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Audio Format Conversion

How to Convert APE to FLAC in Batches

APE is a lossless format with limited player support. Converting it to FLAC keeps the audio lossless while opening it up to far more players — and PureConvert Batcher handles whole libraries in one run.

APE → FLACLossless conversion

Why convert APE to FLAC

A lossless move to a more useful format.

APE is a lossless format, but far fewer players and devices support it than FLAC — which is the most widely supported lossless codec in the ecosystem. Moving an APE library to FLAC keeps everything lossless while making the files playable on more hardware and easier to organize. APE is also a supported input that cannot be an output, so this conversion is a one-way normalization toward broader compatibility.

How to do it with PureConvert Batcher

Five steps, whole-library friendly.

  1. 1

    Pick the source folder that holds your APE files — every subfolder is scanned recursively.

  2. 2

    Pick a different target folder — it cannot be the same folder as the source.

  3. 3

    Under type filtering, select only .ape so mixed libraries convert just what you want — for example, select only FLAC, APE, and WAV files to avoid re-converting tracks that are already lossy.

  4. 4

    Choose FLAC as the output format and a compression level.

  5. 5

    Start the conversion — progress shows scanned, matched, skipped, and pending counts, and the output keeps the same directory structure with tags and covers copied over.

PureConvert Batcher is completely free — no in-app purchases, no limits on file count or runs — and all conversion happens locally on your machine. See PureConvert Batcher

FAQ

Is APE to FLAC lossless?

It is a lossless-to-lossless conversion — APE and FLAC are both lossless formats, so the conversion keeps the audio intact. Converting between lossless formats is fundamentally different from going to a lossy format like MP3, where data is discarded permanently.

Can I convert FLAC back to APE?

No. APE is supported as an input format only — the outputs are MP3, FLAC, M4A, WAV, OGG, Opus, and AIFF. Once you move to FLAC, staying in the PCM world is fine: FLAC, WAV, and AIFF interconvert without losing audio data.

Do tags and covers survive?

Yes. Tags and cover art from the original file are copied in full to the new FLAC file.

How many files can it convert at once?

There is no limit. A library of a few thousand tracks can be converted by picking its whole folder, and the subfolder structure is preserved.