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Convert 3GP to FLAC - Extract Lossless Audio from Mobile Videos

Turn old mobile phone videos into high-quality FLAC audio files.

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format
Step 3: Convert files

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Why Extract Audio from 3GP Videos?

You have old videos from a mobile phone saved as 3GP files. Maybe they contain voice recordings, memorable conversations, or music you want to preserve. The video quality might be poor, but the audio is worth keeping.

Converting to FLAC extracts that audio in lossless quality. Unlike MP3 or AAC, FLAC preserves every detail without any compression artifacts. If you're archiving precious recordings, FLAC is the format to choose.

How to Convert 3GP to FLAC

  1. Upload your 3GP file - Drag and drop or tap to select your mobile video
  2. Select FLAC as output - Choose FLAC for lossless audio extraction
  3. Download your audio - Get your FLAC file ready for playback or archiving

The entire process happens in your browser. No software to install, no account required.

Understanding the Formats

What is 3GP?

3GP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) was designed for 3G mobile phones in the early 2000s. It uses efficient compression to keep file sizes small for limited phone storage and slow data connections. 3GP files typically contain H.263 or H.264 video with AMR or AAC audio.

What is FLAC?

FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an open-source audio format that compresses audio without losing any quality. In our testing, FLAC files are typically 50-70% the size of uncompressed WAV files while maintaining bit-for-bit identical playback quality.

When to Use This Conversion

Archiving Voice Recordings

Old phone videos often capture voices of family members or friends. Extracting to FLAC ensures these recordings survive in the best possible quality for future generations.

Music Recovery

If you recorded live music or performances on an old phone, FLAC extraction preserves whatever audio quality the original captured. You can always convert to MP3 later, but you can't recover quality once it's lost.

Audio Editing

Planning to edit the audio in a DAW like Audacity, Logic, or Pro Tools? FLAC gives you a lossless starting point. Editing lossy formats repeatedly degrades quality with each export.

Quality Expectations

Be realistic about what you'll get. 3GP audio was never high-fidelity to begin with. Most 3GP files contain AMR-NB audio at just 8kHz sample rate - phone quality, not studio quality.

Converting to FLAC doesn't improve this. What FLAC does is preserve exactly what's there without any further degradation. If the original has hiss, distortion, or low bitrate artifacts, those stay. But you won't add new compression artifacts on top.

Alternative Formats

FLAC isn't always the right choice:

  • 3GP to MP3 - Better for sharing or when file size matters. Most people can't hear the difference with speech recordings.
  • 3GP to WAV - Uncompressed audio for maximum compatibility with older software. Larger files than FLAC.
  • 3GP to AAC - Good quality at small sizes. Better than MP3 at equivalent bitrates.

For archival purposes where storage isn't a concern, FLAC remains the best choice. It's the standard for lossless audio preservation.

Works on Any Device

Our converter runs entirely in your browser:

  • Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
  • iPhone, iPad, Android tablets and phones

No plugins, no downloads, no waiting for server processing. Your files stay on your device.

Pro Tip

If you're archiving multiple old phone videos, extract everything to FLAC first as your master copies. You can always batch convert to MP3 later for sharing, but you can't recover quality once it's been compressed to a lossy format.

Common Mistake

Expecting CD-quality audio from 3GP files. Most were recorded with AMR codec at 8kHz - that's telephone quality by design. FLAC preserves this exactly, but it won't sound like a studio recording.

Best For

Archiving voice recordings from old mobile phones where preserving every detail matters - family memories, interviews, or historic recordings you can't recreate.

Not Recommended

If you just want to listen to speech recordings casually, MP3 is more practical. The quality difference is imperceptible for voice content, and MP3 files are smaller and more universally compatible.

Frequently Asked Questions

3GP was the standard video format for 3G mobile phones from the early-to-mid 2000s. It uses heavy compression to fit video files on phones with limited storage. If you have old mobile phone recordings, they're likely in 3GP format.

No. FLAC preserves whatever quality exists in your original 3GP file, but it cannot enhance or improve it. If the original was recorded at low quality, that's what you'll get - just without any additional compression loss.

FLAC is lossless - it preserves 100% of the audio data. MP3 discards information to reduce file size. For archival purposes or if you plan to edit the audio later, FLAC is the better choice. For casual listening or sharing, MP3 is fine.

FLAC files are typically larger than 3GP because they preserve all audio data. Expect the audio portion to be roughly 2-4 times larger, depending on the original encoding. However, you're only extracting audio, so there's no video data.

Most modern smartphones support FLAC playback. Android has native support, and iOS added FLAC support in iOS 11. If your phone can't play FLAC, VLC Media Player is a free app that handles it.

The conversion process itself is lossless - we extract and preserve all audio data from your 3GP file. However, the original 3GP audio was likely compressed with a lossy codec (AMR or AAC), so that quality limitation remains.

Most 3GP files use AMR-NB (Adaptive Multi-Rate Narrowband) for voice or AAC for general audio. AMR-NB is optimized for speech at low bitrates (around 12.2 kbps), which is why old phone recordings often sound distinctly phone-like.

Conversion happens in seconds for typical 3GP files. Since 3GP files are usually small (they were designed for phones with limited storage), even longer recordings convert quickly in your browser.

No. All conversion happens locally in your browser using WebAssembly. Your 3GP files never leave your device, and no data is stored on our servers.

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