WAV to FLAC: smaller files, identical audio
This WAV to FLAC converter compresses WAV files losslessly. A FLAC file typically takes 50–70 % of the space of the WAV it came from, yet decoding it gives back every sample exactly as it was — not “close”, but bit for bit identical. That makes FLAC the natural format for archiving recordings, CD rips, stems and masters.
Everything happens in your browser: the WAV is read from your disk, compressed with libFLAC (the reference encoder, compiled to WebAssembly) and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded, and the page’s automated test confirms that a 16-bit and a 24-bit WAV come back sample for sample when their FLACs are decoded.
FLAC also fixes WAV’s weakest point, metadata. Instead of the limited INFO chunk, FLAC uses Vorbis comments and embedded pictures, which music players, media servers and taggers read reliably.
How to use the WAV to FLAC Converter
- Drop your WAV files on the upload area. Each shows its bit depth, sample rate, channels and size.
- Keep Bit depth on “Match the source” so 16-bit stays 16-bit and 24-bit stays 24-bit.
- Leave Sample rate and Channels on Keep original — changing them would no longer be a lossless copy.
- Press Convert to FLAC and watch the estimated size become the real one.
- Download each FLAC, or the whole set as a ZIP. Keep the WAVs until you’ve checked the FLACs play.
WAV to FLAC Converter features
Bit-exact
FLAC is a lossless codec: decoding returns the original integer samples, which this page verifies in its automated tests for 16- and 24-bit audio.
Keeps bit depth
16-bit and 24-bit WAVs stay at their depth, and 8-bit audio is stored as 16-bit. 32-bit integer and float WAVs become 24-bit.
Multichannel
Surround and multitrack WAVs with up to eight channels keep every channel.
Tags from INFO
Title, artist, album and other fields in the WAV’s INFO list become Vorbis comments.
Batch and ZIP
Archive a whole session or CD rip in one go.
How much space does FLAC save?
FLAC predicts each sample from the ones before it and stores only the small prediction error, packed with Rice coding. How well that works depends on the material; typical results are:
| Material | FLAC size vs WAV |
|---|---|
| Classical, acoustic, solo instruments | ≈ 40–55 % |
| Pop, rock, electronic | ≈ 55–70 % |
| Heavily compressed, noisy masters | ≈ 70–85 % |
| Speech with pauses | ≈ 30–50 % |
| Digital silence | almost nothing |
Where FLAC plays
- Windows 10 and 11 and Android play FLAC natively, macOS opens it in Finder and QuickTime, and iPhone and iPad play it in the Files app and many third-party players.
- VLC, foobar2000, Kodi, Plex, Jellyfin and most hi-fi streamers and portable players support it.
- Ableton Live, Reaper, Audacity and Studio One import it; some DAWs and most video editors still prefer WAV — convert back with the audio converter when needed, losslessly.
- Apple Music and iTunes don’t import FLAC; Apple’s own lossless format, ALAC, fills that role.
Keeping it lossless
To keep the conversion bit-exact, leave the sample rate, channels and bit depth on their “keep” settings — any change there is processing, not compression. A 32-bit float WAV, common from DAWs and field recorders, is converted to 24-bit FLAC: that preserves its audible content but not values above full scale, so bring such files below 0 dBFS first. For smaller, lossy files to share, use WAV to MP3 now or FLAC to MP3 later from your archive.
WAV to FLAC Converter FAQ
Is WAV to FLAC really lossless?
Yes. FLAC is a lossless codec: decoding the FLAC reproduces the WAV’s samples exactly. Only the container and the tags differ.
How do I convert WAV to FLAC?
Drop the WAV files on this page and press Convert to FLAC. Leave the bit depth, sample rate and channels on their default “keep” settings for a bit-exact result.
How much smaller will my files be?
Usually 30–50 % smaller for music, more for speech and quiet recordings. Each file shows an estimate first and its real size after converting.
Can I convert FLAC back to WAV?
Yes, at any time and without loss — use the audio converter with WAV as the target and “Match the source” as the bit depth.
Does it support 24-bit and 96 kHz?
Yes. 24-bit audio stays 24-bit, and the standard rates from 8 to 192 kHz, including 88.2 and 96 kHz, are kept as they are. Unusual rates such as 11.025 kHz are resampled, and the file list says so before you convert.
Are my recordings uploaded?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser, which also means there’s no file size limit beyond your device’s memory.