How to Burn FLAC Files to an Audio CD

With the right program, you can burn a FLAC file to a CD.

FLAC files are a loss-less audio compression type that preserves the full quality of the audio recording. A FLAC file provides you one of the highest quality audio files available, keeping all of the intricacies of the original music intact for your listening enjoyment. The problem with FLAC is that it is not supported by all media players and can be tough to burn to a CD. Fortunately, there are many sources of free software that are geared toward burning FLAC files to a CD to listen to in your car or on your home audio system.

Things You'll Need

• FLAC file
• Internet connection
• Blank CD

Instructions

1. Find and install a freeware conversion tool. The FLAC pages referenced below include lists of programs you can use. A search using a serach engine can also yield results. When searching, use a term like "FLAC to WAV" or "FLAC to MP3" to find the proper program. Converting the FLAC to WAV will allow you to create CDs that can be played in any CD player, while MP3s require a CD player with the ability to read MP3 CDs. Once you find the program that will work for you, download it and follow the directions from the website to install.

2. Convert the FLAC. Open your new program and follow instructions on converting the FLAC file. Most programs have an option of what file type you would like to convert the FLAC to as well as an option of where to save the created file. Save the new file in a folder you will remember to access later in the burning process. If you need help, use the help function in the program or refer to the website where you downloaded the program for further assistance.

3. Burn the CD. Play the files first in an audio program to test them to make sure the new files sound like they should. Once you have done this, use your favorite authoring program to burn the CD using the newly created files. If you converted the FLAC files to WAV, you can use Windows Media Player to burn your CD. If you converted to MP3 or another file type, you can use other freeware burning programs to put your music onto a CD.

Tips & Warnings

• Downloading an executable file from an unknown site can be dangerous for your computer. Make sure you have your antivirus software turned on when searching for conversion programs for this project.

References

• FLAC.org: FLAC Questions
• Sourceforge.net: Using FLAC