Have you downloaded a song in FLAC format from the Internet and don’t know which program to open it with? Don’t worry: FLAC files are nothing more than songs encoded with the Free Lossless Audio Codec, which, unlike MP3, does not cause the original file to lose quality during compression. To listen to them, all you have to do is use multimedia players capable of supporting the format in question.
Excuse me? It seems to be very interesting and you would like to learn more? Very well, then let’s do this: take a few minutes of free time, get comfortable and start immediately to focus on reading this tutorial dedicated, precisely, to how to open FLAC. In the end, you’ll see, you’ll be happy and satisfied with what you’ve learned.
In the following lines, in fact, we’re going to find out what resources you have at your disposal to play this type of file on computers, smartphones and tablets, resorting to the use of programs and apps suitable for the purpose. I can already tell you that, contrary to what you might think, you won’t have to do anything particularly complex. But now let’s stop talking and get to work!
Programs to open FLAC
As I told you at the beginning of this guide, to open FLAC you only need to use media players capable of playing such files. If you’re interested, here are the ones that in my opinion are the best in their category for Windows, macOS and Linux, and their instructions for use.
VLC (Windows/MacOS/Linux)
The first solution for playing FLAC files on your computer that I recommend you try is VLC. Have you never heard of it? Strange, it’s a very famous program! Anyway, no problem, let’s fix it right away: it’s a free and open source software that allows you to read many audio and video formats, including streaming, without the help of external codecs. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
To download it to your computer, connect to its official website and click on the Download VLC button. Once the download is complete, if you are using Windows, open the .exe file and click on the Yes button in the window that appears. Then press the OK button to confirm the use of the Italian language and finish the setup by pressing Next three times in a row, Install and Close.
If, on the other hand, you are using macOS, open the .dmg package obtained, drag the VLC icon to the Applications folder of macOS, right-click on it, choose Open from the menu that appears and press the Open button to bypass the restrictions imposed by Apple on applications from non-certified developers (this is required only on first startup).
Now that you see the VLC window on your screen, no matter what operating system you use, to play your songs in FLAC format, do this: drag the file icon to the player window and wait for the playback to start. Alternatively, click on the Media menu of VLC (top left corner), choose Open File and select the FLAC file on your PC that you want to play. To fast forward, pause, adjust the audio level etc., use the controls on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
In addition to the above, once VLC is installed, you should be able to play FLAC files by simply double-clicking on their icon. If this doesn’t happen and if you are interested in this, you can do it by changing the default program used to open this type of files, following the instructions on what to do that I provided in my guide on how to change default program.
Windows Media Player (Windows)
Windows Media Player, the default media player for Windows operating systems, does not allow FLAC files to be played. However, using the free Open Codecs codec pack makes it possible. Let’s see how.
To download the codecs, go to the Open Codecs website and click on the Windows 32/64-bit Installer: opencodecs_x.xx.xxxxx.exe link. Once the download is complete, open the .exe file and click on the Yes button in the window that appears. Next, press the Next button. Then accept the terms of use of the program by clicking on the I Agree button and click on the Next button twice and then on the Install and Finish buttons to finish the setup.
It’s Done! Now you’re ready to listen to FLAC files with Windows Media Player. To do this, all you have to do is select a file of this type, double-click on it and wait for the Windows Media Player window to appear on your desktop and start playing the file. If Windows Media Player is not set as the default program for FLAC files, you can open them by right-clicking on them and selecting Open with > Windows Media Player from the menu that opens.
Using the controls in the player window you can also manage the playback. If you are viewing the player in a reduced version, you can click on the button with the four squares and the arrow in the upper right corner to display the “extended” window of Windows Media Player.
foobar2000 (Windows)
Another excellent – and long-standing – player you can turn to for playing FLAC files is foobar2000. It is free, Windows-only and extremely versatile. It supports all major audio file formats and despite a minimalist interface, it comes with several advanced features related to tags, sound equalization and audio CD ripping.
To use it, if you are using Windows 10, visit the relevant section of the Microsoft Store, click on the Get button to start the installation and then on the Run button to launch it. If, on the other hand, you are using an older version of Windows, connect to the program’s website and click on the Download foobar2000 vx.x.x link.
After the download is finished, open the .exe file and click on the Next and I Agree buttons. Press the Next button, the Yes button and the Next button again. To finish, click on the Install and Finish buttons.
Next, drag the FLAC file you want to listen to into the foobar2000 window that appears on the screen and click the ? button at the top to start playing it. Alternatively, click on the File menu at the top left of the screen, then click on Open and select the FLAC file you want to play on your PC and wait for the song to start playing automatically.
Using the other buttons at the top of the program’s window, you can fast forward or rewind the playback, adjust the volume, etc. Also in the case of foobar2000, if you want you can make the program become the default audio player, so you can play FLAC files by simply double-clicking on their icon. To figure out how to do that, follow the instructions I provided in my guide on how to change the default program.
