filetity

FLAC -> MP3 · Local tool

FLAC to MP3

Convert a lossless FLAC to MP3, around a fifth of the size.

Last updated

How do I convert FLAC to MP3?

Drop the FLAC onto filetity's converter and it becomes an MP3 in the browser tab, with nothing uploaded and no limit on how long the track is. Expect roughly a fifth of the size: FLAC usually sits around 700 to 900 kbps for CD quality audio and a good MP3 sits near 192, so a 40 MB track lands around 8 MB. FLAC is also the best possible source for an MP3, because it is lossless, so the encoder is deciding what to discard from the original signal rather than from audio something else has already thinned out. Two things do not survive, and the page says so: album art and tags, which FLAC stores in its own metadata blocks, and any sample rate above 48 kHz, which MP3 cannot hold.

  1. 01 / Your device

    the file stays here

  2. 02 / Browser memory

    the work runs locally

  3. 03 / Back to you

    saved on this device

When you would use this

Situations, not settings.

A lossless library that will not fit on a phone
About a fifth of the size. Keep the FLAC as the library and treat the MP3s as the copies that travel.
Making the best MP3 you can from an album
FLAC is lossless, so the encoder decides what to discard from the original signal rather than from something already thinned out.
Sending a track to somebody whose player will not open FLAC
Common enough on phones and car systems. Tags and album art do not carry over, so re-tag afterwards in a library manager.

How it works / no cloud

A conversion engine, not an upload form.

FLAC is lossless, so the decode gives back exactly the samples that went in and there is no accumulated damage to work from. That makes it the best possible source for an MP3: the encoder is deciding what to discard from the original rather than from something already thinned out by a previous encode.

  • Offline ready
  • Installable app
  • No file limit queue

Straight answers

No accordion. Nothing hidden.

Is it free?
Yes, with no watermark and no page limit.
Does it need an account?
No. There is no account system.
Is my file processed on my device?
Yes. The file is read by your browser and never uploaded. There is no server to send it to.
What formats are supported?
FLAC in, at any bit depth and sample rate the browser can decode. MP3 out at a quality you pick, or M4A.
What are the limits?
Album art and tags are not carried over, because they live in FLAC's own metadata blocks and MP3 stores that sort of thing differently.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, on any modern mobile browser. Large files are limited by the memory the phone gives the browser.
Does it work offline?
Yes, once the page has loaded. The tool keeps working with no network connection.
How much smaller will the MP3 be?
Around five times, though it depends on the music. FLAC typically compresses a CD to about half its raw size, roughly 700 to 900 kbps, and a good MP3 sits near 192, so a 40 MB track lands somewhere around 8 MB. The exact figure is shown before you start and again afterwards.
Am I losing quality by doing this?
Yes, deliberately. FLAC is lossless and MP3 is not, so this discards information for good. Keep the FLAC files as your library and treat the MP3s as the copies you put on a phone or send to someone, which is what almost everybody doing this conversion actually wants.
Why is FLAC a better source than another MP3?
Because nothing has been thrown away yet. Converting one lossy format to another means the encoder is deciding what to discard from audio that has already had things discarded, and the damage compounds. From FLAC the encoder sees the original signal, so at the same bitrate the result is better.
Do my album art and tags survive?
No. FLAC keeps its artwork and tags in its own metadata blocks, and MP3 uses ID3 frames, which is a different structure entirely. What comes out is the audio itself. A music library manager will usually re-tag a folder of files in one pass, which is the easier way to do it.
What about a 24 bit 96 kHz recording?
MP3 supports six sample rates and nothing above 48 kHz, so the audio is brought down to 48 kHz, and MP3 has no concept of bit depth in the way a FLAC does. The page says so before it runs. If preserving the master matters, keep the FLAC and treat the MP3 as a listening copy.

Keep working locally

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