# Plexamp Does Not Play FLAC 5.1
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771
**Category:** Plex Labs
**Tags:** plexamp
**Created:** [March 19, 2020, 2:13pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771 "2020-03-19T14:13:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@aaronth07](https://forums.plex.tv/u/aaronth07)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2020, 2:13pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/1 "2020-03-19T14:13:58Z")
I have several 5.1 FLAC files and Plexamp wants to downmix to stereo (and it does this fairly poorly, I might add). This means that Plex Media Player is my only only option for 5.1 FLAC playback, yet PMP doesn’t support gapless playback, nor does it work with my keyboard media keys. This means that there is no “true” solution for playing surround sound music through Plex.
---
### Author:  [@elan](https://forums.plex.tv/u/elan)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/2 "2020-03-19T17:05:05Z")
We’ll be resolving this in the future.
---
### Author:  [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/3 "2020-03-19T17:22:26Z")
I played my 5.1 flacs regularly with plexamp 1.1.0
This was on Windows, with a 5.1 sound setup. ‘Speaker configuration’ in _Windows_ must be set to 5.1, or it will indeed mix down to stereo.
(The above doesn’t apply to “DTS FLACs”, but to real 5.1 PCM flac files.)
---
### Author:  [@aaronth07](https://forums.plex.tv/u/aaronth07)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/4 "2020-04-14T21:48:07Z")
Weird, that isn’t my experience at all. I find that every 5.1 FLAC is converted down to stereo, and very badly (music sounds much lower quality than the source file). And this is with 7.1 set in Windows settings.
Also, it’s nice to hear that this will be resolved eventually, Plexamp is my goto music player, and basically the only one that I have found to solve most of my requirements (well, basically all of them except surround FLAC playback). Though, is there any timeframe on this update?
---
### Author:  [@jjross](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jjross)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/5 "2020-04-16T22:22:44Z")
Have you tried 3.0 yet? Just released today.
---
### Author:  [@aaronth07](https://forums.plex.tv/u/aaronth07)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/6 "2020-04-16T22:38:44Z")
Yes, the conversion down to stereo is much better but it still doesn’t output 5.1, so the issue still exists.
---
### Author:  [@waltonbruce01](https://forums.plex.tv/u/waltonbruce01)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2020, 11:23am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/7 "2020-04-17T11:23:15Z")
Confirm that running a 5.1 FLAC file thru does seem to play the front two channels only.
No mix at all, there were no vocals coming out from what should be center front.
Ubuntu 18.02. Plexamp 3.0.0
---
### Author:  [@bruceagreenberg](https://forums.plex.tv/u/bruceagreenberg)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 2:28am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/8 "2020-05-03T02:28:28Z")
Will this be part of the rebuild of the audio player? Hopefully it won’t be another year. You know how bugs get when they reach their terrible two’s. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@elan](https://forums.plex.tv/u/elan)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 3:26am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/9 "2020-05-03T03:26:36Z")
Yeah, we’ll be addressing that at some point here.
---
### Author:  [@bruceagreenberg](https://forums.plex.tv/u/bruceagreenberg)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/10 "2020-05-03T20:27:38Z")
It is hard to feel comforted by the words, “at some point”, when the bug has been around for almost a year. At least, over the last couple of months, there has been an acknowledgement by Plex staff that it is on some sort of timeline. Why do I get the feeling we’ll still be talking about this in 2021. How about just a little bit more transparency to your paying customers. Thank you for listening.
---
### Author:  [@elan](https://forums.plex.tv/u/elan)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/11 "2020-05-03T20:59:17Z")
If I had a more specific answer for you I’d give you one. It’s on the list of things we’re going to address, but I don’t have a timeframe.
---
### Author:  [@bruceagreenberg](https://forums.plex.tv/u/bruceagreenberg)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/12 "2020-05-04T16:05:39Z")
I know, and I appreciate you at least saying it online. It’s just frustrating from my side. And so, I’ll keep bugging you guys and keeping the wheel squeaking. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@briguy992](https://forums.plex.tv/u/briguy992)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2020, 8:24am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/13 "2020-05-06T08:24:00Z")
Glad this is on your team’s radar! Just came here to file a bug since I had this repro on a file I just listened to. The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, and poor Pippin in his “The Edge of Night” sound just sounded horrid. It’s like it was downmixing it but using the wrong channels or something? Whatever it did, it didn’t pick up the main vocal track and you only had the reverb portion so it sounded like some sort of Elven remix. 😛
Eagerly anticipating a fix for this bug!
---
### Author:  [@TheBeeHiveDrive](https://forums.plex.tv/u/TheBeeHiveDrive)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2020, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/14 "2020-05-23T09:13:20Z")
Hi
Have just found Plexamp and was very impressed with the appearance and feel but dissapointed using IOS iphone / ipad it doesnt play FLAC just skips through them
Guessing it only supports mp3 currently?
I will wait until it can play FLAC as dislike mp3
---
### Author:  [@aaronth07](https://forums.plex.tv/u/aaronth07)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/15 "2020-06-07T15:52:08Z")
Latest update still doesn’t fix this issue.
---
### Author:  [@aaronth07](https://forums.plex.tv/u/aaronth07)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2020, 10:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/16 "2020-07-24T10:45:07Z")
Just commenting so this doesn’t close, as this is still a real issue.
---
### Author:  [@jjross](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jjross)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2020, 6:13am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/17 "2020-08-05T06:13:52Z")
The issue seems to be 5.1 FLAC. To be clear, it plays “regular” FLAC just fine.
---
### Author:  [@wostg](https://forums.plex.tv/u/wostg)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2020, 10:09am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/18 "2020-09-10T10:09:46Z")
Looking forward to 5.1 output!
---
### Author:  [@GuilleLepe](https://forums.plex.tv/u/GuilleLepe)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/19 "2020-09-23T22:22:26Z")
I can’t get surround sound on MacOs with PlexAmp and AC3 5.1 files. on Plex app for Mac works perfect.
---
### Author:  [@aaronth07](https://forums.plex.tv/u/aaronth07)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 5:59am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771/20 "2020-11-05T05:59:15Z")
Bumping so this thread doesn’t close, issue still isn’t fixed.
[Next page](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plexamp-does-not-play-flac-5-1/557771.md?page=2)