Two lossless formats, one difference
FLAC and WAV both store audio without throwing anything away. The difference is packaging. FLAC, released in 2001 and maintained by Xiph.Org, compresses the samples losslessly. WAV, introduced by Microsoft and IBM in 1991 on top of the RIFF container, usually stores them raw as PCM.
So when you convert FLAC to WAV you are unpacking, not transforming. A CD-quality FLAC of about 5 to 7 MB per minute becomes a WAV of about 10.1 MB per minute.
FLAC vs WAV
| FLAC | WAV | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless compressed | Uncompressed PCM |
| Quality | Lossless | Lossless |
| Typical size per minute (16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo) | About 5 to 7 MB | About 10.1 MB |
| Tagging | Rich tags and artwork | Limited, inconsistent support |
| Compatibility | Most modern players; not Apple Music on Mac | Almost every audio app and device |
| Best for | Storing and streaming a library | Editing, sampling, DJ hardware, burning CDs |
When you need WAV instead of FLAC
FLAC is the better storage format, but WAV is the one every tool understands. Changing FLAC to WAV is worth it when:
- Your DAW, sampler or video editor refuses FLAC or imports it slowly.
- You are loading tracks onto a CDJ, drum machine or hardware sampler that expects WAV.
- You want to burn an audio CD with software that only takes WAV.
- Older Windows or Mac software, or a game engine, needs plain PCM.
- You want to analyse or process the audio with a tool that reads WAV only.
Is FLAC to WAV really lossless?
For standard CD-quality FLAC, yes. AudioDrop writes 16-bit PCM WAV and keeps the source sample rate, so a 16-bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC becomes a WAV with exactly the same audio. Nothing is re-encoded with a lossy codec and nothing is resampled.
There is one thing to know about hi-res files. If your FLAC is 24-bit, the WAV will be 16-bit. The sample rate is kept, so a 24-bit/96 kHz FLAC becomes a 16-bit/96 kHz WAV. 16-bit still gives around 96 dB of dynamic range, which is more than enough for listening and most DJ use. If you need the full 24 bits for mastering, keep the original FLAC as your source.
Converting FLAC to WAV on Mac, Windows and mobile
There is nothing to install. Open this page in any modern browser, drop the files and download the results.
- Mac: Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox. Drag FLAC files from Finder.
- Windows: Chrome, Edge or Firefox. Drag from File Explorer.
- iPhone and iPad: Safari. Pick files from the Files app; WAVs save back to Files.
- Android: Chrome. Choose FLAC files from your downloads or music folder.
FLAC to WAV for DJs and producers
A lot of FLAC to WAV requests come from people preparing music for performance or production. Some DJ hardware and older DJ software read WAV and MP3 but not FLAC, and many samplers and grooveboxes only load WAV. Converting before a gig saves you finding out at the venue.
For producers, WAV is the safest way to drop a reference track or a sample pack into any DAW. It decodes instantly, it has no licensing or plugin questions, and every editor treats it the same way. Once you have the WAV, you can check its tempo with the BPM finder or its key with the key finder before you start.
If you are converting for a USB stick, check the free space first. An hour of CD-quality WAV is roughly 600 MB, compared with around 300 to 400 MB as FLAC.
Local processing, no uploads
AudioDrop decodes FLAC and writes WAV inside your browser using WebCodecs and WebAssembly. Your files never leave the device, which also means you do not wait for large lossless files to upload and download again.
Batch conversion runs several tracks at once, and each WAV downloads on its own. After the first visit the page works offline. There is no fixed size cap, but remember that WAV output is larger than the FLAC input, so leave some free space. Tags and cover art may not come across, since WAV tag support is patchy anyway.