FLAC file signature
Magic number at the start of the file · fLaC
Free Lossless Audio Codec streams begin with the ASCII magic fLaC, immediately followed by the STREAMINFO metadata block that describes sample rate and channel count.
What this magic number means
A magic number is a short, fixed run of bytes at a known position that tells a program what a file really is, no matter what the filename says. If a file starts with the bytes 66 4C 61 43 (the text fLaC), it is a FLAC file.
Formats that use the 66 4C 61 43 signature
These file types in our database carry this signature:
How to check a file's signature
You can read the first bytes of any file yourself. The magic bytes are shown in hex, the same way this page lists them.
Linux & macOS
- xxd -l 16 example.flac
- hexdump -C -n 16 example.flac
- file example.flac
Windows (PowerShell)
- Format-Hex -Path example.flac -Count 16
Python
- open("example.flac","rb").read(4).hex()
In your browser
- Drop the file into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads the signature without uploading it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FLAC file signature?
FLAC files start with the hex bytes 66 4C 61 43 (fLaC in ASCII). This magic number identifies the format regardless of the file's name or extension.
How do I check a file's magic number?
Open the file in a hex editor, or run a command such as xxd -l 16 example.flac on Linux or macOS, or Format-Hex -Path example.flac -Count 16 in Windows PowerShell, and read the first bytes.
Can a file fake the FLAC signature?
Renaming a file does not change its bytes, so the extension can lie but the signature usually cannot. A genuine FLAC file has these exact bytes; a file with the wrong bytes is not really FLAC, whatever its name says.