QuickTime Player (macOS)
Do you own a Mac? If so, I’m happy to tell you that to open your FLAC files you don’t necessarily have to turn to third-party solutions like VLC. In fact, you can also play them using QuickTime Player, the “standard” macOS player capable of playing various audio and video formats, including the one covered in this tutorial.
To use it for your purpose, launch the application by clicking on its icon (the one with the “Q”) attached to the Launchpad. Alternatively, call up QuickTime via Spotlight, Siri or the Applications folder. Then select the FLAC file you wish to play using the Finder window that is displayed and click the ? button. Then, using the buttons attached to the player window, you can fast-forward or rewind the song, pause it, etc.
IINA (macOS)
Another tool you can turn to for opening FLAC files on Mac is IINA: it is a free and open source media player available only for macOS that supports playback of all major video and audio formats. It is very lightweight, has a nice interface and returns very good performance.
To download it to your computer, visit the program’s website and click on the Download button. Then open the .dmg package and move the icon of IINA (the one with the ? symbol) to the Applications folder of macOS.
Next, right-click on the program’s icon, select the Open item from the menu that appears and press the Open button to bypass macOS’ restrictions on programs that come from non-certified developers (this is only necessary on first startup).
Now that you see the player window on your desktop, drag the FLAC file you are interested in onto it and wait for the song to play automatically. By dragging the mouse pointer over the IINA window, you can also view the controls for forward and reverse playback, pause playback, etc.
In addition to the above, you can open FLAC files by clicking the Open button in the player window and selecting the item you are interested in from the Finder screen.
Do you want to open FLAC files with IINA by simply double-clicking on their icon? Then you need to set the program as the default for playing the said file type. To do so, follow the instructions on how to do it that I provided in my tutorial on how to change the default program.
App to open FLAC
Let’s now move on to apps for smartphones and tablets. If you’re interested in figuring out how to open FLAC files on the go, rely on the resources listed below. There are apps for both Android and iOS.
VLC (Android/iOS)
As well as for computers, VLC, the multimedia player I told you about in the step at the beginning of this guide, is also available (for free) for Android and iOS and, even in its mobile variant, allows you to open FLAC files without the slightest difficulty. Let’s see right now how.
First, you need to download the application to your device. If you are using Android, go to the relevant section of the Play Store, tap the Install button and, if necessary, authorize the download by pressing the Accept button. If you are using iOS, on the other hand, go to the relevant section of the App Store, press the Get/Install button and authorize the download via Face ID, Touch ID or password.
Next, launch the app by pressing on its icon (the one with the orange cone) on the home screen and, if you’re using Android, press the button with the three horizontal lines located at the top left and select the Audio item. In the new screen displayed, select the song of your interest from the Tracks section, press the ? button (bottom right) and wait for the playback to start.
If you can’t find the song you want to play through the Audio section of the app, choose the Folders item from VLC’s side menu to explore your device’s memory or select the Local Area Network option to retrieve the song from shared files on your local network.
If, on the other hand, you’re using iOS, to play the FLAC file you’re interested in, press the VLC icon at the top left of the app’s screen, choose the location from which you want to retrieve it from the options attached to the Network section (Local Network, Cloud Services, etc.) and start playback by pressing the ? button at the bottom.
Google Files (Android)
Another system you have on your side to play FLAC files on Android is to turn to Google Files, the file manager made available by the Internet search giant and which, among its many functions, also allows you to open files in the format in question. It is free, easy to use and also has a nice user interface.
To download it to your device, visit the relevant section of the Play Store, tap on the Install button and, if necessary, authorize the download by pressing the Accept button. Then, open the app by tapping on the app icon (the one with the colored folders) on your home screen.
Once you see the main screen of Google Files, select the Audio item to view only the audio files saved on your device or tap on the Internal storage or the External storage item and navigate between folders to reach the FLAC file. Then tap on its name and wait for the playback to start.
Files (iOS)
If you’re using an iPhone or an iPad, I’m happy to inform you that you can open FLAC songs also using File, the “standard” file manager of iOS. The application is pre-installed on all mobile devices of the “bitten apple” from iOS 11, but if you have removed it you can download it again by visiting the relevant section of the App Store, pressing the Get/Install button and authorizing the download via Face ID, Touch ID or password.
To use it for your purpose, open the app by pressing on its icon (the one with the blue folder and white background) that you find in the home screen, select the FLAC file to open from one of the available locations using the Browse section, press on it, tap on the ? button (located at the bottom) and wait for the playback to start. Easier than that?
Convert FLAC files
You’re not interested in figuring out what programs, codecs and apps you can use to play FLAC files, but you’d rather like to know how you can convert them to MP3 so that you don’t have compatibility issues? Then read my guide on how to convert FLAC files to MP3 to find out how to do it and which tools to use. If you use a Mac, you can read my specific post on how to convert FLAC to MP3 on Mac.
As for converting to other formats, however, I recommend reading my tutorial on how to convert audio files and my review of programs to convert music.