FLAC to MP3 Converter
Make MP3 copies of your FLAC music at 320 kbps, so albums play in cars, older players and apps that do not read lossless files, with tags and cover art intact.
Audio Converter
or drag MP3, WAV, M4A … files here ·
Up to 95 MB each· 20 files at once· Removed after 30 min
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Constant bitrate (CBR) gives a predictable size and works on every player. Variable bitrate (VBR) spends bits where the music needs them and is usually smaller at the same quality.
Keep the source rate unless a device asks for one. 44.1 kHz is CD standard, 48 kHz is video standard, 8 kHz is used by phone systems and AMR.
Mono halves the size of lossless files and is fine for voice recordings.
16-bit is CD quality. 24-bit keeps headroom for editing and mastering; converting a 16-bit source up does not add detail.
Optional. Seconds (e.g. 75) or minutes:seconds (1:15). Leave empty to start at the beginning.
Optional. Same format as the start time. Leave empty to keep everything up to the end.
Files are deleted 30 minutes after processingPrivacy policy
Will I hear a difference after converting FLAC to MP3?
At 320 kbps, most people cannot hear one on ordinary headphones or in a car; the MP3 is several times smaller, and the FLAC stays the lossless master.
- Bitrate
- 320 kbps
- Sample rate
- 44.1 kHz
- Tags and cover
- Kept
Why make MP3 copies of lossless music
FLAC is the format of a careful music library. CD rips, purchases from lossless download stores and archive recordings come as FLAC because it keeps every sample of the original while still compressing the file. The Free Lossless Audio Codec was released by Xiph.Org in 2001 and became an IETF standard, RFC 9639, in 2024.
Lossless files are large, though, and not every device plays them. Car stereos that read music from a USB stick, older portable players, gym headphones with built-in storage and plenty of apps accept MP3 but skip FLAC. Even where FLAC works, a phone holds several times more music as MP3. The usual approach is to keep the FLAC library on a computer or drive and make MP3 copies for everything else.
FLAC
FLAC audio
The Free Lossless Audio Codec, released by Xiph.Org in 2001. It compresses audio without throwing any of it away, so a decoded file is identical to the source. It suits CD rips and music archives; some Apple devices and older players need another format.
- Lossless
- Open standard
MP3
MP3 audio
MPEG-1 Audio Layer III, developed largely at Fraunhofer IIS and standardized in 1993. Its lossy compression made digital music portable, and it remains the most widely supported audio format. Every phone, car stereo, browser and media player can play it.
- Lossy
- Open standard
Why convertThis is the one-way trip from an archive format to a playback format: you give up FLAC's bit-perfect sound for MP3's small files and universal support. Keep the FLAC as your master, since converting back cannot restore what MP3 removed.
Picking a bitrate
MP3 bitrates for music from FLAC
- 128kbpsSmall files for speech or background listening; cymbals and applause can sound smeared.
- 192kbpsA good everyday balance for music on a phone with limited storage.
- 256kbpsVery close to the source for most listeners on most equipment.
- 320kbpsThe MP3 maximum and the best match for a lossless source.Recommended
Because the source is lossless, the bitrate you choose is the only thing that decides the quality of the MP3. That is why this preset starts at the top. If space matters more, 256 kbps is a sensible step down, and 192 kbps still sounds good on earbuds and car speakers. Below that, differences start to be audible on music with a lot of high-frequency detail.
Bitrate mode stays on Constant (CBR), which every player handles and which shows the correct track length everywhere. Variable (VBR) spends more bits on complex passages and fewer on quiet ones and is often smaller at the same quality, but a few older players display the wrong duration.
What survives the move to MP3
MP3 removes sound that a perceptual model predicts you will not hear, so the waveform changes even when the music sounds the same. Hi-res FLAC files at 88.2, 96 or 192 kHz are brought to 44.1 kHz, the CD rate, under Sample rate; MP3 cannot store the higher rates anyway. Stereo stays stereo unless you choose Mono.
Bit depth works the same way. A 24-bit FLAC holds more dynamic range than any playback chain in a car or on earbuds can show, and an MP3 encoder does not store bit depth as such. The practical result is that a hi-res album and its CD version produce very similar MP3s, so there is no need to hunt for the hi-res copy before converting.
Pros
- Several times smaller than the FLAC, so far more music fits on a phone or USB stick
- Plays in cars, old players, browsers and every audio app
- Tags and cover art travel with each track
Cons
- Lossy: the removed detail cannot be restored later
- Hi-res sample rates and bit depths are reduced
- Re-encoding an MP3 to another lossy format loses quality again
Converting an album
Add all tracks of an album in one batch so they share the same settings. Track numbers, titles, album name and cover art are copied into each MP3, which keeps the album sorted correctly in your music app. Up to 20 tracks of up to 95 MB each fit at once; a typical CD-quality track is far below that limit.
Normalize volume under Trim & volume only if the tracks come from different sources and you want them at similar loudness; for a single album it is better left off so the artist's dynamics stay as mastered. To make a single short clip from one track, set Start at and End at, or use Trim Audio. For other formats, including AAC, Opus and ALAC, open the main Audio Converter page.
Uploaded FLAC files are deleted after conversion and the MP3s 30 minutes later. Nothing is added to a library, and no account is needed.
Convert FLAC music to MP3
Add the FLAC tracks
Drop up to 20 .flac files on the box above or press Choose Files. A whole album usually fits in one batch.
Keep 320 kbps or lower it
Bitrate is set to 320 kbps and Sample rate to 44.1 kHz. Choose 192 or 256 kbps if storage on the device is tight.
Convert and download
Press Convert to MP3 and save the tracks one by one or all together. Tags and artwork come along by default.
FLAC to MP3 questions
Is 320 kbps the best quality an MP3 can have?
Yes. 320 kbps is the highest bitrate the MPEG-1 Layer III standard allows, so it is the closest an MP3 gets to the FLAC original. Many listeners cannot tell 256 and 320 apart, but 320 leaves no doubt.
Should I keep my FLAC files after converting?
Yes, keep them as your master copy. MP3 discards detail for good, and if you later want AAC, Opus or a different bitrate, converting from the FLAC gives a better result than converting from the MP3.
What happens to a 24-bit, 96 kHz hi-res FLAC?
It is converted at 44.1 kHz, which this preset sets under Sample rate. MP3 does not store 96 kHz audio, and the extra resolution of hi-res files is beyond what an MP3 encoder keeps anyway.
Are album, artist and track numbers copied to the MP3?
Yes. Keep tags and cover art is on, so the title, artist, album, track number and embedded cover are written into each MP3 where its tag format has a matching field.
Why convert FLAC to MP3 when phones can play FLAC?
Many phones can, but car stereos, older MP3 players, some smart speakers and DJ or editing apps still expect MP3. MP3 files are also several times smaller, which matters on a phone full of music.
Can I convert a whole FLAC album at once?
Up to 20 tracks go in one batch, each up to 95 MB. For a longer album or a box set, run a second batch with the remaining tracks.
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