UPDATE: Nevermind all this.
Some time ago I had acquired a collection of certain Beatles recordings in FLAC format (65 pounds of Beatles vinyls on my shelf keep me guilt-free), and since the only lossless format iPods would play was Apple Lossless, converting to that format was my only option. Now, while I support the great idea of open lossless that is FLAC, Apple has really been a bitch about implementing it into iTunes. There have been rumours support for it will be present when Leopard comes along, but I think we’ll more likely see native support for WMA files than FLAC.Before today, the method I used to use was: I would take the album in FLAC, put it through xACT which would convert it to .AIFF, effectively doubling the number of song files on my hard drive and getting rid of all the tags entirely; then importing those .aiff files into iTunes, tagging them by hand a little bit, converting the result to Apple Lossless, getting rid of the intermediate .aiff files, and then putting everything through iEatBrainz, the automatic tagging software which bases its algorithm on a checksum of the audiofile, and not the length of all tracks like iTunes does. Now, on their website, the creators of iEatBrainz failed to mention that it doesn’t fucking work most of the time, so I would end up tagging almost everything by hand.Today, I got seriously pissed off at not being able to instantly listen to A Hard Day’s Night, and instead of ripping the LP like I wanted to, I found a workaround for this. Here is what you do.
UPDATE: Good man Achim has put together all the necessary stuff to get through this tutorial into a single .DMG file. Saves you time, plus I don’t think Google’s servers will die any time soon.
What we’re gonna do is get iTunes to play FLAC files natively. That way, we can convert them right within iTunes to Apple Lossless for playback on iPods, preserving all the tags and bypassing the stupid .AIFFs. That is good. So, here we go.
- Download the xiph.org component. Once you open up the .dmg file, there will be a bunch of copyright and readme files, as well as a file called XiphQT. Forget the readme crap, you’re reading this; this is better, cooler, and makes you smell nice. Okay, take the XiphQT file, and copy it into /Library/Quicktime/. Just to be safe, I copied mine into ~/Library/Components as well. (~ is your Home folder, so you gotta go to Finder, click on your home folder, go into Library, and then Components. /Library/QuickTime, on the other hand, is NOT in your home folder; you have to click on your hard drive in Finder or on the desktop to get to it)
- Now, download this thing: FLAC Importer. Once you unpack it, you’ll see a file called FLACImport.component with a LEGO icon. Do the same to it as to the XiphQT file, ie. copy it into /Library/QuickTime and ~/Library/Components.
- Lastly, download SetOggS. Once unpacked, take the Set OggS file and copy it to the desktop or somewhere convenient.
- You should reboot at this point.
- Once you’re done rebooting, find a .flac file you want to play, right/CTRL+click on it, go Open With>Other, and find QuickTime on the list there. If all is good, QuickTime will open up, and after hitting play/spacebar you should hear the sweet sounds of music. If you get an error instead, you screwed up, and should start from the beginning. Yes, from the VERY beginning. Where I yakked about how I wanted to listen to A Hard Day’s Night. That’s your punishment.
- At this point, QuickTime will play FLACs, but chances are iTunes won’t. Try it. Drag a .flac file onto the iTunes icon in the dock. If all iTunes does is show up onscreen cluessly like a half-awake student midway through the math class after partying heavily, then we’re not done.
- Remember that Set OggS file that you dragged onto your desktop, with an icon of a snake? Find your FLAC files, and drag them onto Set OggS’s application icon. It should not be running when you’re doing that - dragging your files onto the dock icon of Set OggS while it’s running isn’t gonna do anything. You have to quit it, and then drag the tracks onto the icon on your desktop or wherever you saved it.
- Once you do that, the program is going to start up and print out a bunch of stuff saying the operation was a success. Jolly good. Now take the same .flac files you just dragged onto Set OggS and drag them onto the iTunes icon in the dock again. Instead of doing nothing, iTunes should start importing and/or playing the tracks. Hooray! If you don’t use iPods, you could just listen to your FLAC files this way and be happy. However, FLAC files still display certain issues like problems with tags and artwork, and by converting to Apple Lossless those will go away.
- Double check that Apple Lossless is set as your importing format: go to the iTunes menu at the top, and choose Preferences (or hit Command+,), head to the Advanced tab, there click on the Importing tab, and make sure Import Using is set to Apple Lessless. Now you’re good to go.
