FLAC to WAV. Lossless decompression.
You archived in FLAC, smart move. Now you need WAV — for Pro Tools, a CD burner, a hardware sampler, a mastering plugin that won't read FLAC. Drop your file, get back the same audio in uncompressed PCM WAV. Identical to the original recording, just unpacked.
drop your FLAC file
Single track, full album, batch. We'll handle the lot.
When you need WAV instead of FLAC
- Hardware samplers — SP-404, MPC, Octatrack, EMU samplers. Most read WAV only. For sampler-spec WAV at the right sample rate, see our SP-404/MPC preset.
- CD burning — Red Book audio CDs need 44.1 kHz / 16-bit / stereo WAV. CD authoring software won't accept FLAC.
- DaVinci Resolve free — Resolve free doesn't ship a FLAC decoder. Convert to WAV to import.
- Older DAWs and plugins — Some legacy software (and surprisingly some current mastering plugins) only read WAV.
- Audio analysis tools — Spectrum analyzers, loudness meters, batch-processing scripts often expect WAV.
- Sample libraries you're authoring — Most sample-pack distributors (Splice, Loopcloud) want WAV at 44.1 / 16 or 44.1 / 24.
FLAC archive workflow
Best practice: keep your originals in FLAC (smaller, lossless, with metadata), convert to WAV on-demand for the tool you're using, delete the WAV when done. Bandcamp, HDtracks, Qobuz all sell FLAC for exactly this reason — small distribution, identical to studio masters.
If you instead need MP3 for a player, use our FLAC → MP3 page (lossy but small).
What we do
- Decode the FLAC stream — runs in WebAssembly inside your browser.
- Recover the original PCM samples (identical to what they were before compression).
- Wrap them in a standard RIFF/WAVE header.
- Hand you the WAV. End-to-end lossless — bit-for-bit identical audio.
FAQ
Is FLAC really lossless?
Yes. FLAC compresses audio using algorithms similar to ZIP for general files — squeezes out redundancy, recovers identical bits on decompression. It's not lossy like MP3 or AAC. The same audio comes out as went in.
Why is FLAC smaller if it's lossless?
Audio waveforms have a lot of statistical structure (predictable patterns sample-to-sample). FLAC models that structure and stores the difference between prediction and actual, plus the prediction parameters. The result is typically 30-50% smaller than WAV with no audio quality loss.
Can I edit the WAV and re-archive as FLAC?
Yes. Edit in your DAW, export as WAV, then use our WAV → FLAC page to re-compress losslessly. No quality loss in any direction.
What about FLAC files at 96 kHz or 192 kHz?
We preserve the sample rate exactly. High-res FLAC stays high-res WAV. If you need to downsample for a specific destination, use our universal converter with the target sample rate.
Does my FLAC get uploaded?
No. The decoder runs in WebAssembly inside your browser tab.
Is there a file size limit?
Around 500 MB FLAC on a typical laptop. Since WAV is about 2× the size of FLAC, expect ~1 GB WAV output max before browser memory gets tight.
Is the FLAC to WAV conversion lossless?
Yes. FLAC is lossless compression — decompressing back to PCM WAV recovers the exact same audio samples. Zero data is lost in either direction. The WAV is just uncompressed, so the file gets larger.
Why would I convert FLAC to WAV if FLAC is the same audio quality?
For tools that require WAV — older DAWs, hardware samplers, CD authoring software, certain mastering plugins, video editors like DaVinci Resolve free. Some audio analysis tools (spectrograms, dedicated mastering tools) also only read WAV. Convert as needed, keep your FLAC as the archive.
How much bigger will the WAV be?
Typically 1.5 to 2.5× the FLAC size, depending on the source. A FLAC that compressed well (mostly quiet, simple recordings) will balloon more in WAV. A FLAC of a dense, loud track grows less.
Will the WAV be at the same sample rate and bit depth?
Yes — FLAC stores the original PCM sample rate (44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, etc.) and bit depth (16, 24-bit). The WAV inherits both. If you want to downsample or downconvert during the export, use our universal converter instead.
Can I convert a folder of FLAC files at once?
Yes. Drop multiple FLAC files, get a zip of WAV files back. Useful for moving a whole album from FLAC archive into a DAW project folder.
Does anything upload?
No. The decompression runs entirely in your browser.