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Where a FLAC keeps its metadata
A FLAC file opens with a short run of metadata blocks before the audio frames. Three of them describe the audio and always stay: STREAMINFO (sample rate, channels, length and an MD5 of the audio), SEEKTABLE and CUESHEET. The rest are labels:
| Block | What it holds | Technical data only | Every tag |
|---|---|---|---|
| VORBIS_COMMENT | Text fields — title and artist, but also COMMENT, ENCODED_BY, COPYRIGHT, ISRC, producer and composer credits — plus a “vendor” string naming the encoder | Reduced to title, artist, album, track, disc, genre and date; vendor emptied | Removed |
| PICTURE | Cover art and other images, which can carry EXIF of their own | Removed | Removed |
| APPLICATION | Data a specific program wrote for itself — sometimes the original WAV headers | Removed | Removed |
| PADDING | Empty space reserved for later tag edits | Removed | Removed |
Some software also glues an ID3 tag to the front or the end of a FLAC, which the format does not define and many players ignore — so it lingers unseen. Both modes remove it.
The audio frames are copied, not decoded
Only the metadata section is rebuilt; the audio frames are copied byte for byte. There is no decode and no re-encode, so the MD5 signature FLAC keeps for the audio still matches, and a verification run such as `flac -t` passes exactly as before.
When it is worth doing
- Sending masters or stems out — to a client, a label or a mastering engineer — without the session comments, the old e-mail address or the encoder string.
- Uploading to a distributor or store that takes title, artist and artwork from its own form; leftover tags only contradict it.
- Archiving and de-duplication: two copies of the same recording with different tags have different checksums; stripped, identical audio gives identical files.
- Sharing a field recording or an interview without the notes, names and software details it picked up on the way.
How to remove metadata from a FLAC file
This page opens with “Technical data only” selected, so title and artist stay unless you choose otherwise.
Step 1: Drop the FLAC in
Drag one or more files onto the box above. Several come back together as a ZIP.
Step 2: Read what it carries
For a single file the panel names the blocks it found and the kinds of data in them — encoder, comments, credits, cover art.
Step 3: Choose a mode and clean
Keep the listener labels, or switch to “Every tag” for a bare file. The cleaned FLAC downloads straight away; the original is not changed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing metadata change the sound of a FLAC?
No. The audio frames are copied unchanged and never decoded, so the file is bit-identical in sound and still passes FLAC’s own MD5 check.
What is the vendor string?
A line inside the Vorbis comment block naming the encoder that wrote the file, such as “reference libFLAC 1.4.3”. It is not visible in most players; “Technical data only” empties it.
Will my music player still show the title?
Yes, in the mode this page opens with: title, artist, album, track and disc numbers, genre and date are kept. Only “Every tag” removes them.
Does it work on OGG or Opus files?
No. They use Vorbis comments too, but inside the Ogg container, which is laid out differently. Only native FLAC files are cleaned.
Is the file uploaded?
No. It is read and rebuilt in your browser and never leaves your device.
Related Tools
- Remove Metadata from a WAV FileTake out the software, engineer, project notes and XMP a WAV picks up on its way through a DAW — and keep the loops and cue points a sampler needs.
- MP3 Tag Remover: Strip Every Tag from an MP3Remove all ID3v2, ID3v1 and APE tags in one pass and get back nothing but the audio — byte for byte, with no re-encode and no upload.
- MP3 Metadata & ID3 Tag Remover (also FLAC and WAV)Strip studio, software and personal details from MP3, FLAC and WAV files, keeping title and artist.