- HIghlight all the FLAC files you just imported into iTunes within the Library, right-click on them and choose Convert to Apple Lossless. After a bit of crunching, iTunes will make an annoying chime letting you know that it’s all done. Select all the FLAC files holding Command on the keyboard (they’re all the odd ones) and trash them. Voila. You now have Apple Lossless files out of your FLACs.
Okay. So next time you want to convert your FLACs, just go through steps 7 to 10 and you should be good. It is somewhat semi-automatic due to the necessary step of running Set to OggS, but still beats the longass way I had to do it.Oh, and in step 9, you can set the encoder to MP3 or AAC instead of Apple Lossless. In the guide I kind of assumed that if you got FLAC files, you are probably an audio maniac like me and find the quality of MP3s atrocious.Enjoy.
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Thanks for publishing those top tips. I just by pure chance got sent a whole bunch of FLACs not knowing what to do. They are now on my iTunes library thanks to you.
Thank you very much! Clear, precise and amusing.
Glad it helped you guys out!
Is this a recipe for Mac users only? Seems clear until I try to put into practice in Windows.
I’m fairly certain it is. I haven’t seen very many plugins for iTunes on Windows.
You know, if you are a student a buy a Mac now, you can get a Nano for free ;D.
I’m running OS X 10.4.6 Tiger, and I don’t have the same library folders as you. Are you running a different version of OS X?
I am running 10.4.9 (still hasitating to upgrade over to 4.10) but it should not matter - the library folders have been the same since Jaguar (10.2) if not earlier.
Which folders can’t you find? They should all be there.
I don’t have Library/Quicktime or Library/Components for some odd reason.
I realize that this is pretty much for Macs only, but do you know of a way I can convert .flac files to open them with iTunes on a PC?
Cheers in advance.
Library/Components may not be there indeed, I had to create that folder on my machine. I followed a number of help files for all the plugins you need to download, and one of them mentioned that the Xiph component has to reside under Library/components. I think they were just mistaken, but I created that folder on my machine anyway just to be on the safe side.
The QuickTime folder, however, should be there. To double check, go into your finder, then go to the Go menu and choose Go to Folder. Then in the dialogue that pops up punch in “/library/quicktime”. It should get you to the folder. If it says Folder Not Found then something’s wrong - OS X can’t function without that folder, really.
I think the problem is that you went to the home folder and looked under Library there, and not in the root folder of your Mac.
As to FLAC on Windows, Winamp has a plugin available. And if you want to play the files in iTunes, there is a download available on the Xiph page:
http://xiph.org/quicktime/download.html
I have not tested it personally, but it seems to do the same thing it does on the Mac, ie. add playback capabilities to QuickTime on Windows. Since iTunes uses QuickTime for playback, it should theoretically work. Just installing Xiph on its own on the Mac side clearly isn’t enough, so I’m not sure if you have to do more to make it all work. When I was using Windows more, I would just convert FLACs to .wavs, then import them into iTunes, convert to Apple Lossless, and then tag the resultant files with Tag&Rename. The latter, unlike iEatBrainz, can be relied on for retrieving all the tags correctly.
thanks saved me lot of heartache can now listen to my lossless files on my ipod without having to delete my flac files
Your instructions were succinct, amusing and worked perfectly. Thank you, I adore you, you’ve saved me lots of time and made my ears very happy. Best wishes.
Wow, looks like people found this post useful. Hooray! Mission accomplished. Have fun with your FLACs!
Thanks for the great help.
truly amazed and very appreciative of what you’ve done
i’m not one for emotional gushing, but i’m teetering on the edge after such a life-enhancing post. cheers bloke
Oh wow, the magnitude of replies. Thanks a lot everyone. Glad to help out.
Thanks from Canada - how can I buy you a pint?! Any tips on converting .bup, .ifo, .vob over to quicktime and or itunes, cheers!
ahh this is fabulous!
You can probably Xpress Post the pint over. And if you’re in Vankoover, then you can just drop it off.
I do prefer wine though.
I must be a little slow, but I got through steps 1 - 7 perfectly. The file played via Quicktime and everything. Then, I dropped the file onto SetOggS, which immediately gave me the message:
Setting ‘OggS’ FSType on ‘/Users/Diane/TV/The Beatles - Revolver/The Beatles - Revolver - 02. Eleanor Rigby.flac’… done.
I quit SetOggS and dragged the file onto the iTunes icon… And nothing! Do you think you could help a damsel in distress? Thanks in advance.
