FLAC Files Explained in Plain English

FLAC is a type of file-compression especially designed for music. It is “lossless” meaning that it will make exact copies, unlike MP3. However, the increased quality comes at a price, and FLAC files are much larger than the equivalent MP3 files. For example, a music CD compressed with FLAC might be 2.5 gigabytes.

FLAC makes an exact copy, just like WAV, only a bit smaller. While FLAC is favored by audiophiles, you might use it to make perfect copies of your CDs that will last forever. Then you could make MP3s from the FLACs for use on your music player.

If your computer/device won’t play FLAC files, you can use the free VLC Media Player.