How to convert WMV to FLAC online
- 1
Drop your WMV file
Drag your Windows Media Video file onto the box above, or click it to pick a file.
- 2
Wait a few seconds
Conversion starts on its own and runs on your device, not on a server.
- 3
Download your FLAC
Click Download to save the Free Lossless Audio Codec file.
WMV vs FLAC: format overview
Windows Media Video
Microsoft · 2003
- Compression
- lossy
- Transparency
- No
- ✓ Good compression for Windows-native workflows
- ✓ DRM support for content protection
- ✗ Not supported on macOS, iOS, Android natively
Free Lossless Audio Codec
Josh Coalson / Xiph.Org · 2001
- Compression
- lossless
- Transparency
- No
- ✓ Lossless compression — identical to source
- ✓ 50–60% smaller than WAV with no quality loss
WMV magic bytes: 30 26 B2 75 8E 66 CF 11
FLAC magic bytes: 66 4C 61 43
Why convert WMV to FLAC?
WMV is a dead-end format. Microsoft has deprecated Windows Media technology, and the WMA audio codec inside WMV files is poorly supported outside of Windows. If you have archived recordings in WMV and want to preserve their audio for the long term — in a format that future software will still be able to read — converting now is the right decision.
FLAC is the archival audio format of choice. It is lossless, open, and supported by every serious audio software project: Plex, Jellyfin, Kodi, foobar2000, Audirvana, and more. Unlike proprietary formats, FLAC is guaranteed to remain decodable indefinitely because its specification is open and widely implemented. For audio archiving, FLAC is the obvious answer.
Converting WMV audio to FLAC decodes the WMA audio and stores it as lossless FLAC. It is important to note that WMA is a lossy codec — converting it to FLAC does not restore lost quality. The FLAC output is a lossless copy of the already-compressed WMA audio. What you gain is format longevity, broad software compatibility, and freedom from Windows-only codec dependencies. If the original WMA was high-bitrate, the quality loss is small and the FLAC archive will be entirely usable for years to come.
Quality & file size: WMV to FLAC
Typical sizes: WMV 50–150 MB (1 minute 720p); FLAC 20–40 MB (3-minute song).
FLAC will not restore detail the WMV encoder removed, and the file gets bigger.
Frequently asked questions
Is FLAC from a WMV source truly lossless?
What hi-fi devices can play FLAC extracted from WMV?
Your WMV file never leaves this tab — FormatDrop has no endpoint that receives file data. How it works