# playing FLAC files **URL:** \ **Category:** Apps & Creations\ **Created:** [January 4, 2015, 6:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801 "2015-01-04T06:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![im5049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f4b2a3/32.png) [@im5049](https://forums.plex.tv/u/im5049)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 6:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/1 "2015-01-04T06:50:43Z")
A year ago I ripped all of my classical CDs to FLAC, and planned on streaming them from my computer to my sound system. Then my spouse decided to get an AppleTV, which of course only streams iTunes, and allows no other apps to be added. I thought PlexConnect would solve my streaming problems. I followed the instructions, downloaded everything, installed in accordance with the guides, and it all worked....except playing FLAC. They would play for about 3-4 seconds, then I would get an error message. Something like "transcode error, please try again later." Did I do something wrong? Is there a setting I need to change? ---
**Author:** ![baa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/baa/32/2026_2.png) [@baa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/baa)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 9:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/2 "2015-01-04T09:29:19Z")
Looks like an PMS/transcoder issue to me. Do you see issues using Plex clients on iPhone or other "low power" devices? ---
**Author:** ![moody\_blue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/moody_blue/32/7835_2.png) [@moody\_blue](https://forums.plex.tv/u/moody_blue)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/3 "2015-01-04T13:33:30Z")
I think that your better option is to convert your music from FLAC to ALAC. Otherwise you will run into trouble. I've seen some posts with users claiming that PMS does a lousy job transcoding from FLAC to other formats. Some claim that we cannot hear the diference between MP3 @ 320K and the lossless formats. I can hear in classic music but not in rock. MP3 is more universal than any other music format. ---
**Author:** ![im5049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f4b2a3/32.png) [@im5049](https://forums.plex.tv/u/im5049)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/4 "2015-01-04T14:45:51Z")
I don't have Plex on other devices. I just want to stream from my computer at home. Also, all my CDs are gone now, so can't re-rip, and not real anxious to convert to AAC. I was really looking forward to PlexConnect working, since I'm stuck with appleTV - spouse preference, can't change. ---
**Author:** ![moody\_blue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/moody_blue/32/7835_2.png) [@moody\_blue](https://forums.plex.tv/u/moody_blue)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/5 "2015-01-04T19:45:03Z")
There are tools out there allowing conversion from FLAC to WAV (another lossless format), and from there you can convert to ALAC (or AAC, or MP3, but these are not a lossless codecs, so better to keep the FLAC files as well). You want to stream to which devices ? If they are iDevices, then ALAC (or AAC, or MP3) is the way to go, if they are Android you need to select a music player that has a format compatible with the AppleTV, and convert to that format. ---
**Author:** ![molnizzle](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/molnizzle/32/109280_2.png) [@molnizzle](https://forums.plex.tv/u/molnizzle)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/6 "2015-01-04T22:40:06Z")
> I don't have Plex on other devices. I just want to stream from my computer at home. Also, all my CDs are gone now, so can't re-rip, and not real anxious to convert to AAC. I was really looking forward to PlexConnect working, since I'm stuck with appleTV - spouse preference, can't change. There's software out there that will convert your FLAC files to ALAC, which is just Apple's proprietary lossless format that they created because they're Apple. The quality is identical to FLAC as is the file size. Only difference is iTunes will play ALAC natively, as will the Apple TV and any iOS device. You can set iTunes to automatically rip CD's in ALAC also. ---
**Author:** ![im5049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f4b2a3/32.png) [@im5049](https://forums.plex.tv/u/im5049)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/7 "2015-01-05T01:46:36Z")
As a last resort I may convert the FLAC to ALAC but I really don't want to do that. I may get a streaming box for myself - I'm waiting to see what the new android TV boxes do, and whether you can add apps to them. Just curious - what actually plays the music file when you are using PlexConnect? Is it the player in PMS, and the resulting stream is then sent to ATV through the trailers app? ---
**Author:** ![drewbie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drewbie/32/6262_2.png) [@drewbie](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drewbie)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 1:51am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/8 "2015-01-05T01:51:44Z")
The file URL is passed to the ATV’s inbuilt player (video or audio) and then the ATV plays the file. If the format does not fit the ATV profile then PMS transcodes the file into a format that it supported and provides it over the url originally provided. ---
**Author:** ![xdblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/edb3f5/32.png) [@xdblue](https://forums.plex.tv/u/xdblue)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/9 "2015-01-05T02:15:06Z")
I have the same problem with Flac files. But is there no way to force transcoding of Audio files to say MP3 in either the PMS or in plexconnect? ---
