SeaMeetConvert FLAC to WAV
FLAC · MP3 · M4A · WAV · OGG · OGA · WebM · AAC · OPUS · MP4 · MOV · MKV
Converting happens in your browser, so your file never leaves your device. Transcribing uploads the audio to SeaMeet.
Choose a FLAC and your browser writes it out as a WAV for software that won't open FLAC.
How it works
- Choose the FLAC file, for example a track or a field recording.
- Turn on Mono for a smaller file, then select Convert & download.
- Save the WAV, or transcribe the recording.
For software that won't read FLAC
FLAC is a compact way to store sound exactly, so lossless music downloads and CD rips often use it. But not every program reads it: some DJ software and hardware players, older music software and video editors, samplers, and tools on locked-down work computers only take WAV. Converting gives them a file they understand.
A standard FLAC, the CD-style kind most music comes in, stays lossless when it becomes a WAV: the samples are the same, just no longer packed. A hi-res FLAC, such as a studio download with more bits and a higher sample rate, is saved here as standard sixteen-bit WAV, which is not an exact copy of the original. If you need the full hi-res file, keep the FLAC and use a desktop tool that writes hi-res WAV.
Your browser does the work on your device, and the FLAC isn't uploaded. Expect the WAV to be roughly twice the size of the FLAC. If the recording is speech, Transcribe this file sends the audio to SeaMeet for a transcript.
Questions
Is my FLAC uploaded?
No. Your browser unpacks the FLAC and saves the WAV on your own device. The file is only uploaded if you choose Transcribe this file, which sends the audio to SeaMeet to be transcribed.
Is there a size limit for FLAC files?
Not for converting, since there is no upload. The WAV is larger than the FLAC, so your device needs free storage for it, and a very long recording may be too long for one WAV. For transcription, each file can be up to 512 MB and 5 hours.
Will converting to WAV improve the sound?
No. Converting can't add detail that isn't already in the file. WAV stores the sound uncompressed as standard sixteen-bit audio, so a hi-res FLAC gains nothing, and comes out at a lower resolution than it started. The WAV exists so more software can open the recording, not to sound better.
Why is the WAV bigger than the FLAC?
FLAC packs the sound tightly, a little like a zip file does for documents, and WAV stores it unpacked. That is why a WAV usually takes around twice the space. Mono halves it again if the recording only needs one channel.