FLAC to AAC for Music Production
Convert FLAC to AAC for your DAW. AAC works for demos and rough mixes. For master tracks, consider a lossless format.
Drop your FLAC file here or click to browse
FLAC (.flac) · Max 20 MB
Most DAWs accept AAC, but lossy formats add a decode step. For tracking and mixing, lossless formats keep your session cleaner.
AudioUtils preserves sample rate and channel layout during conversion. Stereo stays stereo. 48kHz stays 48kHz. No silent resampling behind the scenes.
Need to convert stems or bounced tracks? The free tier allows 5 conversions per month with a 10-second preview. Pro users get unlimited, full-length conversions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What AAC bitrate should I use from FLAC?
256 kbps (VBR or CBR) for archival-quality AAC — matches Apple Music's stream rate, near-transparent on almost any music. 192 kbps is the everyday sweet spot — small files, excellent quality, suitable for the bulk of music libraries. 128 kbps for voice content and audiobooks. AAC is more efficient than MP3, so 192 kbps AAC sounds about as good as 256 kbps MP3.
Will the AAC sync to my iPhone via Apple Music?
Yes. AAC files (in M4A containers) sync through Apple Music / iCloud Music Library to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. FLAC does not sync this way. Conversion to AAC is the standard step for getting a FLAC library onto Apple devices.
Is the output a .aac or .m4a file?
Our output uses the M4A container (AAC inside MP4) with the .m4a extension — this is what iTunes, Apple Music, and iPhone expect. The audio inside is identical to a raw .aac stream; only the wrapper differs.
How much smaller will the AAC be?
Roughly 80–85% smaller than the FLAC source for typical music. A 40 MB FLAC track becomes a 6–8 MB AAC at 256 kbps, or 4–5 MB at 192 kbps. Hi-res FLAC (24-bit / 96 kHz) shrinks even more dramatically since AAC operates at 16-bit / 48 kHz.
Will metadata transfer?
Common tags (title, artist, album, year, genre, track number) transfer cleanly from FLAC's Vorbis comments to M4A's iTunes-style atoms. Album art transfers. Some specialised tags (composer, conductor, BPM) may need re-tagging in iTunes or MusicBrainz Picard for curated libraries.
Should I use ALAC instead of AAC?
If you want to keep the lossless quality on Apple devices, use ALAC (Apple Lossless), not AAC — same quality as FLAC but Apple-native. Use AAC only when file size matters more than absolute quality (which is true for portable playback on most listeners).
About FLAC
Lossless compression. Perfect quality at roughly half the size of WAV. The choice for audiophiles and archiving.
About AAC
Advanced Audio Coding. Successor to MP3 with improved compression. Widely used in streaming services.