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Topic: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC (Read 2384 times) previous topic - next topic
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Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

I'm using foobar to transcode and mp3 file to a flac. I'm aware this won't fix the quality at all. I just want to be able to improve its readability/transferability (sorry if I'm using the wrong term. I'm new to this) so that I can transfer it or even burn it onto a CD without any data loss. Will that work or will it function just like an mp3 and nothing will change?

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #1 –
U never ever convert a lossy source into a lossless one. Keep your tunes in mp3

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #2 –
But does it actually make the audio quality worse or anything? Cuz if it stays equally as lossy as it was when it was an mp3 then I'm fine with transcoding it. Mp3 and wav aren't always the best at properly storing id3 tags, so transcoding it to a flac would help with that. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the flac or wav version of this particular file so I don't want to be stuck.

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #5 –
I see. To clarify for danadam, I meant to prevent it from losing any more data if I were to, say, rip from a CD or burn it on a CD or anything like that.

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Kyddo on
Mp3 and wav aren't always the best at properly storing id3 tags

What software are you using to write/playback the mp3 files?  Are the tags disappearing or being truncated?  I've never bothered tagging WAV files, but I believe they can also use ID3 tags as well. 

I've had software in the past (~20 years ago) that didn't properly support ID3v2 tags.  They would either be ignored or  the ID3v1 tags would be preferred when reading and sometimes writing the file.  It was rare that tags would completely disappear.

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #7 –
I'm using the basic windows media player. So I might just be doing something wrong on my end. But it's fine. I'll just keep it to mp3. I appreciate it guys.

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #8 –
I see no reason to do this.  The best quality source you have is the original file, regardless of what format it is in.  If you wanted to burn a CD, the CD requires PCM (ie .WAV) so a FLAC would need converting just the same as an MP3 (even if the conversion is invisible to you, performed by the burning process).

There is also no impediment to storing tags in MP3.

There would be something to be gained if you ripped to FLAC in the first place, but I don't – MP3 is good enough for me.
It's your privilege to disagree, but that doesn't make you right and me wrong.

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #9 –
If you want to burn a CD for say, in-car use, there are certainly applications that will so so from MP3, but you may want to adjust volume (according to ReplayGain I guess) if you are compiling from various albums.

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #10 –
...and many CD players will read a data CD with MP3 files on it.
It's your privilege to disagree, but that doesn't make you right and me wrong.

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Kyddo on
I just want to be able to improve its readability/transferability (sorry if I'm using the wrong term. I'm new to this) so that I can transfer it or even burn it onto a CD without any data loss.
All CD burners do actually the same, except they convert mp3 to (for easy understanding) wav, which is what you call decoding or decompression. FLAC and WAV are the same on terms of quality (because FLAC is lossless), so you basically do a work that any CD burner would do for you anyway.
Opus VBR 256 + SoX

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Kyddo on
But does it actually make the audio quality worse or anything? Cuz if it stays equally as lossy as it was when it was an mp3 then I'm fine with transcoding it. Mp3 and wav aren't always the best at properly storing id3 tags, so transcoding it to a flac would help with that. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the flac or wav version of this particular file so I don't want to be stuck.

It does. Converting an MP3 or AAC to flac is indeed worse for it's quality.

MP3 or AAC's work in 32 bit floating point domain, which is why, more likely than not, they will always have peaks that are above the 0dbFS ceiling of integer (like 24/16 bit)...

So if you convert this mp3 with information above 0dBFS to flac, it will be clipped as flac does not support 32 bit float. Plus, you would have to dither your mp3 down to 16 or 24 bits because it was initially in 32 bit float container, meaning without dither, you face truncation distortion of the lower level content.

Unless you're exporting an Mp3 to 32 bit float, you will always end up with a worse file than the one you started with. There's absolutely no point converting MP3 or any other lossy file to FLAC. It will always be in a poorer resolution than the original.

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #13 –
I gotcha. I'll definitely stick with the original file. I appreciate the responses. Especially fooball, Eurobeat_fan, and darkalex. I learned a lot today thank you guys!

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #14 –
Because i dont have aux in my car i am forced to use CD and i just put some mp3s on a disc formatted as data CD and it just works. You can even browse the directory structure. I transcoded what wasnt in flac.
I agree with the others to not touch your main archive. If you do this to a secondary library that you can delete whenever its a different thing and you can definitely experiment here. The main archive tho, nah. Only lossless to lossless conversions are a allowed here.
Lossless to lossy -> ou are stuck with lossy and degrade audio
Lossy to lossy -> you loose the lossy compression scheme AND degrade the audio
Lossy to lossless -> you loose the compression scheme.
Lossless to lossless -> perfection ^^

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Kartoffelbrei on
Because i dont have aux in my car i am forced to use CD and i just put some mp3s on a disc formatted as data CD and it just works. You can even browse the directory structure. I transcoded what wasnt in flac.
I agree with the others to not touch your main archive. If you do this to a secondary library that you can delete whenever its a different thing and you can definitely experiment here. The main archive tho, nah. Only lossless to lossless conversions are a allowed here.
Lossless to lossy -> you are stuck with lossy and degrade audio
Lossy to lossy -> you loose the lossy compression scheme AND degrade the audio
Lossy to lossless -> you loose the compression scheme.
Lossless to lossless -> perfection ^^
argh no i meant to edit why cant i delete
 

Re: Transcoding MP3 to FLAC

Reply #16 –
Quote from: Kartoffelbrei on
Because i dont have aux in my car i am forced to use CD and i just put some mp3s on a disc formatted as data CD and it just works.
That's fine, your player obviously supports data CDs.  Others don't, and would need to burn a proper audio CD.
It's your privilege to disagree, but that doesn't make you right and me wrong.