fre:ac
- Android app
- Not listed
- Free plan
- Yes
- Runs on
- Linux, Mac, Windows
Summary
fre:ac is a free audio converter and CD ripper for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It converts audio among formats such as MP3, M4A/AAC, FLAC, WMA, Opus, Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Monkey’s Audio, WavPack, and WAV. Its CD ripper saves audio CDs in supported formats and can retrieve artist and title details through CDDB/GNUdb-compatible databases, then write them to ID3v2 or other tags. For larger collections, fre:ac can convert complete music libraries while keeping folder and filename structure intact. It supports Unicode filenames and tags, including Japanese, Cyrillic, Arabic, and Indian scripts. The MP3, M4A/AAC, Opus, and Speex encoders can use multicore CPUs. The app can also run from a USB stick or external drive and keep its configuration there. fre:ac is free and open source, with no adware. Its maker lists Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, and Haiku support and says the interface is available in 43 languages. Gracenote CDDB support is unavailable because of licensing issues.
Who it is for
fre:ac suits people who need to convert audio collections, rip CDs, or edit metadata on Linux, macOS, or Windows. Its portable setup and Unicode support may also suit users working across devices or with filenames in multiple scripts.
What is good
- Converts between many common audio formats.
- Rips CDs and looks up title information.
- Preserves library folder and filename structure.
- Can run from USB or external storage.
- Available free and open source without adware.
What to know first
- Gracenote CDDB support is unavailable.
- Online CD metadata queries or submissions transfer data.
Verdict
fre:ac combines format conversion, CD ripping, and library conversion in one free desktop app. Check that its supported CD metadata databases meet your needs if you rely on Gracenote.
fre:ac plans and pricing
All plansCompared on audio converter software
Facts
- Audio conversion
- fre:ac converts between MP3, M4A/AAC, FLAC, WMA, Opus, Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Monkey’s Audio, WavPack, WAV and other formats.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Library conversion
- fre:ac can convert whole music libraries while retaining their folder and filename structure.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Metadata lookup
- The CD ripper can query the CDDB/GNUdb online database for artist and title information and write it to ID3v2 or other title tags.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Portable use
- The application can be installed on a USB stick or external drive and store its configuration files there.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Multicore encoding
- The integrated MP3, M4A/AAC, Opus and Speex encoders use multicore CPUs.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Unicode
- fre:ac supports Unicode tags and filenames, including scripts such as Japanese, Cyrillic, Arabic and Indian scripts.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Supported systems
- The maker lists Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and Haiku as supported operating systems.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Languages
- The user interface is available in 43 languages, and the maker says it can be translated using the included smooth Translator utility.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Distribution
- The maker offers Windows installers and ZIP packages, macOS disk images, and Linux Snap, Flatpak and AppImage packages.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- CD database limit
- fre:ac supports freedb-compatible databases; its FAQ says Gracenote CDDB support is unavailable due to licensing issues.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Privacy
- The privacy policy says the software does not collect personal information and describes data transfers for querying or submitting CD metadata to a configurable online database.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
- Support
- The maker directs users to its GitHub Discussions area for questions and ideas, and lists issue reporting by GitHub issue tracker or email.freac.org · 29 Sept 2026
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Sources
- freac.org· checked 29 Sept 2026
- freac.org/downloads-mainmenu-33· checked 29 Sept 2026
- freac.org/help-aamp-support-mainmenu-36/20-cddb--· checked 29 Sept 2026
- freac.org/privacy-policy· checked 29 Sept 2026