Top FLAC Music Players

The FLAC file is an abbreviation of Free Lossless Audio Codec. As the name suggests, this is a free (created under the Open Source license) codec that specializes in processing audio streams, which is compressed without loss of quality compared to the original. FLAC files take up half the space of an uncompressed WAV song — sometimes even less. However, FLAC files take up much more space than lossy formats, such as MP3 or WMA. You can listen to FLAC songs with the help of many free players - for example, Winamp or VLC. If you are concerned about the size of FLAC files or you want to convert them to another format supported by your player (for example, MP3 or WAV), you can do it with free tools.

Ways to open a file with the extension FLAC.

What is flac format

Among the various audio file formats can be found flac extension. How does it differ from others, for example, mp3 or wav. The answer is simple - sound quality and file size. Which player can open the flac file type? Read on!

Soft to start playback

How to open flac? Most audio players handle it without any problems. If you are using a player that cannot open .flac, you can find the right plugin on the Internet. These files are especially recommended for people who appreciate sound quality and feel its full strength. It is also worth adding that many portable players support playback of these files (including the iPod).

AIMP

AIMP is a multifunctional program for playing audio files on a computer. Russian utility supports many music formats with the ability to add their number using plug-ins.

Benefits:

  • high sound quality;
  • economical use of resources;
  • graphic and sound effects;
  • loses and records internet radio.

Disadvantages:

  • not detected.

AIMP offers good sound quality and economical use of computer resources, as well as additional options, such as opening flac files. It allows you to customize the sound using a graphic equalizer and add special effects (reverb and change the playback speed). AIMP plays and records Internet radio, supports keyboard shortcuts, and adds visual effects to the music being played. The program also creates playlists and contains additional graphic skins. Smooth transitions between tracks will be useful when playing music at a party.

AIMP, like any decent player, displays extended information about the file being played, plays songs randomly and, in addition, can automatically turn off the computer at the scheduled time. This is a rather complicated program, but it does not take much time to get information about all its functions. The default AIMP interface is elegant and functional. Basic functions will not create difficulties even for beginners, and advanced users will benefit from the full range of settings offered by AIMP. This is a great alternative to the popular player Winamp. AIMP is undoubtedly the leader among music players. If you value high sound quality and fast performance with minimal system load, install AIMP.

jetAudio

jetAudio is a multimedia playback program developed by the US division of Cowon. Two versions are available: one free Basic, another Plus offering additional features. The program is popular due to a more efficient and fast software architecture compared to, for example, competitive Winamp. If there is a problem, how to reproduce this or that format, then there is probably no better solution.

The program offers very wide possibilities, such as support for popular music and video formats (MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, RM, AVI, MPEG, RMVB, MOV, etc.), CD burning, sound recording, ID3 tag editing, skin support and visualization, support for subtitles, integration with databases, managing albums and playlists, converting music files and videos, radio and Internet broadcasting, synchronization of songs (karaoke) and many others.

Winamp

Winamp is a well-known free music player that has evolved from a simple program into an extensive multimedia processor that also plays movies. It is quite versatile and due to the many settings and skins it can be adapted to the needs of each user.

Benefits:

  • total configuration;
  • small file size;
  • quick action;
  • skins that change the Winamp interface.

Disadvantages:

  • does not support MOV files;
  • does not support subtitles without additional codec.

Winamp supports skins that allow you to change the appearance of the player. Playback management is easy, although Winamp allows you to use many advanced features. The minimized version of Winamp in the form of a thin strip on the edge of the screen allows you to use the program without occupying the working space. Winamp supports most media file formats, works fast even on weak computers. Thanks to the available plugins, you can “make” Winamp work with mp3 and listen to it from your iPod. Winamp also allows you to easily manage the multimedia library on your computer. Full version allows you to burn CDs.

Winamp Remote is an additional feature of the new version of the player that allows you to use multimedia resources of uPnP devices (for example, a mobile phone) through your home network. Together with Winamp also opens access to huge multimedia resources on the Internet. This program is ideal for playing Shoutcast Internet radio and Internet TV.

Gom player

GOM Player is a free multimedia player with a nice interface. One of the leaders in popularity among those who open the flac format. Although there are no revolutionary solutions, it works well and stably. GOM Player can open most, if not all, video files. This is due to an improved set of embedded codecs. With just one click, GOM Player is able to search and download the missing codec.

Benefits;

  • does not boot the PC;
  • good interface.

Disadvantages:

  • periodic program crashes.

Unfortunately, GOM Player is not without flaws. The program can not handle DVDs. It can play individual VOB files, but trying to launch a disc or DVD image will close the program. GOM Player does not work on weak computers.

VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is a free multimedia player that recreates any video format. The ease of use and speed of action make VLC one of the best deals on the market.

Benefits:

  • playback of most video formats;
  • ease of use;
  • contains codecs;
  • Blu-ray support.

Disadvantages:

  • primitive appearance.

This is an extremely versatile program. Play DVD, DivX, MKV, music files, TV and Internet radio. It can capture and save a video stream or launch its own television program over the Internet. It supports subtitles and allows you to synchronize them with the film, if they work incorrectly. During movie playback, you can change its colors, contrast and brightness level, rotate the image — for example, to watch while lying down. VLC allows you to add special effects - blur, noise and other filters. You can also break the picture into pieces and see it as a mosaic.

VLC has its own set of codecs - this means that you do not have to download and install anything extra. VLC can also play not fully downloaded videos. The interface is extremely simple - a novice user will be delighted. A more demanding user will also be satisfied, because the configuration options and advanced features hidden in the menu bar are very extensive.

VLC is a program that stands out for its simplicity of its interface, its excellent reproducibility and the careful use of computer resources. If you like to watch movies on your computer or listen to Internet radio or TV, you should try VLC. It is deservedly one of the most popular video players on the market.

Media Player Classic

Media Player Classic (MPC) is a free alternative to Windows Media Player. If you need a simple and easy video, audio and DVD player, download Media Player Classic.

Benefits:

  • very light;
  • reproduces most multimedia formats;
  • great replacement for Windows Media Player;
  • DVD player.

Disadvantages:

  • installation of additional codecs may be required;
  • no longer being developed.

Media Player Classic works great in Windows 7 and perfectly proved itself as a DVD-player. If you are interested in playing RMVB files, you can download a package containing the appropriate codecs. Media Player Classic has a very simple and intuitive interface, without any filters and unnecessary effects. In the category of simple media player MPC - an excellent choice.

KMPlayer

KMPlayer has a large number of configuration options and filters that improve image quality. Like most competing players, KMP has no problems with displaying subtitles, supports skins and playlist editor.

Light alloy

In addition to FLAC and other audio and video extensions, the media playback software supports all sorts of subtitles SRT, SUB, SSA and TXT, DVD format and uses various included filters. Unlike competing players, it has a rich functionality and a huge number of available configuration options, thanks to which you can adjust the image accordingly - screen size (diagonal), brightness, contrast and saturation level, as well as adjust additional parameters of subtitles.

Universal viewer

Universal Viewer allows you to read files in many formats, including multimedia materials. He does not claim to be the best player, but in situations where none of the other players can open the file, this utility may surprise.

Benefits:

  • compatibility with many formats;
  • extensive configuration options.

Disadvantages:

  • language pack in a separate file.

During the tests, Universal Viewer showed excellent results. Displays (and edits) Word files (also DOCX) and Excel, plays music files and movies. He displayed the document in pdf format, there are no problems with various formats of digital photos or with binary files. The program reads HTML and can work as a normal web browser.

You can set the character encoding in the text, manipulate the image or view the file data. Most often, you need to set the format by selecting the file type to download or set autodetection. Universal Viewer supports plugins written for Total Commander, which gives it almost unlimited possibilities. Universal Viewer is a truly universal program for displaying various types of files. PDFs, photos, video clips, text documents, spreadsheets, and even websites — it’s easy to handle everything.

Windows media player

Despite the fact that there are many players with a large number of functions and support for more formats, Windows Media Player perfectly performs its task and is easy to use. This is a secure solution from Microsoft for those who want to enjoy music and video playback on their Windows PC.

Benefits:

  • Suitable for Windows XP;
  • exceptional performance;
  • easy to use;
  • convenient search.

Disadvantages:

  • to install you need to activate Windows;
  • does not play DVD;
  • limited synchronization capabilities.

To provide better functionality and easier sorting of multimedia files, the library has been improved in Windows Media Player. This applies to music on both hard drives and portable devices. Windows Media Player contains almost the same features as its predecessors, and also adds new features. You can download themes, change the visualization and adapt the player to our needs.

What else can cause problems with the file?

If, after installing the applications, you still cannot reproduce the file with the flac extension, you need to re-indicate to the system which program should open it. To do this, right-click the file and select "Open with." Next, select your media player from the list of installed programs. In case of repeated errors, reinstall the latest version of the music player and check your computer for viruses.

".Flac" is an abbreviation of Free Lossless Audio Codec. The sound in this format is characterized by very good quality, which, unfortunately, is usually associated with a rather large size of this type of files. In the .flac format, no data is deleted from the audio stream, and since decoding occurs in real time, the sound is almost perfect and is similar to the original.