FLAC vs MP3
FLAC is lossless: it keeps CD quality in roughly half the space of WAV. MP3 throws detail away to be about a fifth of FLAC’s size. Keep FLAC as your archive and convert to MP3 for phones, cars and sharing.
Free Lossless Audio Codec
Choose FLAC when
- Archiving music at full quality
- Hi-fi systems and audiophile players
- You may convert to other formats later
MPEG-1 Audio Layer III
Choose MP3 when
- Phones, cars and portable players
- Sharing and uploading
- Saving storage space
Side by side
| Property | FLAC | MP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Free Lossless Audio Codec | MPEG-1 Audio Layer III |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Audio | — | — |
| Typical quality | lossless, 16 or 24-bit | 128–320 kbps |
| Typical size | About 5–7 MB a minute for music | About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps |
| Support | Almost everywhere | Opens everywhere |
| Opens on | Most modern players, Android and recent iPhones; some car stereos and older apps don’t | Every phone, computer, car stereo, speaker and app |
| Best for | Archiving music and recordings without losing anything | Music and voice that has to play on anything |
| Introduced | 2001 | 1993 |
Watch out with FLAC
FLAC made from an MP3 is lossless only in name: it perfectly preserves an already lossy recording, at five times the size.
Watch out with MP3
Converting a low-bitrate MP3 to 320 kbps makes it bigger without making it sound any better; what was thrown away is gone.
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Questions
Is FLAC better than MP3?
FLAC is lossless: it keeps CD quality in roughly half the space of WAV. MP3 throws detail away to be about a fifth of FLAC’s size. Keep FLAC as your archive and convert to MP3 for phones, cars and sharing.
Which is smaller, FLAC or MP3?
MP3 is usually smaller for the same content. FLAC: About 5–7 MB a minute for music. MP3: About 1 MB a minute at 128 kbps, 2.4 MB at 320 kbps.
How do I convert FLAC to MP3?
Use the free FLAC to MP3 converter. It runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded.
How do I convert MP3 to FLAC?
Use the free MP3 to FLAC converter. It works the same way, entirely on your device.