They sound the same
Lossless means the decoded samples are identical to the source. A FLAC and a WAV of the same rip produce the same numbers. Any audible difference is the playback chain, not the format.
| FLAC | ALAC | WAV | AIFF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | ~50–60% of WAV | ~55–65% of WAV | None | None |
| Tags and artwork | Excellent | Excellent | Poor | Good |
| Apple Music app | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android built-in players | Usually | Varies | Yes | Rarely |
| MP95 (iPhone, Android, Mac) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which to use
- FLAC for almost everyone: small, open, great tags, plays everywhere except Apple’s own app.
- ALAC if you live in Apple Music and want its library to show your rips.
- AIFF for DJ and production workflows that want uncompressed files with tags.
- WAV for studio deliverables; avoid it for a library, because tags are unreliable.
Converting between them
Converting between lossless formats is itself lossless. You can move a FLAC library to ALAC and back without losing anything. With a player that reads all four, you do not need to: MP95 plays each on iPhone, Android and Mac, with tags and artwork.
Frequently asked questions
Is FLAC better than ALAC?
Neither is better in sound. FLAC is slightly smaller and more widely supported outside Apple.
Does MP95 play 24-bit FLAC?
Yes, on every platform, bit-perfect with the effects off.