FLAC to MP3

FLAC is lossless, so this is the first quality loss the file has taken. It is also irreversible: converting back to FLAC restores the size, not the audio.

Runs in your browser // nothing is uploaded

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What survives the conversion

Derived from what each format is able to store, not from what the conversion promises.

Kept

FLAC carries nothing that MP3 can also hold.
ID3 tags, which FLAC could not store

Lost

Original audio (lossless)
Tags
Embedded cover art

Settings used

LAME VBR at -q:a 2, roughly 190 kbps average.

When not to convert

Not if you have the storage. FLAC is already about half the size of WAV with no loss at all.

About these formats

Audio

What is a FLAC file?

FLAC compresses audio losslessly, typically to 50-60% of the original WAV size while decoding back to a bit-identical waveform. It is the standard choice for archiving music collections, and it supports rich metadata and embedded artwork that WAV handles poorly.

Read the format guide

Audio

What is a MP3 file?

MP3 is the lossy audio format that made digital music portable, standardised as part of MPEG-1 in 1993. Newer codecs such as AAC and Opus sound better at the same bitrate, but nothing matches MP3 for sheer universality: it plays on essentially any device ever made.

Read the format guide

Common questions

Does converting FLAC to MP3 lose anything?

Yes. Original audio (lossless), Tags, Embedded cover art cannot be carried into MP3 and are dropped. FLAC is lossless, so this is the first quality loss the file has taken. It is also irreversible: converting back to FLAC restores the size, not the audio.

Are my files uploaded when I convert FLAC to MP3?

No. The conversion runs in your browser tab, so the file is never transmitted and the page works offline once loaded.

What settings does Filoven use for FLAC to MP3?

LAME VBR at -q:a 2, roughly 190 kbps average.

When should I not convert FLAC to MP3?

Not if you have the storage. FLAC is already about half the size of WAV with no loss at all.