FLAC → MP3 · Free · No signup

FLAC to MP3
Free online converter

Drop a FLAC file. Get a portable MP3 one-third the size, plays everywhere. No watermark, no email.

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Drop your .flac file

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Max 25 MB · .flac only

How it works

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Drop the FLAC

Drag your FLAC into the box. Files up to 25 MB anonymously, 60 MB with signup.

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ffmpeg re-encodes to MP3

128 kbps constant bitrate, 44.1 kHz, channel layout preserved. A typical 25 MB FLAC finishes in 3-10 seconds.

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Download the MP3

Result keeps the original filename with .mp3. Wiped from our servers within the hour.

Why convert FLAC to MP3

FLAC is lossless but huge

A 5-minute FLAC at typical bitrates is 25-40 MB. The same audio as 128 kbps MP3 is 5 MB. For phones, cars, and Bluetooth, that size matters.

Most car stereos and Bluetooth speakers do not play FLAC

Even in 2026, factory car infotainment and a lot of mid-range Bluetooth gear is MP3-or-nothing. MP3 just works.

At 128 kbps the quality loss is inaudible to almost everyone

On consumer headphones, in cars, on phone speakers, no one will tell the difference. The compromise only shows up on studio monitors with critical listening.

iPods, old MP3 players, basic music apps, MP3 wins

If you are loading music onto anything older than a recent iPhone, MP3 is the safer bet. FLAC support on legacy hardware is hit-or-miss.

No watermark, no upsell

Just your audio re-encoded. We do not splice in anything.

When you would convert FLAC to MP3

Bandcamp / Qobuz download → phone library

Bandcamp gives you FLAC by default for paid downloads. Convert to MP3 to fit a music collection on a phone or sync to a car system that does not handle FLAC.

CD rip → portable library

If you ripped CDs to FLAC for archival, convert each album to MP3 for everyday listening, keep the FLACs as the master.

Studio export → distribution

Your music producer might send you FLAC. Convert to MP3 for podcast hosts, web players, or just for emailing the rough mix to a collaborator.

Field recordings → quick share

Field recorders like the Tascam DR-40X or Zoom F3 can record to FLAC. Convert before sharing with a producer or sound editor who works in MP3.

Library cleanup

Cleaning up an old hard drive of FLACs, keep the originals on a NAS, convert to MP3 for active use.

Tips for clean FLAC to MP3 conversion

FLAC is lossless so first encode is fine

There is no quality penalty for going FLAC → MP3 once. You only start hearing artifacts when you re-encode the MP3 again, or when you go MP3 → other lossy formats.

For audiophile use, keep the FLAC

If you are listening on high-end headphones, on a dedicated DAC, or doing critical listening, the FLAC is worth keeping. MP3 is for distribution and casual use.

Tags do not always carry over

FLAC tags (Vorbis comments) and MP3 tags (ID3) are different formats. Our converter does not transfer cover art and detailed metadata between them. Add tags yourself in MusicBrainz Picard or Mp3tag after conversion.

24-bit/96 kHz FLAC converts the same as 16-bit/44.1

MP3 maxes out at 16-bit/48 kHz effectively. Extra bit depth and sample rate in the source do not survive the MP3 encode, but they do not hurt anything either.

For lossless conversion, use ALAC instead

If you need lossless that plays in iTunes/Apple Music, convert FLAC to ALAC (Apple Lossless) instead, same audio quality, half the FLAC size in metadata footprint, plays natively in Apple's ecosystem.

For a higher MP3 bitrate, re-export from Audacity

Our converter outputs 128 kbps. For 320 kbps, open the MP3 in Audacity (free) and re-export. The double encode is barely audible.

FLAC to MP3 is the archive-to-everyday-use conversion

People who care about their music collection tend to store the archive copy as FLAC. Lossless compression preserves every sample of the original CD or hi-res master while taking roughly half the space of WAV. That is the right format for the long-term archive on a NAS or external drive.

The problem starts when you want to actually listen to those tracks on a phone, in a car, or through a Bluetooth speaker. A 30-minute FLAC album is 200-300 MB. Synced to a phone, that eats storage. Streamed over Bluetooth, FLAC needs codecs the device may not have. MP3 at 128 kbps is one-tenth the size and plays on literally every device.

The keep-the-master, convert-the-copy pattern

The smart workflow is two-tier. Your FLAC sits on the archive drive, never touched, the canonical copy. You generate MP3 versions for everyday playback (phone library, car USB stick, casual streaming). When you get new playback gear or formats change, you re-encode from the FLAC master, not from the MP3 derivative. The MP3 is disposable; the FLAC is permanent.

The 16-bit vs 24-bit hi-res question

If your FLAC is 24-bit 96 kHz (a hi-res download from Bandcamp or Qobuz, for example), the source is much larger than a typical 16-bit 44.1 kHz CD-quality FLAC. The MP3 output ends up the same size and quality either way, because MP3 maxes out at 16-bit equivalent. The extra bit depth and sample rate in the source are discarded in the encode. They still matter for the archive copy, not for the MP3 you carry around.

If you also want lossless playback in Apple Music

FLAC does not play in iTunes or Apple Music. If your goal is lossless playback in Apple ecosystem, convert FLAC to ALAC (Apple Lossless) instead of MP3. Same lossless audio, similar file size, native Apple playback. Our converter does not output ALAC, but Audacity (free, all platforms) does.

Frequently asked questions

Is FLAC to MP3 conversion really free?

Yes. No account up to 25 MB, no watermark, no time limit. Display ads on marketing pages cover server cost.

What is the maximum file size?

25 MB anonymously, 60 MB with a free account. A typical 5-minute song at FLAC is 30-40 MB, so for full albums you may need to convert track by track.

Will I hear a quality difference?

On phone speakers, in cars, on cheap headphones, no. On studio monitors with critical listening, possibly. The compromise is reasonable for everything except mastering and audiophile playback.

Does cover art and metadata transfer?

Partially. Basic tags (artist, title, album) usually carry over. Cover art and detailed Vorbis comments often do not. Use MusicBrainz Picard or Mp3tag after conversion for clean tags.

What MP3 quality do you output?

128 kbps constant bitrate, 44.1 kHz, preserves source channel layout.

How long does it take?

Seconds. A 25 MB FLAC converts in 3-10 seconds. Upload is the bottleneck.

Do you keep my files?

No. Upload deleted after conversion. Output purged within the hour by our cleanup cron.

Can I batch-convert a whole album?

Not yet, free tier is one file at a time. Open multiple browser tabs as a workaround.

My 24-bit/96 kHz FLAC sounds the same as the MP3?

Almost certainly, on consumer playback. The 24-bit and high sample rate matter for processing and mastering, not for listening through MP3-grade audio chains.

Should I convert to ALAC instead?

If you need lossless audio in Apple Music or iTunes, yes, ALAC is the Apple equivalent of FLAC. We do not output ALAC, but Audacity does.

My FLAC is from a Hi-Res download. Worth converting?

For listening on a phone or in a car, the MP3 will sound identical. Keep the original for any future processing.

Can I get higher than 128 kbps?

Not from this converter. Re-encode the MP3 in Audacity with your preferred bitrate.