WMA to FLAC Converter

How to Convert WMA to FLAC Online

1. Upload Your WMA File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to load one or many .wma tracks from your computer. Batch conversion is supported, so a whole ripped-CD folder can run in one pass.
2. Pick a Compression Level: Open Advanced Options and set the Compression level slider (1-12). Level 5 is the FLAC default and the sweet spot; 8 is the highest standard reference level and squeezes a few extra percent off; 12 is non-subset and may not play on some hardware decoders. Higher levels take longer to encode but produce identical audio — only the file size and decoder compatibility change.
3. Match the Source — Sample Rate and Channels (Optional): Leave Audio Sample Rate and Audio Channel on "Original" to preserve the WMA's native parameters. Only change them if you specifically need to downmix 5.1 to stereo or resample for a device that won't accept the source rate; resampling is destructive even into a lossless container.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and save the .flac file. Conversion runs in your browser session — no sign-up, no watermark, no upload queue.

Why Convert WMA to FLAC?

WMA is Microsoft's proprietary audio family, released August 1999 as part of Windows Media Technologies 4.0. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) was first released July 2001 and has been maintained by the Xiph.Org Foundation since 2011; it's now formally standardized as RFC 9639 (December 2024). Moving from WMA to FLAC trades a Windows-centric, optionally-DRM-locked container for a royalty-free, RFC-specified format that plays on virtually every modern OS and music app.

• Escape the Windows Media Player lock-in — WMA Lossless rips made with Windows Media Player play cleanly inside Microsoft's ecosystem but stumble on iOS, macOS, Linux desktops, and many hi-fi streamers. FLAC plays natively on Android (since 3.1 Honeycomb), iOS (since iOS 11), Linux, and is supported by every major desktop player (VLC, foobar2000, Audirvana, Roon).
• Future-proof archival of CD rips — If your source WMAs are WMA Lossless (up to 24-bit / 96 kHz, 6 channels), FLAC preserves the exact bit-for-bit audio and gives you a format with a published RFC, multiple independent decoders, and no patent encumbrance.
• Stop carrying DRM baggage — The ASF container WMA rides in can optionally embed DRM (elliptic-curve key exchange, custom block cipher, RC4, SHA-1). FLAC has no DRM layer, period — files copy, sync, and back up without rights-management surprises.
• Smaller library, same quality (vs uncompressed) — FLAC typically reduces an uncompressed PCM source to 50-70% of its size with zero quality loss, so a 24-bit WMA Lossless archive moved to FLAC stays roughly comparable in size while gaining compatibility.
• Edit, tag, and re-encode without generation loss — Because FLAC is lossless, you can decode to WAV for editing in Audacity or Reaper and re-encode without the artifacts that pile up when you re-process lossy WMA.
• Cross-platform car and DAP playback — Portable players (FiiO, Hiby, Astell&Kern), Sonos, Bluesound, and many newer head units list FLAC as a first-class format. WMA support outside Windows is increasingly rare.

WMA vs FLAC — Format Comparison

FLAC Compression Level Quick Guide

Higher levels apply more exhaustive predictor searches; they do not change the decoded audio at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

My WMA file is lossy — will FLAC make it sound better?

No. If the source is lossy WMA (standard WMA or WMA Pro), the audio data lost during the original encoding cannot be recovered. Converting it to FLAC creates a lossless container around already-degraded audio — the FLAC will sound identical to the WMA, just take more disk space. FLAC only preserves quality; it doesn't restore it. Conversion is still worthwhile for compatibility, but be honest about what you're getting.

How do I tell if my WMA is lossy or WMA Lossless?

Right-click the file in Windows and open Properties → Details, or load it in MediaInfo (free). Look at "Audio codec" or "Format profile". You'll see one of: WMA or WMA v2 (lossy, typically 64-192 kbps), WMA Pro (lossy, higher bitrates), WMA Voice (lossy, speech-optimized), or WMA Lossless (the only mathematically lossless variant, up to 24-bit / 96 kHz). Only WMA Lossless gives you an actual lossless source to preserve.

Why is my converted FLAC larger than the original WMA?

Because FLAC is lossless and most WMA files aren't. Standard WMA at 128 kbps strips out roughly 90% of the original PCM data; FLAC keeps everything the decoder can reconstruct from the WMA, including the encoded silence and quantization noise. Expect a 128 kbps WMA to become a FLAC several times larger. This is normal — you're not gaining audio quality, you're packaging the same audio in a lossless container.

Which compression level should I pick?

Level 5 (the FLAC default) for almost everyone — it's fast and within a few percent of the maximum compression. Level 8 if you want the smallest standard "subset" file (still playable on every FLAC decoder, including embedded ones in DAPs and car stereos). Avoid 12 (and other non-subset settings) unless you've confirmed every device you'll use can decode non-subset FLAC; some older hardware players will refuse it.

Will the metadata and album art transfer?

Most tags map cleanly: title, artist, album, track number, genre, and album art carry from WMA's ASF tag schema into FLAC's Vorbis Comments and PICTURE blocks. A few obscure WMA-specific fields (some DRM-related fields, certain custom fields) don't have a direct FLAC equivalent and will be dropped. After conversion, MusicBrainz Picard or Mp3tag can normalize tags across a whole library.

Can I convert DRM-protected WMA files?

No. If your WMA has Microsoft DRM applied (typically files purchased from the old Zune/PlaysForSure ecosystem or some subscription services), the audio stream is encrypted and the converter has no decryption key. You'll need to play the file back through a licensed Windows Media Player on a machine still authorized for the DRM, and re-record or use a tool that operates within the DRM rules. xconvert does not break DRM.

Is FLAC really supported everywhere now?

Almost. Android has decoded FLAC natively since 3.1 (2011). iOS added native FLAC support in iOS 11 (2017), so iPhones from 2013 onward running current iOS can play it via the Files app and most third-party players. macOS plays FLAC in many third-party apps (VLC, IINA, Plexamp); Apple Music historically prefers ALAC. Windows 10/11 plays FLAC natively. Car head units are still hit-and-miss — check your model's spec sheet before committing a whole library.

Should I convert to FLAC or ALAC for Apple devices?

ALAC (Apple Lossless) and FLAC are both mathematically lossless and produce audibly identical output. ALAC integrates more smoothly with Apple Music, iTunes/Music.app, and CarPlay. FLAC has broader cross-platform support and a published RFC. If you live entirely in Apple's ecosystem, ALAC is more frictionless; if you split between Apple and Android/Linux/Windows, FLAC wins. Both formats are interchangeable without quality loss in either direction. For lossy targets, see WMA to MP3 or for the uncompressed reference, WMA to WAV.

Does the converter work entirely in my browser?

Yes. Files are processed in your browser session — there's no account requirement and no watermark on the output. For very large batches, expect longer encode times at higher compression levels (8+); level 5 is the practical default for batch jobs.