What the FLAC: MP3 vs. FLAC

MP3s are everywhere. Internet publications give them away; online retailers sell them by the boatload; MP3s are transferred from computer to computer across oceans. We can all agree that MP3s have changed the way we think about music and enjoy it. It’s easy to load your entire music collection onto your computer and at the click of a button using MP3 encoder software, convert it to MP3 for loading on your MP3 player for listening on the go. But, what if you’re audio enjoyment calls for something a little different, or better yet, you’re tired of MP3s that sacrifice quality for portability? If you find yourself needing another audio option, consider FLAC files.

First, let’s look at how MP3s can fall short. For a refresher, MP3s are a package of data, describing all the frequencies that are audible to the human ear. The rest of the recorded data that cannot be perceived by the human ear is discarded, which makes MP3s a fraction of the size of pure audio formats such as WAV, which is the native audio format of CDs. Because of their small size, MP3s are ideal for transmitting audio across the internet. WAV files are bulky and contain a huge amount of data, which can clog up Internet connections when sending them through the ether. In theory, MP3s are a great alternative to clumsy WAV files, but are frequently flawed in their real-world execution.

The compression required for MP3s varies dramatically, depending on the kbps. Frequently, the kbps is lowered to make a file smaller, thus easier to transmit. However, the loss in quality is quickly apparent, leaving you with tinny and distorted audio. While most instances of casual listening don’t require a heightened fidelity, it’s nice to have another option to enjoy your music without suffering through bad audio quality in your favorite songs. MP3s are great, but not the best for all audio applications.

This is where FLAC comes into play. FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. FLAC was developed as an open source compression technique for audio that would combat the losses in quality inherent with MP3s. The biggest selling point of FLAC audio is fact that it is lossless, which mean no audio signal is lost when converting to FLAC from uncompressed audio. You’ll never have a FLAC audio file that sounds like it is playing through a tunnel if it is encrypted from an uncompressed original.

FLAC also has other great selling points for your consideration. FLAC files support metadata tags. These are the bits of data embedded within the file that describe track titles, artist and album information. Just like MP3s, it’s easy to alter this data and keep your files properly labeled and identifiable. For those who frequently stream media over the Internet, FLAC is also a great streaming option. Each frame of data describing a single moment of music is self-contained. This means that as each moment is transmitted over the web individually, and not relying on surrounding moments to translate into audio signal. This means you don’t have to wait to load up an audio signal if you choose to skip around; the music is self-contained in each moment making the connection smoother and quicker.

The real benefit of using FLAC is for archival purposes. Since it is lossless, FLAC is a clear choice for storing audio information on your hard drive. You can even rip audio directly from CDs into FLAC for backing up your physical music library on your computer. Then the data is ready to make an exact copy of your CD should you loose or damage the original, without loosing any audio quality.

The only drawback to using FLAC files surfaces when considering actual playback of the audio. Most widely used media players require an extra codec to read FLAC files, and iTunes simply refuses to support FLAC files. Also, if you want to play your FLAC files on a physical stereo, you will need special equipment, but these options are no more expensive than the ones needed to play MP3s on home stereo equipment.

MP3s are great if you keep in mind they were developed more to transmit audio data than create a record of audio. FLAC files should be considered when fidelity is essential, such as with music archiving or audio editing. Mindfully using both formats will make sure you never find yourself without the music you need, and will keep it sounding great.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™