to get hundreds of songs on CD, and it also opened up a new market through the Internet - the download market, as the download time has been greatly reduced.
Actions
  • MP3 Converter
  • View other audio file formats
Technical details The MP3 format is a lost data format. This means that the MP3 file does not contain 100% of the original audio information. Instead, MP3 files use perceptual encoding. In other words, this means that it removes information that our ear does not distinguish, causing the file to become smaller. The reason the orphan format is used is because the raw audio files are too large to surf the Internet at great speeds. Using lossy formats, it allows even dial-up users to download mp3 files at a reasonable speed. Raw file formats typically require 176000 bytes per second compared to the lossy format which requires 17600. The difference is huge, and the download time is the same.
Associated programs
  • Real One
  • WinAmp
  • iTunes
  • Windows Media Player
Designed by Moving Picture Experts Group
MIME type
  • audio/mpeg
Useful links
  • Additional information on MP3 files
  • How an MP3 file works

Converting FLAC 9 files0045

Using Zamzar you can convert FLAC files to many other formats

  • flac to aac (Advanced Audio Coding File)
  • flac to ac3 (AC3 Audio File)
  • flac to m4a (compressed video file)
  • flac to m4r (iPhone Ringtone File)
  • flac to mp3 (Compressed audio file)
  • flac to ogg (Ogg Vorbis Compressed Audio File)
  • flac to wav (Windows audio file)

FLAC to MP3 - Convert file now

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Top 5 Free FLAC to MP3 Converters to Convert FLAC Audio Files

Laura Goodwin March 31, 2022 Convert Audio

To convert FLAC to MP3 on your computer, you should pay special attention to the sound quality. FLAC is an audio encoding format for lossless compression. When you need to transcode to lossy MP3 audio format, how to convert FLAC to MP3 with the best quality?

Of course, Free FLAC to MP3 Converter is the best choice when you need to convert FLAC audio files, especially online converter. Apart from online FLAC to MP3 converter, you can learn more about other 4 great ways to get your desired MP3 with ease.

  • Part 1: How to convert FLAC to MP3 online for free
  • Part 2: 4 methods to convert FLAC to MP3 on PC/Mac

Part 1: How to convert FLAC to MP3 online for free

If you don't want to download extra program To convert FLAC files, you should choose an online FLAC to MP3 converter. Free Online Audio Converter is a universal online audio converter for fast and high-quality audio file conversion between all popular formats. Just learn more about the process as below.

Step 1: Install FLAC audio launcher

Go to the free online audio converter on your computer, you can click "Add files to convert" to download Vidmore Launcher, which can convert FLAC file to MP3 and other audio formats.

Step 2: Download FLAC files online

Once you have installed the Vidmore launcher, you can click "Add File" to download FLAC files online. You can also click the audio file directly to listen to the FLAC file online.

Step 3: Select MP3 as the output

After that, you can select "MP3" as the output format. In order to convert FLAC to your desired audio format, you can set the MP3 bitrate to 320kbps, which provides better sound quality.

Step 4: Convert FLAC to MP3 online

You can click "Convert" button to convert FLAC to MP3 online. The whole conversion process takes some time. You can download the converted MP3 files to your computer.

Part 2: 4 Methods to Convert FLAC to MP3 on PC/Mac

Is there a FLAC to MP3 converter other than online converter? Can you convert FLAC files via iTunes on Mac? Here are the best FLAC to MP3 converters on Windows and Mac to get the desired MP3 files with ease.

Best FLAC to MP3 Converter for Converting FLAC Files

VidMore Video Converter is an all-in-one professional FLAC to MP3 converter that allows you to convert FLAC files between all popular formats. In addition, you can also adjust various audio format options as you wish.

Vidmore Video Converter

  • Convert FLAC to MP3, WAV, AC3 and over 200 other file formats.
  • Keep the original audio quality, bit rate, codec and sample rate.
  • Support for NVIDIA CUDA, NVENC, Intel and AMD hardware acceleration.
  • Advanced editing features such as crop, crop, rotate, enhance and more.

Free download Free download

Step 1: Install the FLAC to MP3 converter

After installing the FLAC converter, you can run the program and click the "Add File" button to load the FLAC files into the program. You can also batch drag and drop FLAC files.

Step 2: Select MP3 as the output format

Click the Profile button and select MP3 from the General Audio menu. What's more, it allows you to convert FLAC to other audio formats or even convert to a file that is optimal for any device.

Step 3: Change the output quality settings

To get the desired output MP3 file, you can adjust the audio quality by setting the bit rate, for example MP3 to 320Kbps, which allows you to get high quality MP3 files similar to FLAC.

Step 4: Convert FLAC to MP3 Easily

Select a destination folder and click "Convert" button to convert selected FLAC files to MP3 in batch process. After that, you can download the converted MP3 files to your computer.

How to convert FLAC to MP3 on Mac via VLC Media Player

Can I convert FLAC to MP3 via iTunes on Mac? Since iTunes is not compatible with FLAC files, when you need a free FLAC to MP3 converter on Mac, VLC Media Player is your desired choice.

Step 1: Open VLC Media Player on your Mac, click "File" > "Open File..." to import FLAC files into the program. You can import multiple FLAC files for a batch process.

Step 2: After you have imported FLAC files, you can click the files you want to convert, then you can click "File" > "Convert/Stream" to convert FLAC files to MP3.

Step 3: You can click "Select Profile" to select MP3 as the output format. Then click "Save as File" to save the converted MP3 files to your Mac computer.

How to convert FLAC to MP3 using Windows Media Player

To convert FLAC to MP3 for free on Windows 10, Windows Media Player is the default audio converter. If it's not available on your Windows 10, you can still download it from the Windows Store for free.

Step 1: Launch Windows Media Player and click the Organize button in the top left corner. Select the "Rip Music" option from the "Options" pop-up window.

Step 2: Scroll down to the "Rip Music" option, you can find and click the "Change" option to select the destination folder for the output MP3 files on your computer.

Step 3: Go to the "Format" button and select MP3 as the output format. It only allows you to adjust the bitrate of MP3 audio. Click "OK" button to convert FLAC audio to MP3.

How to convert FLAC to MP3 with Audacity

Audacity is more than a free and open source FLAC to MP3 converter, it's also a multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows and Mac.


Learn more