How to Convert MP3 Files to FLAC
by Anthony BrandtMP3 is the most popular and well-known digital audio format, and is supported by essentially all personal digital audio players and digital music software. MP3, however, is a "lossy" format, meaning it sacrifices audio quality to achieve small file sizes. FLAC is a very popular "lossless" audio format, which means it maintains the entire quality of the original source, such as a compact disc. FLAC's file sizes, however, can be about three to five times that of an MP3.
How to Convert MP3 Files to FLAC, Windows Users
Visit the dBpoweramp website (see Resources) and download the dBpoweramp Music Converter installation file from the prominent link; then install the software.
Run dBpoweramp Music Converter. Browse to the folder where the MP3 files you want to convert are located. Highlight the file(s) you want to convert into FLAC; then click "Open."
Select "FLAC" from the drop-down menu in the "Converting To" area. In the "Output Location" area, you can choose to either output the converted FLACs to the source folder you chose in Step 2 or output them to a different folder.
Click "Convert" in the lower right-hand corner of the window. A progress bar will apprise you of the conversion process. When complete, click "Finished." Your newly converted FLACs will be waiting in the folder you selected in Step 3.
How to Convert MP3 Files to FLAC, Ubuntu/Linux
If running Ubuntu or another Debian-based Linux version, go to "System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager." Otherwise, browse to the Sound Converter web page (see Resources), download and install the program, and then skip to Step 3.
Type "Sound Converter" in the Quick Search box; then find "soundconverter" in the list of search results. Click the "Package" header to sort the list, if necessary. Click the check box next to "soundconverter" and click "Mark for Installation." If asked to mark other packages for installation or take other steps to install the software, follow the prompts to do so. Click the "Apply" button near the top of the window. Synaptic Package Manager will install Sound Converter.
Run Sound Converter. Click the "Add File" button in the toolbar near the top of the program window. (Click the "Add Folder" button instead if you want to convert an entire directory.) Browse to the MP3s you want to turn into FLACs; then click "Open."
Click "Edit > Preferences." By "Type of Result?" choose FLAC. Click "Convert" at the top of the program window. Your new FLACs will be waiting in the same folder your MP3s were located in.
How to Convert MP3 Files to FLAC, Mac OS X
Visit the xACT (X Audio Compression Toolkit) website (see Resources); then download and install the program.
Run xACT; then click the "encode" tab. The file pane on the left side of the program window allows you to queue files for conversion. Use Mac OS X's finder to browse to the MP3 file(s) you'd like to convert to FLAC; then drag them into xACT's file pane.
Select FLAC for the encoding format at the right of the file pane; then click the prominent "Encode" button. Choose the folder you want xACT to output the new files to, and xACT will convert your MP3s into FLAC format.
Warning
- close MP3 is a lossy format, meaning information from the original audio source is discarded when the file is created. While FLAC does not discard this information and instead maintains full CD quality, converting an MP3 file into FLAC format will not magically restore lost information. Archiving MP3s as lossless FLACs might be desired by some users, but will not improve any quality from the original MP3.
