FLAC vs MP3: Which Is Better, The Pros and Cons, and How To Convert FLAC to MP3
You scroll up and down through your digital music collection, and you’ll realize how many audio file formats are there. The most common is probably three or four, and we will take about two in this article: FLAC vs MP3. We will consider it a success if, after reading what we have to say and have gathered about FLAC and MP3, you will now have a good idea about what they can offer. Of course, that includes deciding which one fits your needs.
FLAC vs MP3: What Are They?
FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec is an open-source file format that can produce (almost) 1:1 quality of CDs at 50–70% of the file size of the original. The development of FLAC started in 2000 by Josh Coalson and then was integrated into the Xiph.org banner in 2003. Audio compressed with FLAC is lossless, which means no audio quality is lost during the compression process. FLAC is typically the format of choice for audiophiles, and most record labels favor it as well.
Now, here’s a little background of FLAC’s creation. It was developed as an open-source alternative to lossless compression formats existing at the time, namely, ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec), WAV (Waveform Audio Format by Microsoft), and Windows Media Audio (WMA) Lossless. The problems with these formats are their limited support, large file sizes, and they do not allow tag data. FLAC, on the other hand, is supported by more devices, can compress up to half the size of the original audio data, and allows tagging.
Much has been said about the MP3 file format, its origin, and how it became the de facto standard of audio file formats in the Internet age. It was created because audio file formats in the early 90s took too long to be uploaded and shared in dial-up connections. Twenty-seven years after its public release, the MP3 audio file format is still sitting the pinnacle among its peers for good reasons. Its compression method allows it to be condensed into 1/10th the size of the original file. That’s a lot of quality loss, but in most cases, unless you have the right sound system or top-of-the-line headphones, you would not know the difference.
From what we have learned so far, the difference between FLAC and MP3 is like apples to oranges.
That can totally be explained because the two formats use very different compression methods, lossless vs lossy. You just can’t compare them because they are two very different things. Lossless will only shrink the size of the package, but everything is still there — nothing is discarded. On the other hand, lossy compression formats like MP3 throw away data that the algorithm determines to be not essential, and there’s no way of getting it back. Quality-wise, lossless compression formats such as FLAC trumps lossy compression formats anytime, but that doesn’t mean you should always use it. Quality may win the war, but it does not always sweep the battle. We’ll find out more about it as we go along.
FLAC vs. MP3: Comparison Chart
FLAC vs MP3: FAQ
How much sound quality difference is there between FLAC and MP3?
Technically, there is a lot, but practically, you are probably not going to hear much difference at all unless you have the right equipment.
See, MP3 may have a lossy compression that uses psychoacoustic modeling, but it is designed to discard data that a human brain typically does not care about. It tosses a lot of stuff out, but if the purpose is recreational music-listening, you will hardly notice any difference at all. There may be some instances where you will detect the disparity but not enough to switch from the all-popular MP3 to FLAC completely.
When should I use FLAC? MP3?
While it is mentioned that there is almost no discernible difference between MP3 and FLAC, that does not mean you shouldn’t use the latter in particular situations. For instance, if you need to archive your old CDs and store them for safekeeping, then FLAC makes complete sense. It retains the audio fidelity of Audio CDs, and you can burn the CDs from these FLAC files whenever you feel like it since it is essentially the same as the original. You buy a wine cellar so your wine can last long, and for FLAC, preservation is the name of the game.
Another use for FLAC is probably for serious music hobbyists and professionals. There is music where you’d like to sit down and critically listen at home in a pricey audio entertainment system. For that, FLAC is definitely the way to go.
For MP3s, well, because of how convenient it is, then there are a lot of situations where you would prefer the file format over its peers. Listening to music in the car, your MP3 device, or anything portable, MP3 is generally the audio format of choice.
Should I convert from FLAC to MP3?
When you are facing compatibility issues, then you definitely need to convert FLAC to MP3. Some media players or devices do not support FLAC, so it would only make sense to turn to the de facto standard for audio formats, and that’s MP3.
FLAC vs MP3: Pros and Cons
FLAC Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Retains audio fidelity like the original so it’s the best for archiving purposes
Higher file size than MP3, possibly up to ten times larger
Open source and free license
Less efficient compression methods compared to other modern encoders
It can decode quickly
Not supported by iTunes
You can safely transcode from FLAC to other format
If files are partially corrupted, it can be restored
MP3 Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Quality difference with FLAC is indiscernible in most situations
Too much data is thrown out
Universal support
Converting it to other formats will result in too much file deterioration
File is up to 90% less than the original
Vulnerable to piracy and virus/malware attacks
Allows adjustment of quality through choosing of bitrate
Can easily be shared and stored
FLAC vs MP3: The Bottom Line — Which is Better?
Because there are too broad a gap and too many differences between the FLAC and MP3 file formats, it’s not even fair comparing the two. Both are great in areas which they are created for. FLAC will never replace MP3, but MP3 cannot do the things FLAC can.
For example, MP3 will never be the go-to file format for archiving music. Its quality is not as good, and every time you convert it to another format, it loses quality in each instance. On the other hand, when we’re talking about listening to music as a pastime, something the majority of us like to do, it makes no sense insisting on FLAC. Unless you have the best headphones and a $100,000 audio system, you probably won’t hear any difference at all.
The bottom line is, if you’re archiving music for later use, you’ll achieve quality just like the original with FLAC; in everyday audio use, go with MP3.
How to Convert FLAC to MP3
Let’s say you have the archived FLAC files of your favorite music, and you had to transfer it to a portable device because you’re driving cross-country alone. You figured that your jam could help take away some of the boredom, so what are you going to do? Why not convert FLAC to MP3? Our online MP3 converter can do the job efficiently and in a matter of seconds!
Here’s how to convert FLAC to MP3 on Evano.com:
- Select a FLAC file that you want to convert.
- Choose MP3 as the output format and configure settings, if needed.
- Click “Convert,” and in a few moments, your FLAC file will be ready to download.
