Mathematica Import/Export Format

FLAC (.flac)

MIME type: audio/x-flac
FLAC lossless audio codec.
Used for audio archiving and playback, and for exchanging audio data on the web.
Open and patent-free audio compression method.
FLAC is an acronym for Free Lossless Audio Codec.
Binary file format.
Compresses audio samples using linear prediction and run-length encoding methods.
Supports up to 8 audio channels.

Import and Export support all audio codecs commonly used in the FLAC format.

IMPORT AND EXPORT

Import["file.flac"] imports a FLAC file, returning a sound object.

Export["file.flac", expr] exports a sound object to FLAC.

Import["file.flac"] gives an expression of the form Sound[SampledSoundList[data, r]].

Export["file.flac", expr] creates a FLAC file from the sound object expr.

Import["file.flac", elem] imports the specified element from a FLAC file.

Import["file.flac", {elem, sub_a, sub_b, ...}] imports a subelement.

Import["file.flac", {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] imports multiple elements.

The import format can be specified with Import["file", "FLAC"] or Import["file", {"FLAC", elem, ...}].

Export["file.flac", expr, elem] creates a FLAC file by treating expr as specifying element elem.

Export["file.flac", {expr₁, expr₂, ...}, {{elem₁, elem₂, ...}}] treats each expr_i as specifying the corresponding elem_i.

Export["file.flac", expr, opt₁->val₁, ...] exports expr with the specified option elements taken to have the specified values.

Export["file.flac", {elem₁->expr₁, elem₂->expr₂, ...}, "Rules"] uses rules to specify the elements to be exported.

See the reference pages for full general information on Import and Export.

ImportString and ExportString support the FLAC format.

ELEMENTS

General Import elements:

	"Elements"	list of elements and options available in this file
	"Rules"	full list of rules for each element and option
	"Options"	list of rules for options, properties and settings

Data representation elements:

	"Data"	raw audio samples, given as a list of lists of real numbers, each sublist representing an individual audio channel
	"SampledSoundList"	FLAC file given as SampledSoundList
	"Sound"	FLAC file represented as a Sound object

The "Data" element corresponds to the first argument of SampledSoundList.

Multiple channels are represented as an array of audio samples.

Import and Export use the "Sound" element by default for FLAC files.

Advanced Import element:

	"SampleDepth"	bits used to encode amplitude levels
	"SampleRate"	number of amplitude samples per second and channel

OPTIONS

General option:

SampleRate

Automatic

number of amplitude samples per second for each channel

Detailed properties and settings:

"AudioChannels"

Automatic

the number of audio channels in the file

If the number of channels is unspecified, the highest number of simultaneous channels is taken, and silence is inserted if necessary.

If "AudioChannels" is set to a value n which is less than the number of channels to be exported, only the first n channels are exported.