Downloading music in FLAC format

[MaxAndRuby]

Where's the best site(s) for this?

[PJ S]

Legally? No idea if any site provides FLAC as a format for download, due to the size of each file.
The less preferred route, is torrents - but the same issue is likely to crop up there too.

[The_Burg]

Google Trackname flac.

(Possibly not entirely legal).

[MaxAndRuby]

Legal would be nice.

[Mr_Yogi]

I wouldn't have thought there would be any legal commercial FLAC downloads as I don't think there is any mechanisum for DRM.

Can you download Apple Lossless from iTunes?

[DavidY]

There are some legal FLAC downloads, but they tend to be more obscure record labels and artists (eg Linn Records). Best to rip your own CDs

davidy

[The_Burg]

MaxAndRuby said:

Legal would be nice.

As DavidY says Linn Records are the only one i know of.
If you have an old PC try downloading Vortexbox, standalone CD ripper and Squeeze server. Unix based so will run on any old junker and doesn't need screen / keyboard / mouse etvc once setup. Just feed it CDs and it does the rest automatically.
It's what i use for ripping and works well. (And its free).
(They also do a ripping service where you send them your CDs and they rip for you).

[navier_stokes]

Mr_Yogi said:

I wouldn't have thought there would be any legal commercial FLAC downloads as I don't think there is any mechanisum for DRM.

Can you download Apple Lossless from iTunes?

No apple lossless from iTunes... but also no DRM on iTunes either now, or at least they're gradually getting rid of all DRM from iTunes.

As well as Linn, B&W have a (very) limited download club in lossless format, but best to burn your own from CD.

Edited by navier_stokes on Wednesday 8th April 12:46

[Digger]

Slightly off-topic.

Was playing around with EAC for the first time earlier. Tried saving a music CD as a FLAC and it stuck a .wav extension on the filenames. Are they both one and the same? Also what is the best way of getting the tags back as it appears to only keep the track name? TBH not really sure what I am doing . . .

[DavidY]

No you have WAVs without tags! A FLAC file is essentially a zipped WAV file. EAC is a bit of a nightmare to configure so I suggest that you download AutoFLAC, this provides an easier front end to EAC and just generates FLACs

davidy

[Ecurie Ecosse]

Or use FLAC Front End to decode / encode files after using EAC.

I recommend Foobar as a player too.

[S7Paul]

When you download Metallica gigs from the MetOnTour website (members only) you're given the choice of FLAC or MP3 formats. The FLAC files take a while to download but they seem to be good quality. Once you've got them they have to be decoded via a FLAC Frontend application into Wave Sound files.