Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) is an open-source audio format that compresses audio data without any loss in quality. It is widely used for its high fidelity and efficient compression, making it a popular choice for audiophiles and digital music archiving.
History
The Free Lossless Audio Codec was introduced in 2001 by the Xiph Foundation. It was developed as an open-source, lossless audio compression format to provide high fidelity without sacrificing storage space. FLAC quickly gained popularity among audiophiles and music enthusiasts for its ability to compress audio files to about half their original size while retaining perfect sound quality. In 2003, FLAC became part of the Xiph Foundation's portfolio, which includes other notable projects like the Ogg container format. Over the years, FLAC support has been integrated into various software and hardware, including major operating systems, portable media players, and streaming services. Its open-source nature and high-quality performance have cemented FLAC's status as a leading format for lossless audio compression.
