Lossless audio, without the bulk
A hard drive full of WAV bounces, stems and field recordings fills up fast: every minute of 24-bit stereo at 48 kHz is about 17 MB. FLAC stores exactly the same audio in roughly half the space, and unlike MP3 it throws nothing away. Decode a FLAC and you get back the same samples you put in.
That makes FLAC the sensible format for archives, backups and sending full-quality masters over a slow connection. WAVR's FLAC encoder runs in your browser, so even unreleased projects never touch a server.
How to convert WAV to FLAC
- Add your WAV filesDrag files or a whole project folder onto WAVR, or click Browse files.
- Match the bit depthFLAC is selected at 24-bit. Use 16-bit for CD-quality sources.
- Convert and downloadClick Convert all, then download each FLAC or use Download all.
Recommended settings
- Studio bounces and stems: 24-bit, sample rate Keep, Normalize off. You want an exact copy.
- CD rips or 16-bit masters: 16-bit. Choosing 24-bit for a 16-bit source only makes the file bigger.
- 32-bit float recordings: 24-bit FLAC, after making sure nothing peaks above 0 dBFS (or turn on Normalize).
WAV to FLAC questions
Is FLAC really lossless?
Yes. FLAC compresses audio the way a zip file compresses documents. When it's played back, the samples are exactly the same as the WAV at the bit depth you chose.
How much space will I save?
Typically 40 to 60 percent. Dense, loud music compresses less; quiet recordings, speech and tracks with silence compress more.
Can FLAC store 32-bit float audio?
No. FLAC stores whole-number samples up to 24 bits, so WAVR offers 16 and 24-bit. A 32-bit float WAV converted to 24-bit FLAC keeps far more detail than any playback system can reproduce, but it does lose the headroom above 0 dBFS that float allows.
Will my DJ software play FLAC?
Rekordbox, Serato, Traktor and most modern CDJs play FLAC, but some older players don't. Check your hardware before replacing your WAV files.