If you are not sure what to download, see Using FLAC for instructions and guides on playing FLAC files, ripping CDs to FLAC, etc. This section is for the official FLAC tools. See the extras section below for third-party tools that support or use FLAC.

All source code and binaries are freely available and distributed under Open Source licenses. The codec libraries are distributed under Xiph.org's BSD license, and the plugins and command-line utilites (flac and metaflac) are distributed under the GPL. If you would like to redistribute parts or all of FLAC under different terms, contact the FLAC-dev mailinglist. (For more information, see the license page.)

• Source code: tarballs for stable and beta releases; also includes documentation and build systems for Windows (MSVC++) and *nix, *BSD, OS/2, OS X (autotools). You can also take a look at the Development git repository
• Linux: most distributions have a FLAC package, use the package manager to get FLAC. If not, try rpmfind.net or Debian's packages
• Windows: FLAC for Windows (command-line tools only, the file flac-X.Y.Z-win.zip contains both 32 and 64 bit binaries).
• Mac OS X: FLAC tools for OS X from Homebrew.
• Amiga: FLAC package for Amiga.
• IRIX: FLAC packages for IRIX.
• Older versions: Older versions.

NOTE: these extras are not part of the FLAC project. Most (except those marked [$]) are freely available but distributed under their authors' own terms. Check out the links page for an even larger list of software supporting FLAC.

GUI encoding/decoding front-ends:

• Windows
  • ExactAudioCopy, an accurate CD ripper that convert to FLAC out-of-the-box
  • foobar2000, a convinient audio player that can convert and tag FLAC
  • Free Audio Converter, a free GUI audio file converter
  • FLAC Frontend, a GUI for the official FLAC tools
  • [$] dBpowerAMP, a swiss army knife that can convert and play many formats, including FLAC.
  • [$] MediaMonkey can organize, encode, decode, edit tags, and rip to FLAC and other formats.
  • audiotester, can test a whole tree of FLAC files for errors and corruption
• Mac OS X
  • Free Audio Converter, a nice and free GUI converter
  • XLD a nice GUI ripper/converter/burner
  • MacFLAC, a frontend to the official FLAC tools
  • Clementine, a music player with the ability to transcode to and from FLAC
  • xACT, a FLAC distribution with a graphical front-end to FLAC and other formats
  • Max, a CD ripper and encoder that supports several formats including FLAC.
• Unix
  • Amarok, a music player with transcoding and tagging functionality for KDE
  • Clementine, a music player with the ability to transcode to and from FLAC
  • k3b is a CD ripper and burner for KDE
  • grip, a CD ripper for GNOME

Players and plugins:

• Mobile
  • Android has native support for FLAC since 3.1
• Windows, Mac and Linux
  • Clementine, a player that is able to transcode as well
  • VLC, plays about any format
  • Audacity, a sound editor
• Windows
  • VUPlayer, Winamp, XBMC
  • DirectShow: Xiph's OpenCodec for encoding to/decoding from FLAC (as well as Ogg Vorbis/Speex/Theora)
  • Windows Media Player, using Xiph's OpenCodec for playing and WMP Tag Support Extender for tagging
  • iTunes, using XiphQT (only Ogg FLAC)
  • plugin for Adobe Audition (alternate plugin here)
• Mac OS X
  • Play, Cog
  • iTunes, using XiphQT (only Ogg FLAC)
  • plugin for Adobe Audition (alternate plugin here)
• Unix
  • AlsaPlayer, MPlayer, Muine, Xine, xmcd