Convert MKV to FLAC
Settings
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Settings appear after you choose a file.
Want the soundtrack of an MKV, a concert or a film score, in a lossless file to sample from? FLAC saves the audio as a file to cut a track or a remix from.
MKV or FLAC?
Keep MKV when
- Size matters. A FLAC of a video's sound is several times larger when the sound is AAC.
Pick FLAC when
- The sound goes through an editor and is saved many times without more loss.
- A player or a library only takes FLAC.
About MKV and FLAC
MKV
A flexible video container that holds several audio tracks and subtitles in one file. Popular for films and screen captures.
FLAC
Lossless compressed audio — CD quality at roughly half the size of WAV. The archival format of choice for music collections.
Questions
Why is the FLAC so much bigger?
FLAC keeps every detail of the decoded sound, while a video's sound is stored in a smaller, lossy form. A lossless file made from a lossy one only gets bigger.
What happens to the video?
The FLAC holds only the sound. The MKV stays as it is.
What if the MKV has several audio tracks?
FFmpeg takes the first one. Add -map 0:a:1 after -vn to take the second.
Do the title and artist stay?
With the FFmpeg lines, yes: FFmpeg carries tags such as the title across to the FLAC.
Can I convert a whole folder at once?
Yes. Drop them all here. In Terminal, one line converts every MKV in the folder.