FLAC to WAV Converter
FLAC is a zipped-up WAV: decode it and you get the exact samples that went in. Plenty of hardware and older software only reads the unzipped version, so this page turns FLAC back into plain PCM WAV.
Audio Converter
or drop MP3, WAV, M4A … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Constant bitrate (CBR) gives a predictable size and works on every player. Variable bitrate (VBR) spends bits where the music needs them and is usually smaller at the same quality.
Keep the source rate unless a device asks for one. 44.1 kHz is CD standard, 48 kHz is video standard, 8 kHz is used by phone systems and AMR.
Mono halves the size of lossless files and is fine for voice recordings.
16-bit is CD quality. 24-bit keeps headroom for editing and mastering; converting a 16-bit source up does not add detail.
Optional. Seconds (e.g. 75) or minutes:seconds (1:15). Leave empty to start at the beginning.
Optional. Same format as the start time. Leave empty to keep everything up to the end.
How to use this tool
- 1
Drop the FLAC files
Add up to 20 files at once, each up to 95 MB. A full album rip usually fits as separate tracks.
- 2
Match the bit depth to the source
The page starts at 16-bit, which suits CD rips. If the FLAC came from a hi-res store or a studio session, open Advanced settings and set Bit depth to 24-bit so nothing is truncated.
- 3
Press Convert to WAV
Each track is decoded to PCM and wrapped as a .wav file. Download them one by one or as a ZIP; uploads are deleted after 30 minutes.
How do I convert FLAC to WAV without losing quality?
Upload the FLAC, keep Bit depth at the source value (16-bit for CD rips, 24-bit for hi-res) and Sample rate on Same as source, then press Convert to WAV. The result is bit-for-bit the audio inside the FLAC.
Who still needs WAV instead of FLAC
FLAC won the archive. Bandcamp and most CD-ripping guides offer it, and Windows 10 and Android play it natively. WAV won the workbench. Tools that must read audio instantly, from sample-based instruments to radio playout systems, were built around uncompressed PCM, and many never added a FLAC decoder.
So the typical person on this page is not chasing better sound. They have a working library in FLAC and one stubborn destination: a CD burner that greys out .flac files, a DJ player that skips them on a USB stick, or a video editor that imports the album but not the track they need. If the destination accepts MP3 and file size matters more, the FLAC to MP3 converter is the smaller option.
FLAC to WAV for CD burning, DAWs and DJ players
Audio CDs are fixed at 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo. Most burning tools accept WAV directly and some refuse FLAC outright.
- Bit depth: 16-bit
- Sample rate: 44.1 kHz (or Same as source for CD rips)
- Channels: Same as source
Editors decode FLAC on every pass; a WAV loads instantly. Keep the full resolution so mixing has headroom.
- Bit depth: 24-bit for hi-res or studio sources
- Sample rate: Same as source; 48 kHz if the project is for video
- Turn on Normalise volume only for rough previews, not for masters
Older club players such as Pioneer's first CDJ-2000 read WAV, AIFF and MP3 from USB but not FLAC. Newer models added FLAC, so check the manual before converting a whole crate.
- Bit depth: 16-bit keeps files smaller on the stick
- Sample rate: 44.1 kHz
How much bigger the WAV will be
1,411 kbpsthe fixed data rate of CD-quality WAV: 44,100 samples × 16 bits × 2 channels
FLAC typically squeezes the same audio into 50 to 70 percent of that size, depending on how dense the music is. Expect each converted track to grow by roughly half again to double; a 25 MB FLAC song becoming a 40 MB WAV is normal.
The size jump is the only real cost. There is no generation loss, and WAV to FLAC turns the file back into one that decodes to identical samples. Metadata travels less well: cover art is dropped and WAV tag support is patchy.
FLAC and WAV compared
FLAC
Free Lossless Audio Codec
FLAC is an open-source lossless audio codec released by Josh Coalson in 2001 and now maintained by the Xiph.Org Foundation. It reduces audio to about 50–70% of the original size without losing any quality, so a FLAC file can be decoded back to an exact copy of the source. It supports high resolutions and rich metadata and is popular for CD rips and hi-res music downloads. Files are much larger than MP3, and some Apple apps and older devices have limited support.
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 2001 · Xiph.Org Foundation (Josh Coalson)
WAV
Waveform Audio File
WAV is an audio container created by Microsoft and IBM in 1991, usually holding uncompressed PCM audio. It preserves full quality, which makes it standard for recording, editing, sound effects and mastering. A minute of CD-quality stereo takes about 10 MB, so files are large. Every operating system, editor and most players open WAV, though metadata support is limited.
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 1991 · Microsoft and IBM
FLAC saves space, but CD-burning software, older DJ players, samplers and some editing and broadcast tools only read plain PCM; decoding to WAV hands them the identical samples in the format they were built around.
FLAC to WAV converter questions
Is FLAC to WAV a lossless conversion?
Yes, as long as the bit depth and sample rate match the source. FLAC stores PCM audio with lossless compression, so decoding it returns every sample exactly. Choosing 16-bit for a 24-bit FLAC, or a lower Sample rate, is the only way to lose anything here.
How do I tell whether my FLAC is 16-bit or 24-bit?
Check the file properties in foobar2000, VLC (Tools > Codec Information) or Windows file details. Hi-res, 96 kHz or 24-bit downloads need 24-bit; CD rips are 16-bit at 44.1 kHz.
Why did my WAV lose the track title and album art?
WAV has no standard place for cover art and only a basic LIST/INFO chunk for text, which many programs ignore. Keep tags and cover art copies what WAV can hold. If you need tags on a lossless copy, FLAC to ALAC keeps both tags and artwork.
Can I burn the WAV files to an audio CD?
Yes. Red Book audio CDs use 16-bit, 44.1 kHz stereo, which is the setting a CD rip already has. For a hi-res FLAC, set Bit depth to 16-bit and Sample rate to 44.1 kHz before converting so the burning program has nothing left to resample.
Is there a size limit on the WAV I get back?
The WAV format uses 32-bit size fields, so a single file tops out at 4 GB, which is roughly six and a half hours of CD-quality stereo. On this page each upload is capped at 95 MB, so the WAV limit never comes into play.
- WAV to FLAC ConverterShrink WAV recordings and CD rips into FLAC without changing a single sample. Tags and cover art supported, 24-bit kept, up to 20 files, no account.
- FLAC to MP3 ConverterTurn FLAC albums into 320 kbps MP3 copies for phones, car stereos and Apple Music, with tags and cover art carried over. Up to 20 tracks per batch.
- FLAC to ALAC ConverterConvert FLAC albums to Apple Lossless (ALAC) so the Music app on Mac, iPhone and iPad will import them. Lossless, 16 or 24-bit, 20 files per batch.
- M4A to WAV ConverterConvert M4A to uncompressed WAV for Audacity, Pro Tools, video editors and phone systems. Pick 16, 24 or 32-bit and the sample rate. Free, online.
- MP3 to WAV ConverterDecode MP3 to uncompressed 16-bit WAV for audio CDs, samplers, DAWs and broadcast tools. Choose 44.1 or 48 kHz, up to 20 files, no account needed.
- OGG to WAV ConverterOGG to WAV converter for game sounds, Vorbis music and open-licensed recordings: decode to 16 or 24-bit PCM for editors, samplers and video apps.