Different types of compressionįLAC and MP3 take radically different approaches to compression. Before we move on, it’s best to start by explaining the main difference between the two: It all comes down to compression. On the other hand, a FLAC encoded file will still have all of the original audio data intact.We’re here to break down the strengths and weaknesses of the two for you and explain when you want to use one instead of the other. This means that although a lossy codec can shrink a file by as much as eighty percent in some cases, it does so by reducing sound quality. In comparison to lossy audio codecs, FLAC falls short, as it does compress files without reducing the audio quality. This is in comparison to a typical zip file which can only allow an original file to be compressed by ten to twenty percent. Pure voice tracks can be compressed at even higher efficiencies.

From a storage perspective, FLAC is able to shrink file sizes via compression rates that can range between thirty to fifty percent of the original file size for music tracks. FLAC encoded songs can even support cover art attachments for a full multimedia listening experience.įLAC is the perfect audio compression format for both storage uses and playback quality. Songs encoded with FLAC can be tagged with a variety of criteria, including artist name, track title, song length, and more. Even though the file is of high quality, the file size is typically cut in half of what the track would be before compression.įLAC allows for fast seeking times between tracks when played on a computer based music player. Furthermore, FLAC is also able to provide this lossless audio quality without higher file sizes and at a lower bandwidth.Ĭurrently, FLAC can allow audio from a CD or other source to be digitally encoded at a quality that is identical to the original.

However, in comparison to these two, more popular (and lossy) compression formats, FLAC is totally lossless allowing it to preserve more of the original sound quality of the audio track. While it is regarded by some as a very popular format, it is in fact much less used than other audio formats such as MP3 and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC).

Flac was originally developed by Josh Coalson and incorporated by Xiphophorus (Xiph.Org Foundation) in 2003.

I original flac