You've probably only dealt with a few audio formats in his lifetime, but there are dozens of 10 common audio formats for comparison:Which one should you use? 10 Common Audio Formats Compared:Which One Should You Use? We may all be familiar with MP3, what about AAC, FLAC, OGG or WMA? Why are there so many standards? Which ones should you be interested in and which ones can you ignore? Read More Most of them offer some trade-offs between music quality and file size. During the rise of iTunes and other digital music, MP3 became popular due to its small file size.
In fact, if you still buy music online, it usually comes as an MP3. But what if you need to convert FLAC audio files to MP3? While FLAC offers better quality than MP3, how does audio compression work, and can you really tell the difference? How does audio compression work, and can it really tell the difference? In this article, we'll take a look at how music compression works and if it has any real effect on how music actually sounds. Read More
So without further ado, here's how to convert FLAC to MP3 for free on any platform.
Freemake Audio Converter is far from the only Windows tool The mega guide to media file conversion tools in Windows The mega guide to media file conversion tools in Windows Wondering how to best convert that media file? ? This is your guide out of the media jungle. We compile the most relevant media file conversion tools and show you how to use them. Read More Once you have installed it, click on the blue one. + Audio button in the upper left corner to add tracks. You can select a single track for a single conversion, or add an entire folder to convert in bulk.
Once you've added the tracks you want to convert to the list, you can use the buttons at the bottom of the screen to choose the type of file you want to convert to. In this case, we are interested in MP3 .
Once you click to MP3 , You can change the output parameters. Choose from one of several presets, including Optimal Quality , or customize your own 5 Tips to Optimize Audio File Size 5 Tips to Optimize Audio File Size If you've ever wanted to reduce the size of an audio file but weren't sure how to do it without affecting the recording quality, here's everything you need to know. Read more . You can decide where the new file goes and if you want to add it to iTunes as well. Conversion is fast, and the app does what it should without packing a ton of bloat. It's a solid choice for Windows users who want to convert FLAC to MP3.
Download: Freemake Audio Converter (Free)
For Mac users, we have introduced the easy FLAC to MP3 Mac Solve your audio conversion needs with FLAC to MP3 Mac Solve your audio conversion needs with FLAC to MP3 Mac Find an easy tool to convert audio from FLAC to MP3 and other formats on your Mac ? Take a look at FLAC to MP3 Mac which does the job pretty well. Read More Its simple interface makes it one of the best FLAC converters for Mac:
You can click the big music note icon in the middle of the window to browse for files to convert, or drag and drop as many FLAC files as you like into the window. From there, you have a few options below for the conversion. You can convert to MP3 or a variety of other formats, and change the bitrate options for the MP3 quality you want.
There really isn't much more to it than that. Audio conversion doesn't need a ton of nonsense, and FLAC to MP3 Mac lets you get the job done and then start your day again without too much effort.
Download: FLAC to MP3 Mac (Free)
Just like the other platforms, there are plenty of media conversion tools for Linux. The most useful media converter for Linux just got better:Meet the new Handbrake. The most useful media converter for Linux just got better:with the new Handbrake. The utility has received a significant update that makes it even better at converting videos between various codecs. Let's see all the cool stuff on the new handbrake. Read more . An easy option is SoundConverter, which has a basic user interface like the Windows and Mac options above.
You can install it by opening a Terminal window and entering the following command:
sudo apt-get install soundconverterOnce installed, open it and click the Add File button Button to fetch FLAC files. Drag and drop works too, if you prefer. There is also an Add Folder Button - perfect for converting many files at once.
Before converting, click Preferences to change some options. You can decide where the converted files go, adjust the naming scheme, and even delete the original file. Under Result type? make sure to change Format to MP3 as the default is OGG. Below this, you can change the quality.
Click Close When you're done with the options, then Convert on the home page. In the space, a few seconds, the application converts your file from FLAC to MP3 and places it where you requested it. And that's all there is to it!
CloudConvert is one of the most practical online file conversion tools. It's slippery, fast, and doesn't throw any trash at you. Naturally, it works great for converting audio files and allows you to convert FLAC to MP3 online.
Just drag and drop, or browse for, the FLAC files you want to convert. Once you've uploaded them, click the file extension dropdown box and select mp3 . You can also click the wrench to trim the audio, change the bitrate, and more. Click Start conversion and you'll have the file converted and ready to download in moments.
CloudConvert also allows you to sign up for a free account to track your conversions. If you want, you can connect your cloud storage accounts like Dropbox and Google Drive Dropbox vs. Google Drive vs. OneDrive:Which cloud storage is best for you? Dropbox vs. Google Drive vs. OneDrive:Which Cloud Storage Is Best for You? Have you changed the way you think about cloud storage? The popular options of Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive have been joined by others. We help you answer which cloud storage service you should use. Read More
For free users, CloudConvert allows 25 minutes of conversion time per day. This makes it great for quick conversions, but you should look elsewhere if you need to convert your entire music collection.
Another aptly named tool, Online Audio Converter offers a basic set of controls for converting audio. Drop your files or browse for them on your device, then select an output format.
The service features a slider to select quality, bitrate, and sample rate, and even options for fading and fading. If you wish, you can also edit the track data for display in your music player. Click Convert , download your files, and you're all set!
We have shared five easy tools to convert FLAC files to MP3 on any platform. If you only convert from time to time, web tools should be more than enough to meet your needs. And free desktop tools make it easy to convert large numbers of files without uploading anything to the web. Now you don't have to worry about getting stuck with FLAC files you can't use!
And if you were wondering, learn more about how MP3s and MP4s are different. What is MP4? The difference between MP3 and MP4 What is MP4? The difference between MP3 and MP4 MP3 and MP4 make up two of the most common media file formats today, but despite the apparent similarity, the two couldn't be more different from each other. Here's our comparison breakdown. Read more.
Do you often work with FLAC audio files? What is your favorite conversion tool? Did you make our list, or is there an alternative tool you'd like to recommend to your fellow MakeUseOf readers? Please let us know if you found this article helpful in the comments below!