FLAC 1.3.0 release brings RF64 and Wave64 support

In their first release since 2007, the Xiph.Org Foundation has updated its Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) with several improvements in version 1.3.0 and the developers have also moved the code to a new Git repository. The release also includes a number of bug fixes and minor interface changes. FLAC is a royalty-free, lossless compression codec that is used by music enthusiasts to store music collections without compromising quality and by recording artists and broadcasters to transfer their work over the internet.

New features introduced in FLAC 1.3.0 include support for the RF64 and Sony Wave64 formats, better CD cue sheet handling and support for gain analysis between 56 and 192 kHz. Windows versions of the codec are now also able to handle UTF-8 file names. Bug fixes include better error messages when the user tries to decode a file that was not encoded with FLAC, a fix to a problem with fractional seconds on some locales and fixes to the build process of the software.

FLAC 1.3.0 can be downloaded from the Xiph web site for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Ports are also available for Solaris, AmigaOS and Windows CE. The source code is available from the new Git repository on the Xiph web site under a three-clause BSD licence.

(fab)