Convert MP4 to FLAC
Settings
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Settings appear after you choose a file.
Archiving the sound of an MP4 for later? A FLAC stores it in a lossless file, though the file runs larger than most lossy audio.
MP4 or FLAC?
Keep MP4 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 MP4 and FLAC
MP4
The most widely used video format. It plays on most phones, computers and platforms, and is the usual way video is shared.
FLAC
Lossless compressed audio — CD quality at roughly half the size of WAV. The archival format of choice for music collections.
Questions
Will the FLAC sound better than the MP4?
No. The FLAC holds the sound exactly as it is in the MP4, including what the video's compression dropped. It only stops further loss.
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 MP4 stays as it is.
Do the title and artist stay?
With the FFmpeg lines, yes: FFmpeg carries tags such as the title across to the FLAC. afconvert leaves them out.
Can I convert a whole folder at once?
Yes. Drop them all here. In Terminal, one line converts every MP4 in the folder.