Most devices are capable of playing a wide variety of digital media formats right out of the box, often without any required software or firmware updates. If you flip through the product manual you might be surprised by how many different types there are.
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is compressed to keep file sizes small, but it’s also lossless, meaning that it’s on par with CD quality. CD audio converted to FLAC will typically be reduced to 50 percent of its original size. Music lossless for lovers of good sound. On our site you can download lossless music for free and without registration, favorite performers in flac format, for fans to listen to vinyl digitization - Vinyl rip, gourmets of the music world who want to listen to multi-channel music are offered.
What makes them different from one another, and should this be important to you?
Music File Formats Explained
When it comes to digital music, does the format really matter? The answer: It depends.
There are compressed and uncompressed audio files, which may have either a lossy or lossless quality to it. Lossless files can be enormous in size, but if have ample storage (e.g., a PC or laptop, network storage drive, media server, etc.), and you own higher-end audio equipment, there are benefits to using uncompressed or lossless audio.
But if space is at a premium, such as on smartphones, tablets, and portable players, or you plan to use basic headphones or speakers, then the smaller-sized compressed files are really all you need.
So how do you choose? Here’s a breakdown of common format types, some of their important characteristics, and reasons why you would use them.
- MP3:Designed by the Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG), an organization that develops standards for coded audio and video programs, the MPEG-1/MPEG-2 Layer 3 (MP3) is arguably the most common and supported audio file type.
- MP3 is both a compressed and lossy audio format, with bitrates ranging from 8 kbit/s up to a maximum of 320 kbit/s, and sampling frequencies ranging from 16 kHz to a maximum of 48 kHz. The smaller file sizes of MP3s means faster file transfers and less space used, but at the cost of some reduction in sound quality when compared to lossless file formats.
- AAC: Made popular by Apple iTunes, the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format is similar to MP3, but with one added benefit of greater efficiency.
- AAC is both a compressed and lossy audio format, with bitrates ranging from 8 kbit/s up to a maximum of 320 kbit/s, and sampling frequencies ranging from 8 kHz to a maximum — with the right encoding process — of 96 kHz.
- AAC files can deliver the same audio quality as an MP3 while taking up less space. ACC also supports up to 48 channels, while most MP3 files can handle only two. AAC is widely compatible with but not limited to iOS, Android, and handheld gaming devices.
- WMA: Developed by Microsoft as a competitor to the MP3, Windows Media Audio files offer a similar, albeit proprietary experience. The standard WMA is both a compressed and lossy audio format, although newer, distinct sub-versions with more advanced codecs can offer a lossless option.
- While many types of portable media and home entertainment players support WMA files by default, few mobile devices like smartphones and tablets do. Many require downloading a compatible app in order to play WMA audio, which can make it less convenient to use versus MP3 or AAC.
- FLAC: Developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation, the Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) has much appeal because of its royalty-free licensing and open format.
- FLAC is both a compressed and lossless audio format, with file quality able to reach up to 32-bit/96 kHz (by comparison, a CD is 16-bit/44.1 kHz). FLAC enjoys the advantage of a reduced file size (about 30 to 40 percent smaller than the original data) without having to sacrifice audio quality, which makes it an ideal medium for digital archiving (i.e., using it as the master copy in order to create compressed/lossy files for general listening).
- ALAC: Apple's version of FLAC, the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) shares much with respect to audio quality and file size with FLAC.
- ALAC is both a compressed and lossless audio format. It's also fully supported by iOS devices and iTunes, whereas FLAC may not be supported. As such, ALAC would most commonly be used by those using Apple products.
- WAV: Also developed by Microsoft, the Waveform Audio File Format is a standard for Windows-based systems and compatible with a variety of software applications.
- WAV is both an uncompressed (but can also be coded as compressed) and lossless audio format, essentially an exact copy of the source data. Individual files can take up a significant amount of space, making the format more ideal for archiving and audio editing. WAV audio files are similar to PCM and AIFF audio files.
- AIFF: Also developed by Apple, the Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is a standard for storing audio on Mac computers.
- AIFF is both an uncompressed (there is also a compressedvariant) and lossless audio format. Like Microsoft's WAV file format, AIFF files can take up a lot of digital storage space, making it best for archiving and editing.
