Documentation

FLAC is a general purpose audio format supported by many programs. Most of the documentation here is about the FLAC format itself and the tools we provide, but there is also information on using other programs that support FLAC.

• Introduction - What is FLAC?
• Getting FLAC - How to download what you need to play or make FLAC files.
• Using FLAC - If you have some FLAC files and want to do something with them, or want to create FLAC files, look here.
• FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

In more detail:

• About the FLAC Format - An overview of the FLAC format for power users.
• Official Tools - How to use the flac and metaflac command-line tools.
• Comparison - A comparison of FLAC with other lossless codecs.
• Bugs - How to report bugs and request features, and a list of known bugs in the FLAC tools.
• FLAC Mailing List - General discussion about and support for FLAC, tools, releases, etc. (You must subscribe to post.)
• Hydrogenaudio - General discussion about FLAC and other audio codecs

For developers who want to add FLAC support to their programs:

• About the FLAC Format - An overview of the FLAC format for power users.
• FLAC Format Specification - The formal specification.
• Ogg FLAC Mapping - How FLAC should be embedded in an Ogg container.
• libFLAC and libFLAC++ APIs - Complete library documentation.
• Example Code - Some simple example programs demonstrating the use of libFLAC and libFLAC++.
• License - The license under which the official tools are distributed.
• (see also the developer page)

Keep in mind that the online version of the documentation will always apply to the latest release. For older releases, check the documentation included with the release package.