Is there a FLAC plug-in for iTunes?

[torrenter]

Is there a way I could play FLAC files in iTunes or manipulate it to allow for this? Thanks, for any advice.

 

[Didou]

I don't believe so. LNCPapa who used to love iTunes resorted to using Foobar2000 to play his FLAC files. If LNCPapa couldn't find such a plugin, you can be sure one doesn't exist.

I do believe there's such a plugin for Winamp, but I can't find anything for iTunes.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

For OSX and Windows, yes.

You just weren't looking hard enough

 

[torrenter]

Well, I've looked Mictlantecuhtli, but can't find anything that works. This quicktime extension XiphQT.qtx from Xiph.org does nothing! A program call MAX only works with MAC, not PC. And converting .flac to any other file even WAV with FLAC frontend, sound quality is lost. I need a plugin, not another program. What have you found?

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Hmm, it seems the plugin I linked supports FLAC only in Ogg streams, not "raw" FLAC format.

I tested this myself with iTunes 7.0.2, OSX 10.4.8. Ogg Vorbis and Ogg-FLAC play fine.

For more information, see this bug.

There's also this, but I haven't tested myself:

Native FLAC in iTunes/QuickTime

You shouldn't lose any quality when you decompress FLAC to uncompressed WAV, by the way.

 

[LNCPapa]

The quality loss he's talking about isn't with the file - but during there decompression for playback there are artifacts introduced. I was never able to get a clean/working solution for this hence my move to foobar2k. It's a good thing too as now I completely love foobar. I was able to get ogg-flac to playback - but on the mac side I saw a pretty large delay in playback and gapless was only in my dreams.

 

[torrenter]

FLAC Plugin subject continued...

So LNCPapa, with the difference in sound that I noted with the .WAV files produced from FLAC Frontend, compare to the original .flac files do you suggest I use foobar2k as an all-purpose music file player than say VLC Media Player? No offence, but the screenshots of foobar2k look really quite ugly. Nothing like iTunes. Is it though closer in functionality to iTunes than VLC Media Player or any other freeware player? Thanks in advance.

 

[SNGX1275]

No offence, but the screenshots of foobar2k look really quite ugly. Nothing like iTunes.

heh. I've used that argument with LNCPapa and youngandwild and they both produce some screenshots to argue it can be customized and look nice. Every one they've shown looks like crap to me.

 

[TS | Thomas]

foobar2000 user myself here. You are quite correct to say that foobar2000 won't look as "nice" as iTunes. Then again, iTunes won't play your FLACs either easily; so it's a moot point.

The only realistic (easy) solution you have are to convert the FLACs to WAV or ALAC if you want loseless quality tracks that iTunes can play.

Otherwise I'd recommend getting used to foobar2000; you can customize it how you want & it's a significantly more capable media player than iTunes is. iTunes hasn't even got correct ID3v2.x support & only recently managed semi-gapless playback support. Check their forums for info on it; http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showforum=27

 

[SNGX1275]

Or you can install Winamp 5 with the 2.x skin so you don't have the confusing media whatever its called and the oversized interface. Much nicer to look at than foobar, takes up less space, and has plugin support to cover just about any format imaginable.