So far sounds like you did everything correctly. Try opening iTunes and dragging the file onto the “Library” item on the list on the left within iTunes. See if you get a dark edge around it. If you do, as soon as you drop the file it should get copied or added into the library, depending on how you have iTunes set up.
Hi, Your explanation was easy to understand. I tried twice all the way through and all I got was a horrible droning sound on three different files I downloaded.I’ forwarding the link in case you have time to see if the files are bad, but others have apparently downloaded them with no difficulty.
If you have any thoughts, I’d love to hear them. Ibelieve all of my software is up to date, my Powerbook G4 is about 5 years old, but has had good care, has plenty of gig space, about 20 left,and I’m running 10.4.10.
Thanks, Dave
http://www.archive.org/details/mmj2007-08-05.4023.flac24
Dave - tried your file. After dragging the Intro flac file onto SetOggS, and then onto iTunes, it played just fine. Odd. I wonder if one of the libraries doesn’t work as well on PowerPC? Hard to tell at this point. It’s obviously one of the components misbehaving. Make sure you have the latest components as well as QuickTime and iTunes.
Thx man, great explanation of how to do this.
Thank you soooo much. One rare example of making an operation easily understandable, quickly and fun. Keep up with the good work.
Or to make things really easy……….FOR MACS (at least)
….go to versiontracker & just download MacFlac…its freeware
I keep mine in Apps……….you just drag your files in & it will decode ( gives a choice of AIFF or WAV…when decoded drag into itunes………..pretty sure also that you get to keep the FAC files aswell……….chose shared ?or itunes as output directory & it will double up the files…giving FLAC & AIFF
I forgot …it will also ENCODE any to FLAC if you want
& for the guy in Canada looking to open .vob .bup files
Toast Titanium will open & burn them to a dvd or as a imagefile that you can then open directly on the computer w/out burning 1st
Marco - I used to decode the FLAC files myself. In fact that was the whole problem. When doing it the way I described you get to keep the tags and instantly convert to Apple Lossless or MP3 without needing to do double conversion, manual retagging or fiddling with files outside of iTunes. All you have to do once you go through the guide is drop the files onto SetOggS, and then drag them into iTunes. Voila.
Great instructions, beautifully written - worked like a charm. If only everyone wrote step-by-steps like this!
Thanks. I suppose I’ll try to write more of ‘em. Doing technical support teaches you to be more precise in your wording.
Wow!! What a simple solution. Am I glad I came across this thread. I have been struggling with this for weeks. By your instructions, I was playing flac in my iPod in less than 5 min.
Thanks,
D~
Thanks for the guide / solution!
I found that putting the components in /Library/Quicktime/ (and not /Library/Components/ or ~/anything) worked just fine. Also, I (am pretty sure I) didn’t have to restart - just quit and re-open QuickTime / iTunes. (This on an intel MBP.)
Now the question is: How to have the (video) iPod auto-downsample, like the shuffle does?
I have been looking for an answer to that question myself. I will post if I figure it out.
And where on Kingsway are you? Not by Boundary by any chance? =)
Good work. I’d got as far as Step 1 myself, but then drawn a blank.
I know how hard it is to write clear instructions - you’ve done a great job.
Heartfelt thanks from Tokyo
Thanks. That was actually pretty fun to write =)
Works Great, except for the following: I tried two albums. On one the order of the songs is messed up, track numbers are gone. Clicking the Album column does nothing. On the other the artist and album info is gone, but the track order is right, they are still numbered. I tried getting CD track names under “Advanced”, but it says you have to import using iTunes. If I try to import under “File” it only lets me select one song at a time. Also, in the folder with the flacs there are lyrics and album covers. Is this of any use to iTunes? Should I just get them via an Itunes store account, which I don’t currently have? Is there another way? Lastly, when I select the whole folder, with lyrics, cue, covers, etc., and drag that to iTunes it makes two copies of the flacs. Not really a problem, just weird.
Sounds like the FLAC tag problems. Precisely why I suggested converting to Apple Lossless. AS is the iTunes native format it know well what to do with.
As to the artwork, you can assign it manually or get an iTunes account (you’ll need to punch in a credit card number or you can get a gift card). Lyrics are trickier, and as of now I only know how to add those manually.
Two copies of FLACs - sounds like you’re dragging the playlist files along with the FLACs, so iTunes goes “okay, here are some FLACs. Wait, a playlist, it could be A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ALBUM, I’ll import it too!”. Machines are dumb. Right now anyway. Don’t really care for when they get smart, I’ll be dead by then.
