Extract the download
Open the downloaded archive and locate the files for FLAC.
Lossless manual setup
Set up FLAC 1.5.0 in Exact Audio Copy.
Use the official FLAC command-line tools with EAC while keeping the encoder outside the EAC Codecs installer.
Download
Get FLAC 1.5.0
FLAC is an upstream Xiph.Org component. Use the official Windows archive containing the command-line tools.
Official upstream
FLAC 1.5.0
FLAC is an upstream Xiph.Org component. Use the official Windows archive containing the command-line tools.
Step by step
Manual installation
The example uses EAC's conventional Encoders directory. Use your actual installation path if it differs.
Place the encoder in EAC's Encoders folder
Extract the Windows archive and copy flac.exe into EAC's Encoders folder. The other official FLAC tools may be kept with it if you use them.
Example executable path
C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\Encoders\flac.exeOpen EAC's external compression settings
Open EAC → Compression Options → External Compression. Enable the external program, select User Defined Encoder, set the extension to .flac, and browse to flac.exe.
Example configuration
What the FLAC settings look like in EAC
This is a static example using the usual EAC installation path.
Example path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\Encoders\flac.exe.
Enter the verified command line
-T "artist=%artist%" -T "title=%title%" -T "album=%albumtitle%" -T "date=%year%" -T "tracknumber=%tracknr%" -T "genre=%genre%" -5 %source%
The verified EAC command intentionally does not include %dest%; EAC and the FLAC command-line workflow handle the destination in this profile.
Test one track
Confirm that the resulting FLAC plays correctly and contains the expected Vorbis-comment metadata.
Troubleshooting
Common FLAC setup issues
No FLAC file is created
Re-check the path to flac.exe, the .flac extension and the command line.
Tags are missing
Keep EAC's Add ID3 tag option disabled. The command line writes FLAC-native metadata with -T.
Encoder path is rejected
Browse to the executable again from EAC instead of typing an assumed path. The example path may differ from your installation.
Prefer automatic installation?
The EAC Codecs installer places the selected components in the detected EAC encoder directory automatically.
Download EAC Codecs →