How to play FLAC file with Windows Media Player 12

For encoding and converting music, I tend to use Media Monkey.  The free version can handle ripping to and converting to/from FLAC.

http://www.mediamonkey.com/information/free/

Click on the "Record & Convert" link on the left to see where it mentions that.

Now, I may be misunderstanding what you're trying to do, but I think you may be confused as to how these music formats and their properties work and why your FLAC files generally sound better than your MP3s.  Converting your low bitrate MP3s to FLAC or to a higher bitrate MP3 won't make them sound any better.  At best, the result may be a file that sounds just as good as the MP3 you are starting with, but it can never sound better.  Your only option would be to re-purchase those songs or re-rip them from your CDs in FLAC format (or at least in a better quality MP3 format).  I believe the CDs will be at 16 bit depth so there would be no use in ripping them to, for instance, 24 bit FLAC.

Encoding audio at low quality in a lossy format like MP3 is like taking a picture of an object through a foggy pane of glass...it's good enough that you can still tell what the object is, but it's not perfectly clear.  If you then take a picture of that picture (ie trying to convert the picture to a higher resolution format), even the best camera will still only be able to give you a really good representation of what the object looks like through the foggy pane of glass.  Nothing can accurately derive from the first picture what the original object looked like without the foggy pane of glass in the way.

keithsplace, let me ask you one more question along the same lines....

I have a huge music collection and mostly I have downloaded mp3 files. Only recently have I begun to download flac files because they sound much better and as I stated above, they play just fine on wmp 12.

Some of my mp3's are at a really low bitrate... some as low as 96 kbps.

Can you recommend a FREE audio converter that would let me convert mp3's to a higher bitrate, and perhaps even convert flac to mp3 if I chose to do this?

I was using Switch File converter from NCH on my old Vista, and downloaded it again on this computer but it only gives you a trial version now.  It's the best converter I have ever had, but I guess I need a different one now.

I am not real happy with the available choices in the windows 10 store.

Any suggestions?

Again. thank you

keithsplace, thanks for the reply.  I originally asked about this topic when I was using a Vista OS WMP 9 (I think it was 9), but I've since upgraded to a new HP with Windows 10 and WMP 12, and WMP 12 as I'm sure you know, playes flac files without a problem.

I do have a question for you though... you said you turned off Groove.  My default player seems to be Groove as well. I prefer WMP.  How did you "turn off" Grove?

Thanks for the read and reply.

Russell

After checking, not sure which OS your using, but in Windows 10 media player,,,,, I turned off Groove..

Right click a FLAC file, choose open with Window Media Player, Click the Always open this type file with it if you don't want to do it every time you play a FLAC file,  bam ! It should play.

Be sure you go into your audio cards properties and choose a higher resolution for best... and it will depend on what res the FLAC was saved in.... But I would choose a bit higher than 16 bit, something like  2channel 24bit 96000Hz studio quality. It may also depend on what your sound card can do as well.