Step 1: Deliver your FLAC files using the button above or by place and set.
Step 2: Click the 'Process' button to start the processing.
Step 3: Obtain your converted AAC files.
FLAC to AAC Processing FAQ
How do I convert FLAC audio to AAC without losing quality?
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Upload the FLAC file and the converter picks a AAC codec / bitrate combination matched to the source. Lossless target (AAC = WAV / FLAC / ALAC) preserves every sample; lossy target (AAC = MP3 / AAC / OGG / Opus) defaults to 192 kbps which is transparent for most ears.
What bitrate does the AAC file use?
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Default 192 kbps for lossy AAC; pass-through for lossless AAC. Override to 320 kbps for audiophile, 256 kbps for high-quality music, or 96 kbps for voice / podcast. The choice trades file size against audible fidelity at very low bitrates.
Will going from FLAC to AAC reduce my audio quality?
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If FLAC is lossy and AAC is lossless (e.g. MP3 → WAV), the AAC file is no better than the FLAC source — you cannot recover information that was thrown away by the original lossy encode. If FLAC is lossless and AAC is lossy, expect the AAC codec to recompress; at 192 kbps this is transparent for nearly all material.
Does the FLAC to AAC converter keep ID3 / metadata tags?
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Yes — title, artist, album, year, track number, embedded album art are read from the FLAC container and written into the AAC container (every common audio format supports tags). Tags survive even when the underlying codec changes.
Can I batch convert hundreds of FLAC files to AAC?
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Yes — drop a folder of FLAC files in and we process them in parallel. Premium has more parallel workers and no per-file size cap, so a 500-file batch typically finishes in minutes rather than tens of minutes. Tags and folder structure are preserved.
Will the AAC keep the same sample rate as FLAC?
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By default yes — 48 kHz FLAC → 48 kHz AAC, 96 kHz → 96 kHz. If you need to downsample for compatibility (96 kHz studio masters → 44.1 kHz for CD burning), the advanced sample-rate option uses a high-quality resampler (libsoxr or sox-equivalent) with no audible aliasing.
Can I normalize loudness in the FLAC to AAC step?
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Yes — the loudness-normalize option applies ITU-R BS.1770 / EBU R128 normalization to the AAC output, targeting -14 LUFS (streaming standard) or -16 LUFS (podcast standard). Useful when batch-converting a mixed library whose tracks have wildly varying mastering levels.
Will the AAC play on my car stereo, iPod, or Sonos?
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MP3 plays universally on every device built in the last 20 years. AAC plays on Apple, most Android, and Sonos. FLAC plays on Sonos, Android, and most modern car head units; less well on older iPods. WAV plays on everything but is huge. The device-preset option picks the safest AAC codec for the target.
Is my FLAC file private during conversion?
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Yes — uploaded FLAC files are processed in isolated workers and deleted within minutes of completion. We never play, store, fingerprint, or share the audio content. The full data-retention window is documented at /privacy/.
How long does converting a 1-hour FLAC to AAC take?
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Same-codec re-mux (e.g. FLAC stream inside one container moved to another): 10-30 seconds. Re-encode to a different codec: typically 10-20% of source duration, so a 1-hour FLAC → AAC finishes in 6-12 minutes.
Why is the AAC file louder or quieter than the FLAC source?
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No automatic gain change happens unless you explicitly enable the normalize option. If you see a level difference at playback time, your audio player or media library may be applying ReplayGain or per-track normalization on its own — that is the player, not our pipeline.
Can I convert FLAC streaming downloads to AAC?
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If the FLAC download is unprotected (no DRM), yes. DRM-encrypted streaming files (Spotify offline, Apple Music) are encrypted at the byte level and we cannot decrypt or process them. Sources from Bandcamp, SoundCloud, archive.org, and personal recordings convert without issue.