# FLAC

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/flac/

9 people recommended FLAC in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 12 months, in 7 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Free lossless audio format that keeps the original sound intact, which people prefer over lossy MP3 files and scratch-prone CDs.

Summary written by Claude from 9 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Keeps all original audio information (3 comments in the sample): "Music needs to be preserved in a lossless format like FLAC which keeps all of the original audio information intact." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48933516)) "The core benefit to me of FLAC is that it's lossless." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45884056)) "Lossless whenever possible because I just want to give the sound quality as much of a chance as I can" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45888783))
- Preferred over CDs and scratches (2 comments in the sample): "so you can play those and keep the CD from getting scratched" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46455464)) "I’d take getting FLAC directly over CDs" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46463561))
- Better sound than high-bitrate MP3 (1 comment in the sample): "using a FLAC source makes an audible difference, even compared to a high-bitrate MP3 source" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48942817))
- No worry about quality loss (1 comment in the sample): "I still use flacs because it's nice not worrying about the quality mattering." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48768860))

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "FLAC", https://hackerapproved.com/p/flac/ (9 recommend, 1 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.