APE to FLAC converter
Convert Monkey's Audio APE files to FLAC for better device support and streaming compatibility. Lossless to lossless, zero quality loss. Free online, 500 MB.
Drop a file to convert here
or click to browse
About Free Lossless Audio Codec
Common Use Cases
- Converting lossless APE archives to a more compatible format
- Making APE files playable on phones and portable players
- Migrating music libraries from APE to the FLAC standard
Monkey's Audio (APE) is a lossless audio compression format that was popular in the early 2000s, especially for CD rips distributed on file-sharing networks. APE files achieve slightly better compression than FLAC, but at the cost of extremely limited device and software support. FLAC has become the universal standard for lossless audio, supported by nearly every music player, streaming service, and hardware device. Converting from APE to FLAC preserves every bit of audio quality while making your files compatible with the modern ecosystem.
Both APE and FLAC are lossless, meaning the audio data is preserved perfectly in both directions. The difference is compatibility: FLAC is supported by virtually every music player and device, while APE works in only a handful of applications.
Why Convert APE to FLAC?
Play on virtually any device
FLAC is supported by Android phones, most portable players (FiiO, Sony Walkman, Astell & Kern), network streamers, car stereos, and desktop players like foobar2000, VLC, and Audirvana. APE support is limited to a few niche applications.
Zero quality loss in the conversion
Both formats are lossless, so converting from APE to FLAC is a bit-perfect transformation. The decoded PCM audio is identical in both files. You lose nothing and gain compatibility.
Better tagging and metadata support
FLAC uses Vorbis Comments, which handle Unicode, album art, and custom tags cleanly. APE tags are less standardized and some players display them incorrectly. Converting to FLAC often fixes metadata display issues.
Faster seeking and better streaming
FLAC has a built-in seek table that allows instant seeking to any point in a track. APE requires decoding from the start of each frame, which makes seeking slower, especially on lower-powered devices like phones and portable players.
When to use each
Use APE when...
- You want the absolute smallest lossless file size
- Playing only in foobar2000 or similar niche players
- Archiving and disk space is the top priority
- The files are already in APE and work fine for you
- You have a specific workflow that requires APE
Use FLAC when...
- You need broad device and software compatibility
- Playing on phones, streamers, and portable devices
- Uploading to streaming or music platforms
- You want fast seeking and proper metadata
- You want the universal lossless standard
Common use cases
- Converting lossless APE archives to a more compatible format
- Making APE files playable on phones and portable players
- Migrating music libraries from APE to the FLAC standard
How to use
- Upload your APE file. Drag and drop an .ape file onto the upload area, or click to browse. Files up to 500 MB are supported, which covers full-album single-file rips.
- Convert to FLAC. Click Convert File. Your APE audio is decoded losslessly and re-encoded as FLAC. The conversion is bit-perfect, preserving every sample of the original audio.
- Download your FLAC. Save the converted FLAC and play it on any device that supports lossless audio. Uploaded files are automatically deleted from our servers within 1 hour.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there any quality loss when converting APE to FLAC?
- No. Both formats are lossless, so the conversion preserves every bit of audio data. The decoded audio from the APE and the decoded audio from the FLAC are identical at the sample level.
- Why is the FLAC file slightly larger than the APE?
- APE compression is marginally more efficient than FLAC, typically by 2 to 5 percent. This is the tradeoff for FLAC's vastly better compatibility, faster decoding, and better seeking. The audio content is identical.
- Will my .cue sheet still work with the FLAC?
- Yes. If your APE came with a .cue sheet for track splitting, it will work with the converted FLAC as long as you update the filename reference in the .cue file from .ape to .flac.
- Are tags and metadata preserved?
- Metadata from APE tags is converted to FLAC Vorbis Comments where possible, including title, artist, album, track number, and genre. Album art is also preserved if embedded in the source file.
- Is APE to FLAC conversion free?
- Yes. Anyone can convert for free with no signup required. Anonymous users get a daily conversion allowance, registered accounts get higher limits, and Premium or Lifetime members get unlimited conversions.