This has probably been asked a thousand times before I got here (today). Is there anyway I can get Windows Media Player to play FLAK encoded files.

I have thousands of songs of all types of encoding and would like to be able to go to bed with my headphone on and know I am not missing the incredible quality of my FLAK encoded files (which came right off from my CD collection).

Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, am I crazy or do my FLAK files really sound better than my OGG files?

Hi + welcome at HA.

For playback with WMP you need a DirectShow Decoder filter. Try this or ask google / the forum search engine, maybe there's another one.

Any particular reason why you use WMP and not some other (audio) player with better FLAC support? (This is what I'd suggest if you can't get it to work with WMP)


Depends on the bitrate you use. At medium to high bitrates starting at ~ q2 - q4 (depends on your ears) you won't hear constant differences between Vorbis and Flac (Ogg is the container that can store both BTW). With some training you might be able spot isolated differences though.

Please be aware that imagination is very powerful, especially if it's about judging sound quality. To avoid pointless discussion based on imagined sound quality differences here, we have TOS # 8.

Thanks for the information.

I just found a decoder that allows WMP to play FLAK files. It does seem to work. But it may be a little flakey; my WMP shut itself down a couple of times while I was adding FLAK files to existing playlists.

It is in a very early place in the development cycle, so I can understand it.

My answer in the meantime is to recode the 200 or so FLAK files I ripped this morning using the dbPowerAmp version of the Vorbis encoder (what I had referred to as "ogg"). This little program "kicks", to quote my kids. (God I hope my grandson doesn't grow up to talk like my sons)

BTW, your post sounds like you are an administrator here. If so, I inadvertantly started two identical threads in a misguided effort to turn on the "email me with replies" option after posting the original thread. Give a guy a "back button" and the world could end at anytime.

Any way, if you are an administrator, could you please ensure the second thread is deleted (I didn't see a way of doing it, but it is after all, 1:45 AM.)

Lastly, regarding your question about my use of WMP, I'm old fashioned and it takes me a while to get through my thick skull that quicktime, real-alternative, and let's not forget winamp are great players that could be used all the time and not just as secondary players.

I've got so many WMP play lists. My wife hates my music (blues, old electric R&B, etc) so the play lists are absolutely necessary. As I haven't figured out how to convert play lists yet, ... Well, I'm sure you can imagine the rest.

I don't ever want to forget ...

If momma ain't happy, nobody's happy!

Anyway, thanks for the help.