Why should I convert FLAC to MP3? Doesn’t it lead to loss of quality? There’s no denying that FLAC is lossless and works well at compressing files but the large storage space files in this format occupy make it pretty much of a downer. MP3 on the other hand is a universal format that’s supported by most portable devices and hence the more usable format. And not that it doesn’t have its downsides, but think of it from a practical perspective and you’ll want to know why we’re giving you tips on how to go about it. We’ve listed below ways to convert your files from FLAC to MP3 for different computing platforms.
1 – Windows:
Transforming a file from the FLAC format to MP3 in Windows isn’t a big deal at all. We downloaded the FLAC to MP3 application which is a freeware and found it to be rather convenient. It has a simple interface with files simply needing to be dragged and dropped into the designated area for conversion. Besides, it also supports other formats like WMA, WAV, OGG etc along with MP3. The bit rate and frequency for the file to be converted can also be adjusted. In addition to this, there are many other applications like dBpoweramp, MediaMonkey etc to convert FLAC files in the Windows platform. If you prefer online conversions instead of having a tool downloaded, media-convert.com offers a plethora of handy options.
2. – Mac:
Since iTunes doesn’t support the FLAC file format by default, Mac users too will need a conversion tool. The All2MP3 free utility is a great way to get started when using the Mac OS X. To convert FLAC to MP3, first you will have to download and install the aforementioned utility. Launch it and then locate the audio file that needs to be converted and drag it into the software’s user interface after it has launched. Simply clicking on the Convert button will help do the needful in here. You can also tweak the various options for quality.
3 – Linux:
For those working with Linux systems, the SoundConverter software is the best grab. It’s easy to use and doesn’t need much pondering upon. First access the encoder for MP3 with the following code:
sudo apt-get isntall liblame0
Follow this by the code:
sudo apt-get install soundconverter
Next open SoundConverter and in its settings choose MP3. After this just drag and drop the FLAC audio file that needs to be converted. Besides being user-friendly, the tool is pretty quick as well and has the ability to process a large number of files in a short span of time.
The Good:
The fact that MP3 is an all-embracing format makes it all the more useful. It saves up on space and can be easily transferred to portable players and virtually all of them these days play MP3 files.
The Bad:
FLAC is lossless which means there’s close to no degradation in audio quality and it’s probably one of the main reasons why many users still prefer it. MP3 files, especially when they are converted ones are low on quality and you may not always be satisfied with the end result.
Before you actually take the jump, you must have your priorities set right. Asking yourself questions like ‘Where I am going to use the content?’, ‘Will I be porting the files from desktop to a player soon?’ etc. will help you make the right move. To sum it up, if you have enough storage and you’re going to be using the files on your desktop, FLAC is the way to go. Should you be requiring to transfer stuff to a portable player though, MP3 is the right choice. Is there any other way to convert FLAC to MP3? Do drop in a word or two, we’d like to know as well.