FLAC files are associated with the audio format which is an open source compressed format that reduces the size of audio files without sacrificing quality. Files that contain the FLAC extension use lossless audio compression that is supported by a wide variety of operating systems including Windows, Mac, Linux, UNIX, Solaris, and many others.
FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec and is widely available free of charge and can be used for any purpose. FLAC files are part of the relevant project operated by open source programmers that define the FLAC specifications. This also means the source code is freely available under an open source license.
FLAC files contain audio and are similar to the MP3 format. The only difference is the FLAC file format does not compromise audio quality since the compression method which is used to reduce the file size is designed specifically for audio. In addition to containing audio, FLAC files also store the checksum data which identifies the bit count and determines the integrity of the data.
How to Open FLAC Files
It is fairly easy to open and play a FLAC file since the format is compatible with a broad range of operating systems and applications. You can use virtually any media player applications that support the FLAC format. If the media player does not support FLAC files, you can simply install the plugin developed by the FLAC open source project.
If you use Windows, you can open FLAC files using Roxio Creator 2012 comprehensive suite of media tools and applications. You can also use Adobe Audition CS6 or Nullsoft Winamp Media Player to open FLAC files using Windows.
For Mac operating systems, you can open FLAC files using Roxio Toast 11 which is a suite of media applications designed for use with Mac OS. You may also use Adobe Audition CS6, Cog, or MacAmp Lite X to open FLAC files using Mac or a free media player called VOX which supports the FLAC format.
If you use Linux, you can open FLAC files with VideoLAN VLC Media Player or aTunes. Both of these programs are open source and work with Windows and Mac as well.
FLAC files can also be converted to another format using Magic FLAC to MPS Converter which is available as a download from the CNET website. This conversion is specifically designed to convert free lossless audio codec to MP3, WMA, or WAV files and works with the Windows operating system. If you use Mac OS X, you can convert FLAC files using All3MP3 which is available as a free download from the OS X Daily website.
