Need Lossless Audio from Your Video?
You have a MOV video with audio worth preserving perfectly-a live performance recording, an important interview, or professional footage with high-quality sound. Converting MOV to FLAC extracts that audio without any quality loss, giving you an archive-grade file that preserves every sonic detail.
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) compresses audio without discarding any information. Unlike MP3 which permanently removes some frequencies, FLAC keeps everything intact. When your source audio is worth preserving, FLAC is the format that delivers exactly what was recorded.
How to Convert MOV to FLAC
- Upload your MOV file - Select your QuickTime video, iPhone recording, or professional footage
- Confirm FLAC output - FLAC is selected for lossless audio extraction
- Download your audio - Get your perfectly preserved audio file
The entire process runs in your browser. No software to install, no account required. In our testing, a 10-minute MOV file extracts to FLAC in under 15 seconds.
Why Choose FLAC Over MP3?
When extracting audio from video, you have a choice: lossy (MP3, AAC) or lossless (FLAC, WAV). Here's why FLAC matters:
Perfect Audio Preservation
FLAC keeps 100% of the original audio data. If your MOV contains high-quality sound-whether from professional microphones or high-bitrate recording-FLAC preserves it all. MP3 would permanently discard some of that information.
Smaller Than Uncompressed
Unlike WAV, FLAC compresses audio-typically 50-60% smaller. In our testing, a 100MB WAV becomes a 40-50MB FLAC with zero quality difference. You get lossless quality without wasting storage space.
Future-Proof Archiving
You can always convert FLAC to MP3 later if needed. But you cannot recover lost quality from an MP3. Start with FLAC to keep your options open.
Common Use Cases for MOV to FLAC
Archiving Live Performance Recordings
Recorded a concert, recital, or live session on video? The audio deserves lossless preservation. Convert to FLAC to create a master audio file that captures every nuance of the performance. Edit, remix, or simply archive with confidence that nothing is lost.
Extracting Audio from Professional Video
Professional cameras often record excellent audio. When a videographer captures your event, the MOV files may contain audio worth preserving separately. FLAC extraction gives you broadcast-quality sound files for separate distribution or archiving.
Music Production and Sampling
Found interesting audio in a video you recorded? Extracting to FLAC gives you lossless source material for sampling, remixing, or incorporating into music production. No generation loss from compression means cleaner samples.
Podcast Master Archives
Record video podcasts? Keep FLAC masters of every episode. Distribute MP3 to listeners, but archive FLAC for future remastering, repurposing, or quality upgrades. Many professional podcasters maintain lossless archives.
Preserving Voice Recordings
Interviews with elderly relatives, oral histories, or important conversations recorded on video-these deserve lossless preservation. FLAC ensures that irreplaceable audio survives perfectly for decades.
MOV vs FLAC: Technical Comparison
| Feature | MOV | FLAC |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Video container format | Lossless audio format |
| Content | Video + audio tracks | Audio only |
| Compression | Various codecs (often AAC/PCM audio) | Lossless compression |
| File size | Large (includes video) | Medium (audio only, compressed) |
| Quality | Depends on encoding | Bit-perfect preservation |
| Compatibility | Requires QuickTime/modern players | Most modern devices, excellent software support |
MOV is Apple's QuickTime container format, capable of holding multiple video and audio streams. FLAC is a dedicated audio format designed specifically for lossless compression-open source, widely supported, and trusted by audiophiles worldwide.
Audio Quality: What to Expect
Your FLAC file's quality depends entirely on the audio track within your MOV source:
- iPhone recordings - AAC audio at 44.1kHz, good quality that extracts cleanly to FLAC
- Professional cameras - Often 48kHz PCM, excellent quality extraction
- Screen recordings - Varies by source, typically good quality
- Broadcast video - Usually high-quality audio tracks
Important: If your MOV's audio is already compressed (AAC, MP3), converting to FLAC preserves that audio perfectly but cannot add back information already lost. FLAC extraction is most valuable when the source MOV contains high-quality or uncompressed audio. In our testing, professional video files with PCM audio produce studio-quality FLAC extractions.
Alternative Audio Formats
FLAC is ideal for archiving and quality-critical uses, but other formats serve different purposes:
- MOV to WAV - Uncompressed audio, largest files, maximum software compatibility for editing
- MOV to MP3 - Smaller compressed files, universal playback, best for sharing and casual listening
- MOV to AAC - Apple's preferred format, good quality at smaller sizes than MP3
For the best workflow: extract to FLAC as your master archive, then create MP3 copies for distribution. This gives you the best of both worlds-perfect preservation and easy sharing.
FLAC Compatibility
FLAC is widely supported but not universal:
Excellent Support
- Windows 10/11 (native playback)
- Android devices
- VLC, foobar2000, and most media players
- DAWs and audio editors (Audacity, Adobe Audition, Logic Pro)
- Audiophile hardware and streamers
Limited Support
- iPhone/iPad (requires third-party apps like VLC)
- iTunes/Apple Music (prefers ALAC)
- Some older car stereos
If you need playback on Apple devices, consider converting your FLAC files to ALAC or AAC for native support.
Batch Convert Multiple Videos
Have a collection of MOV files from an event or recording session? Upload multiple files and extract audio from all of them at once. Each video produces a separate FLAC file, making it easy to build a lossless audio archive from your video library.
Browser-Based: Works Everywhere
No software downloads or plugins required. Convert MOV to FLAC in any modern browser:
- Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
- Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
- iPhone, iPad, Android
Your files process locally in your browser-completely private and secure. We never upload or store your videos.
When NOT to Use FLAC
FLAC is not always the right choice:
- Quick sharing - Use MOV to MP3 when file size matters more than perfect quality
- Low-quality source - If your MOV has poor audio, FLAC won't improve it
- Apple ecosystem - iPhone users may prefer AAC or ALAC for native support
- Storage limited - FLAC files are 3-4x larger than MP3; use MP3 if space is tight
FLAC shines when quality matters: archiving, production, audiophile listening, and preserving recordings you cannot recreate.