Very excited to hear about natively playing FLAC in iTunes, but that’s the ONE step I can’t get to work! They all sound great through Quicktime, but as soon as I drag the files into iTunes (any icon, or the actual window itself) iTunes quits and I get an “iTunes has quit unexpectedly” message box. Any ideas as to what might be going on? I have iTunes 7.3.2…
Well, I have to say that I was quite tickled to find this handy dandy guide for the pain-in-the-arse FLAC v.iTunes issue! But then I scrolled down a little further and my joy turned to sadness, as I realized this is an instructional guide for all the cool kids with macs!!
But I’ve bookmarked you anyway because my vaio laptop just took it’s 4th trip to the laptop doctor (laptomotrist?) and will, no doubt, need some ridiculous repair like say….oh, IT’S 3RD MOTHERBOARD REPLACEMENT (in it’s brief 2 year life!!) Damn Sony’s ihateyouihateyouihateyou!
So pending the results of the diagnostics, I will be most likely on the market for my new notebook–which will be a macbook pro (I’ve already priced it with all the pretty little bells and whistles that I want–gimmie the biggest and fastest baby!). So, someday I’ll be like all the other hipsters! Someday, I’ll be cool too!
p.s. we have that free nano deal here at IU too, but it seems a bit moot since they max capacity at 8gig, is it? How many lossless do you think we could fit on one of those bad boys?
It’s bad enough that I can’t add an album to my 60gig ipod without taking something off to make room… and I don’t have a lossless lp on it! And now oink is slowly turning me into an audio snob…I was bad enough just being a music snob, but now I shall hate on your music and scoff at your bitrates!
Welcome, my friend, welcome to the machine.
Teaser trailer - you will miss Windows eventually.
How weird is that that another B-Towner posted right after me? haha… anyway. Any ideas as to whats going on with the iTunes step?
Wow, Bloomington too, eh? Weird. Really weird. Where is this site’s home base anyway?
Will I really miss windows…as in maybe I shouldn’t get a mac? Oh now I’m confused!
You’ll miss it for the certain charm in all the time you spend in fixing it. Macs seem almost too easy. I personally can’t use my computer if it doesn’t crap out every week, so I installed XP on my MacBook. Now I just get my share of blue screens and life is good.
And the home base would be Vancouver CA.
Haha! Well, I think I’ll be able to live without those “charming” blue screens! It will be a struggle, but I’ll get through it one stress-less day at a time…
But in the meantime if you love figuring out all the windows kinks, how about figuring out how to convert flac to Apple Lossless?!
…I’ll be your best friend!!
Under Windows? I don’t know how to do it as easily as this guide explains.
Basically, the way I did it on Win is I would use the FLAC converter tool available on the official FLAC website, batch-convert everything into WAV’s, import them into iTunes, convert to Apple Lossless within iTunes (Preferences>Advanced>Import> change the codec from MP3 to Apple Lossless if you haven’t already), and then use something like Tag & Replace, a utility for tagging music, to retrieve the tags for the album.
Well that doesn’t sound hard at all. Is there a loss of quality when converting to wav–I suppose not if itunes can convert it back into apple lossless?
And this is a completely rookie question, but I just asked this on oink too, what is “tagging”? Is that just the “info” for the songs (artist/album/track names)? Or something more technical?
There is no loss of quality because WAV is a lossless format, and so is FLAC, and so is Apple Lossless.
And yep, you got it. Tags are metadata within each song that contains artist, song, year and other information, so when you play the song the player, iTunes, Winamp or whatever you prefer, will tell you what song is playing. Otherwise, all you would see is the filename which isn’t of much help.
If you use iTunes, right click on a song and choose Get Info. That’s where you edit the tags.
Worked like a charm! Thanks for figuring it all out, so I didn’t have to!
Thank you so very much for the demystification. I was able to search my entire drive for .flac files and from the found set, drag it to “Set OggS” icon. In one fell swoop the library was iTunes enabled. Then from that same found set, I was able to drag the flacs to a new playlist in iTunes. I was able to complete the conversion process of multiple files in multiple directories in less than 2 mins …and then after waiting for iTunes to catch up, push play!
Thanks again
Now I can FLAC-out my entire CD library.
It works like a charm, thanks. However, after conversion to aiff there is a significant reduction in volume, ie play the imported flac file then the converted aiff file with the same volume settings and the flac file is much louder. Any idea why and what to do to avoid it?