FLAC, ALAC and macOS
FLAC is the most widespread lossless format, especially for hi-res downloads. Apple, for its part, created its own lossless format, ALAC (Apple Lossless).
macOS itself can decode FLAC: a single file plays straight from the Finder. But to manage a library, play an album track after track or see your cover art, you need a music player.
FLAC and ALAC are lossless codecs: they preserve the source PCM samples. Converting between them does not degrade those samples if no audio processing is applied; the codec and compression change.
The three options
Depending on how you listen, you have three approaches:
- Convert your FLAC files to ALAC if you prefer Apple’s lossless format. The conversion is lossless, but it means duplicating or replacing your files.
- Play your FLAC files as they are with a dedicated player like RustMusic, with a real library, cover art and full control over audio output.
- Play the occasional file straight from the Finder, thanks to the FLAC decoding built into macOS. Handy for one track, but there is no library.
Option 1: convert to ALAC
If you prefer Apple’s format, an audio converter turns your FLAC files into ALAC with no quality loss. Check that tags and cover art come through.
- Pro: ALAC is Apple’s lossless format, supported natively by macOS, iOS and iPadOS.
- Con: two copies of your library, or giving up FLAC, which is more widespread.
Option 2: play your FLAC files with RustMusic
RustMusic is a free, open source player that plays your FLAC files without conversion, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. It indexes your folders, fetches cover art and lets you browse your music by album, artist and genre.
- 1
Download RustMusic for macOS
The universal build runs on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Open the .dmg and drag the app into Applications.
- 2
Add your music folder
Internal drive, external drive or NAS: RustMusic reads the tags and cover art already in your files.
- 3
Pick your audio output
In Settings → Audio, select your DAC or sound card, then turn on exclusive output if you want the file to arrive untouched.
Keeping the original quality on a Mac
By default, macOS mixes every sound on the computer at a single sample rate, the one set in the Audio MIDI Setup utility. A 96 kHz FLAC played through an output set to 48 kHz is therefore resampled on the way.
RustMusic’s exclusive output reserves the DAC through CoreAudio hog mode. Bit-perfect PCM playback requires a lossless source, a sample rate and channel count the DAC accepts without conversion, volume at 100% and ReplayGain disabled. Check the “Bit-perfect” badge: “Exclusive” alone means the DAC is reserved, not necessarily that the signal is unchanged. If a format is rejected, check the reason in the audio chain.
During exclusive playback, other Mac sounds (notifications, browser) no longer go through that DAC. That’s expected: the player has exclusive use of it.
Frequently asked questions
Can macOS play FLAC files?
Yes. macOS can decode FLAC, and a single file plays from the Finder. For a whole collection, with a library, cover art and albums played track after track, you need a music player like RustMusic.
Does converting FLAC to ALAC lose quality?
No. Both formats are lossless: the decoded audio is identical, bit for bit. Only the container and the compression method change.
Do I need to convert my FLAC files to play them on a Mac?
No. RustMusic plays your FLAC files as they are, with no conversion or copy, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Converting to ALAC is only worthwhile if you want Apple’s format.
Does RustMusic play ALAC files too?
Yes. RustMusic has decoded ALAC files since version 0.2.8, along with AIFF and Opus. You can keep your ALAC collection without converting it to FLAC.
Sources and verification
RustMusic information checked for version 0.3.0.
Your FLAC files, finally at home on a Mac
RustMusic is free, with no account and no ads. One universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel.