Best FLAC Audio Converter

FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. As could be expected, FLAC is a digital music encoding that is as good (quality-wise) as an audio CD. Unlike other formats (e.g.) MP3, .flac format offers both great audio and a useful modicum of compression. CD ripping is the most common use for the .flac format. Due to faster networks and bigger hard drives FLAC can now also be used for Internet radio (rarely) and everyday audio playback.

Sometimes you will need to convert .flac to another format. Sure, the FLAC codec is great, but there are times when you just can’t reasonably use it. For example, on mobile devices hard drives aren’t virtually unlimited yet, and lossy codecs like .mp3 generally produce much smaller files. On top of that, while many players can open and play .flac files, once in a while you will need to get a FLAC converter. The MP3 codec is supported pretty much universally.

When you need to convert Flac to MP3 you will need a .flac to MP3 converter. Here’s what to to look out for in an audio converter :

* Is it simple to ues? At the very least, the software needs a GUI, and Windows shell integration. Well explained converter options are a definite plus, because audio conversion can end up as a deep mystery if if you’re forced to figure it all out on your own.

* Conversion speed. This usually will depend on the selected codec and number of files, but raw performance can be a major factor when you have to convert a large Flac file collection to say, .mp3.

* Cost. Luckily you don’t need to actually buy the application. There are great free .flac converters you can download.

As a final note I suggest using a freeware converter to convert .flac files. Some converters are more simple to use while SUPER support a huge amount of sound codecs. Pick the right tool for the job.