Making FLAC tracks portable without ruining your library
What FLAC and MP3 are
FLAC is a lossless format: it shrinks audio without discarding anything, so decoding returns the original exactly. MP3 is lossy: it removes detail that is hard to hear in exchange for a much smaller file. FLAC suits archives, MP3 suits everyday listening.
Why FLAC does not always fit
FLAC takes about half the space of WAV, yet a big collection quickly outgrows a phone, and many car stereos and older players do not read FLAC at all. A small MP3 copy solves both problems.
Copy, do not replace
Think of the FLAC as the negative and the MP3 as the print. Convert copies for everyday listening and keep the FLAC folder untouched, so you can make a better MP3 or another format whenever you like.
What the conversion changes
MP3 discards faint high frequencies and sounds hidden under louder ones. On earbuds or in a car most people cannot tell the difference. On a good hi-fi with a favourite album, you may.
Mind the track length
This tool works best on single tracks. An album stored as one big FLAC file should be split into tracks first, which also gives you proper track numbers in the MP3 copies.
Want the best possible MP3 library? Use a desktop converter with a high bitrate for the whole collection, and use this page for quick one-off tracks.