**Author:** ![im5049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f4b2a3/32.png) [@im5049](https://forums.plex.tv/u/im5049)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/10 "2015-01-05T03:09:11Z")
"The file URL is passed to the ATV's inbuilt player (video or audio) and then the ATV plays the file. If the format does not fit the ATV profile then PMS transcodes the file into a format that it supported and provides it over the url originally provided." > The file URL is passed to the ATV's inbuilt player (video or audio) and then the ATV plays the file. If the format does not fit the ATV profile then PMS transcodes the file into a format that it supported and provides it over the url originally provided. So apparently the problem is in the PMS transcoding. Is there anything in the transcoding settings in PMS that might help, or is this a known problem in PMS and PlexConnect? ---
**Author:** ![drewbie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drewbie/32/6262_2.png) [@drewbie](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drewbie)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 4:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/11 "2015-01-05T04:56:02Z")
> "The file URL is passed to the ATV's inbuilt player (video or audio) and then the ATV plays the file. If the format does not fit the ATV profile then PMS transcodes the file into a format that it supported and provides it over the url originally provided." > > > So apparently the problem is in the PMS transcoding. Is there anything in the transcoding settings in PMS that might help, or is this a known problem in PMS and PlexConnect? Did baa not already say he thought it was a transcoded issue > Looks like an PMS/transcoder issue to me. Do you see issues using Plex clients on iPhone or other "low power" devices? I would suggest you do a search of the PMS forums to see if it's a known issue. ---
**Author:** ![moody\_blue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/moody_blue/32/7835_2.png) [@moody\_blue](https://forums.plex.tv/u/moody_blue)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/12 "2015-01-05T10:23:36Z")
> I would suggest you do a death of the PMS forums to see if it's a known issue. [https://forums.plex.tv/topic/129423-flac-music-no-longer-working-with-09114/?p=778242](https://forums.plex.tv/topic/129423-flac-music-no-longer-working-with-09114/?p=778242) ---
**Author:** ![drewbie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drewbie/32/6262_2.png) [@drewbie](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drewbie)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 10:49am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/13 "2015-01-05T10:49:33Z")
> [https://forums.plex.tv/topic/129423-flac-music-no-longer-working-with-09114/?p=778242](https://forums.plex.tv/topic/129423-flac-music-no-longer-working-with-09114/?p=778242) See I knew there would be a thread. ---
**Author:** ![drewbie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drewbie/32/6262_2.png) [@drewbie](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drewbie)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 10:53am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/14 "2015-01-05T10:53:22Z")
Although in saying that was there not a release anouncement for 9.11.6 that was meant to fix FLAC on iOS [https://forums.plex.tv/topic/62832-plex-media-server/page-3#entry799736](https://forums.plex.tv/topic/62832-plex-media-server/page-3#entry799736) ---
**Author:** ![moody\_blue](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/moody_blue/32/7835_2.png) [@moody\_blue](https://forums.plex.tv/u/moody_blue)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2015, 10:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/15 "2015-01-05T10:56:51Z")
And 0.9.11.7 has gone public, probably with that issue corrected. Thanks for clarifying. I wonder though if PMS will transcode to ALAC / WAV / AIFF (the lossless formats supported by the ATV) or to MP3/AAC. ---
**Author:** ![im5049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f4b2a3/32.png) [@im5049](https://forums.plex.tv/u/im5049)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/16 "2015-01-06T00:57:04Z")
> See I knew there would be a thread. I think the posters in that thread said that FLAC files were not playing on their iPhones. One said that FLAC files were playing OK on the ATV with PlexConnect. My problem is that they _don't _ ---
**Author:** ![im5049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f4b2a3/32.png) [@im5049](https://forums.plex.tv/u/im5049)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/17 "2015-01-06T00:59:24Z")
Sorry, accidentally hit return. My FLAC files _don't_ play on the ATV through PlexConnect. Anyhow, I don't see an answer in that thread.  ---
**Author:** ![Baswazz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/baswazz/32/10653_2.png) [@Baswazz](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Baswazz)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/18 "2015-02-01T21:34:45Z")
I have the same problem. After a couple of seconds it skips to the next track and so on. ---
**Author:** ![s0ja](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/s0ja/32/715_2.png) [@s0ja](https://forums.plex.tv/u/s0ja)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 11:36am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/19 "2015-10-26T11:36:49Z")
I also have that problem for FLAC albums, after a few seconds the next track plays automatically, keeps going on until the album is finished I think. ---
**Author:** ![DesertFly](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/desertfly/32/12695_2.png) [@DesertFly](https://forums.plex.tv/u/DesertFly)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801/20 "2015-10-29T03:19:48Z")
Same here both FLAC and ALAC will both skip to next song after approx. 10sec., so from my experience only mp3 files is working. [Next page](https://forums.plex.tv/t/playing-flac-files/88801.md?page=2)