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[GH-ISSUE #170] m4a? #1435

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opened 2026-03-13 18:26:58 +03:00 by kerem · 7 comments

kerem commented

2026-03-13 18:26:58 +03:00

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Originally created by @xavicivic on GitHub (Dec 17, 2025).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/afkarxyz/SpotiFLAC/issues/170

First and foremost, thank you for this wonderful app.

Next order of business. I've noticed that the app will download songs in m4a specifically from tidal. The information is high quality 24 bit ect, but it's not flac in specifically. This is the first time I've noticed this with this build (6.8) in specifically. I'm not sure if m4a is the legit file extension.

Originally created by @xavicivic on GitHub (Dec 17, 2025). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/afkarxyz/SpotiFLAC/issues/170 First and foremost, thank you for this wonderful app. Next order of business. I've noticed that the app will download songs in m4a specifically from tidal. The information is high quality 24 bit ect, but it's not flac in specifically. This is the first time I've noticed this with this build (6.8) in specifically. I'm not sure if m4a is the legit file extension.

kerem closed this issue

2026-03-13 18:27:03 +03:00

kerem commented

2026-03-13 18:27:09 +03:00

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@mhozic commented on GitHub (Dec 24, 2025):

To expand on this, I frequently get m4a files now. When that happens the app reports "[error]
download failed". The song seems to be complete, with lossless flac audio file, container is m4a, but there is no tagging info and no cover.

@mhozic commented on GitHub (Dec 24, 2025): To expand on this, I frequently get m4a files now. When that happens the app reports "[error] download failed". The song seems to be complete, with lossless flac audio file, container is m4a, but there is no tagging info and no cover.

kerem commented

2026-03-13 18:27:14 +03:00

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@mhozic commented on GitHub (Dec 26, 2025):

I am downloading Hi-Res Lossless from Tidal. All the files with sizes less that 29MB are .flac with metadata and cover embedded. Up to 36MB some are .flac with metadata others are .m4a. Everything above 36MB is .m4a without metadata.

@mhozic commented on GitHub (Dec 26, 2025): I am downloading Hi-Res Lossless from Tidal. All the files with sizes less that 29MB are .flac with metadata and cover embedded. Up to 36MB some are .flac with metadata others are .m4a. Everything above 36MB is .m4a without metadata.

kerem commented

2026-03-13 18:27:19 +03:00

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@mhozic commented on GitHub (Dec 28, 2025):

Did some more digging. It seems Spotiflac uses ffmpeg for larger files. So if ffmpeg is not in %PATH%, metadata is not appended to the file and file is kept as m4a. Once I added ffpmeg to %PATH%, the files downloaded were all .flac and all had metadata and covers.

There is an issue now that files are sometimes incomplete yet still marked OK, but that is a different issue.

@mhozic commented on GitHub (Dec 28, 2025): Did some more digging. It seems Spotiflac uses ffmpeg for larger files. So if ffmpeg is not in %PATH%, metadata is not appended to the file and file is kept as m4a. Once I added ffpmeg to %PATH%, the files downloaded were all .flac and all had metadata and covers. There is an issue now that files are sometimes incomplete yet still marked OK, but that is a different issue.

kerem commented

2026-03-13 18:27:24 +03:00

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@xavicivic commented on GitHub (Dec 28, 2025):

Ah ok. Little by little. It's coming together nicely. Do you think this'll get implemented in the next update?

@xavicivic commented on GitHub (Dec 28, 2025): Ah ok. Little by little. It's coming together nicely. Do you think this'll get implemented in the next update?

kerem commented

2026-03-13 18:27:29 +03:00

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@mhozic commented on GitHub (Dec 29, 2025):

Ah ok. Little by little. It's coming together nicely. Do you think this'll get implemented in the next update?

This is already implemented. Install ffmpeg on your machine or download binary and set %PATH% to point to it, and all .m4a files should be converted to .flac on download. If they don't then you have a different error.

@afkarxyz
Please add note about ffmpeg into readme.

@mhozic commented on GitHub (Dec 29, 2025): > Ah ok. Little by little. It's coming together nicely. Do you think this'll get implemented in the next update? This is already implemented. Install ffmpeg on your machine or download binary and set %PATH% to point to it, and all .m4a files should be converted to .flac on download. If they don't then you have a different error. @afkarxyz Please add note about ffmpeg into readme.

kerem commented

2026-03-13 18:27:34 +03:00

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@Silvergish commented on GitHub (Jan 3, 2026):

I have ffmpeg installed using homebrew. How do I add ffmpeg to %PATH% on my Mac? I also installed it inside SpotiFLAC. How do I add ffmpeg to PATH for SpotiFLAC?

@Silvergish commented on GitHub (Jan 3, 2026): I have ffmpeg installed using homebrew. How do I add ffmpeg to %PATH% on my Mac? I also installed it inside SpotiFLAC. How do I add ffmpeg to PATH for SpotiFLAC?

kerem commented

2026-03-13 18:27:40 +03:00

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@Silvergish commented on GitHub (Jan 3, 2026):

Ah ok. Little by little. It's coming together nicely. Do you think this'll get implemented in the next update?

This is already implemented. Install ffmpeg on your machine or download binary and set %PATH% to point to it, and all .m4a files should be converted to .flac on download. If they don't then you have a different error.

@afkarxyz Please add note about ffmpeg into readme.

How do I add ffmpeg to %PATH%? I'm not well knowledgeable in Terminal. I can follow instructions if someone tells me.

What's weird is that most songs get converted to FLAC, but there are some that remain m4a files. Not sure why.

@Silvergish commented on GitHub (Jan 3, 2026): > > Ah ok. Little by little. It's coming together nicely. Do you think this'll get implemented in the next update? > > This is already implemented. Install ffmpeg on your machine or download binary and set %PATH% to point to it, and all .m4a files should be converted to .flac on download. If they don't then you have a different error. > > [@afkarxyz](https://github.com/afkarxyz) Please add note about ffmpeg into readme. How do I add ffmpeg to %PATH%? I'm not well knowledgeable in Terminal. I can follow instructions if someone tells me. What's weird is that most songs get converted to FLAC, but there are some that remain m4a files. Not sure why.