What is the FLAC audio format?
Definition of FLAC .
The Free Lossless Audio Codec is a compression standard originally developed by the non-profit foundation Xiph.org that supports digital audio files that are acoustically identical to the source material. FLAC-encoded files, usually with the .flac extension, are noted for their completely open source structure, as well as their small file size and fast decoding times.
FLAC files are very popular in the world of lossless audio. In digital audio, a lossless codec is a codec that does not lose important signal information about the original analog music during file compression. Many popular codecs use lossy compression algorithms, for example the MP3 and Windows Media Audio standards, which lose some audio fidelity during rendering.
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In fact, many users who want to back up their original audio CDs (CD ripping) choose to use FLAC to preserve their sound rather than a lossy format. Doing this ensures that if the original source is damaged or lost, a perfect copy can be played using the previously encoded FLAC file.
Of all the lossless audio formats available, FLAC is probably the most popular today. In fact, some HD music services now offer tracks in this format for download.
Ripping an audio CD to FLAC generally produces a file with a compression ratio between 30% and 50%. Due to the lossless nature of the format, some people prefer to store their digital music library as FLAC files on external storage media and convert them to a lossy format (MP3, AAC, WMA, etc.) when needed, such as syncing with an MP3 player or other types of portable devices.
FLAC Property
All major operating systems support the FLAC standard, including Windows 10, macOS High Sierra and later, most Linux distributions, Android 3.1 and later, and iOS 11 and later.
FLAC files support metadata tags, album art, and quick search content. Because it is a non-proprietary format and its core technology is licensed royalty-free, FLAC is especially popular with open source developers. In particular, FLAC’s fast streaming and decoding capabilities make it suitable for online playback compared to other formats.