- PCM: Used to digitally represent analog signals, Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) is the standard audio format for CDs, but also for computers and other digital audio applications.
- PCM is both an uncompressed and lossless audio format, quite often acting as the source data for creating other audio file types.
FLAC or Free Lossless Audio Codec is the most widely used lossless audio format. Unlike MP3, audio can be compressed in FLAC without any loss in quality. This is what lossless in FLAC stands for. The format has been intelligently engineered for audio files and is now being used by a lot of services to compress audio. Most of the devices and players also support it and, in this post, we are going to cover 10 such FLAC media players, that can be used to play FLAC files. You can get FLAC music or audio files from anywhere on the internet. Usually, FLAC files are used for high-resolution music and have the best audio quality.
Best FLAC Players for Windows 10
1. Groove Music
You don’t need to look anywhere when the inbuilt Windows 10 Media Player supports FLAC files. Groove Music comes pre-installed with Windows 10 and can play FLAC files. The support was recently added, and now the player supports many lossless formats including FLAC. Groove Music is a great media player and a great music organizer.
2. VLC Media Player
VLC is one of the most popular and most widely used media player, and it supports FLAC out of the box. You do not need to install any extra codecs for FLAC files. Both VLC Windows App and VLC Store App support FLAC formats and work flawlessly with them. Apart from that VLC offers a variety of customizations and has a good open source community. VLC is a completely open source and available for free to download.
3. Foobar2000
Foobar2000 is also one of the most popular media players for years. It comes with support for most of the formats including FLAC, AIFF, Musepack, etc. The program features a rich, customizable interface and open component architecture allowing third-party developers to extend the functionality of the player. Other features include Gapless Playback and ReplayGain support. Click here to know more about Foobar2000.
4. 5KPlayer
5KPlayer is a modern media player with a lot of new features. Apart from playing FLAC tracks, it lets you wirelessly stream audio and video from AirPlay & DLNA with now quality loss. Also, it comes with an inbuilt downloader that lets you download videos and audio from popular services like YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, etc. The player also has a unique hardware acceleration feature which lets you play 4K 8K HDR videos without any glitches and stutters.
5. GOM Player
Another well-known name among media players, GOM Player is a feature-filled modern media player. It supports a wide variety of video and audio formats. Apart from that, it comes with some unique features such as 360o VR Playback and support for high-resolution 4K videos. The tool is offered in both free and premium variants where the premium variant is free from ads and comes with extra features.
6. iTunes
This is probably the best option for iPhone or iOS device users. iTunes comes with FLAC support out of the box and can be used to play FLAC files. iTunes can also be used alongside Apple Music, a very popular music streaming service or it can be used to sync music with your iPhone or iPad. iTunes is a great tool if you happen to use any of the Apple devices or services.
7. Pot Player
Pot Player is again a relatively new addition and is a great media player. It supports most of the formats and supports OpenCodec which means you can add codecs for whatever format you like. Pot Player features a light-weight minimal UI and offers a lot of customization. It is a hardware accelerated player which will let you use the best of whatever hardware you have. Something unique to this player is its 3D capabilities. Pot Player can play all 3D video files and supports various types of 3D glasses.
8. Winamp
How can we forget Winamp in this long discussion of Media Players? Winamp is undoubtedly one of the best audio players available since Windows 98. The player is being revamped, and the new version will be out for the public in 2019. But you can still download the tool and use it to play FLAC files. The player is backed by a strong community of users.
9. KMPlayer
KMPlayer is another popular media player which shows great language support. It is currently being used in 150 countries and shows support for 24 languages. KMPlayer can play most of the formats and also supports high-resolution 4K and 3D videos. It offers a simple and minimal UI which is easy to use. Click here to know more about KMPlayer.
10. MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey is yet another media player for music enthusiasts. It lets you record CDs, download music, movies, and podcasts. The player features a unique Auto-DJ and a party mode that lets you auto play your playlists. Also, the program comes with automatic synchronization with Android and iOS devices. MediaMonkey is full of features and is a complete package.
These were some of the media players available for Windows 10 that will let you play FLAC or any other popular audio and video format.
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