iPod Touch 7 and FLAC files

Hi WoundediPod,

We see you have a question about the file formats you can play on your iPod. This link should provide an answer: iPod touch - Technical Specifications - Apple

"Audio Playback

• Audio formats supported: AAC-LC, HE-AAC, HE-AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
• User-configurable maximum volume limit"

Best wishes.

WoundediPod wrote:

It definitely does not play FLAC files. iTunes does not recognize this file format, therefore FLACs cannot be synced to iPod.

No idea why Apple alleges that iPod "supports" FLAC, as this is simply not true.

I'm too am not sure why Apple now state that an iPod can play .flac files.

While I suppose it's possible the the 7th generation iPod Touch might do so, the 6th generation model, which I have, does not (as far as I know). As you say, iTunes doesn't support .flac files (it won't add them to it's library) and as far as I know, the iTunes Store doesn't sell them.

Since the only two methods I know of to add music to an iPod are either by buying music from the iTunes Store, or by adding them via iTunes.....

Aha!

I have just realised; the new versions of Mac, which don't use iTunes, use Finder instead to add music to the iPod, so perhaps it is possible to add .flac files to an iPod - if you have a Mac, running OS Catalina or later.

Well done Apple. I don't know about the OP, who goes by the name of WoundediPod, but I think everyone who does not use OS Catalina or later, should be offended by Apple's shorted-sighted approach to promoting it's latest products. If, as I now suspect, it is possible to add .flac files to an iPod using Finder, Apple have, by not mentioning this very significant point, potentially alienated the vast majority of their iPod user base. iPod user base will comprise:

1. Mac users using OS Catalina or later, with Finder - available since June 2019 (so not yet three years)
2. Mac users using OS Mojave or earlier, with iTunes
3. Windows users, using iTunes - the only method for managing an iPod Touch

Perhaps those reading this post will come to their own conclusion about which of the above is has the least number of users. Even if I'm wrong, the number of Windows users, and older Mac users, is significant and should not be ignored.

Bearing in mind my post above, the caveat to you is:

you need to confirm whether .flac files can be added to an IPod Touch via Finder. If so, and you have a Mac with Finder on it, the you can use .flac files. Otherwise, you cannot make use of the .flac files on your iPod.

I realise that by now, you may have received your iPod and that this news may not be what you wanted to hear. However, if you do fall into the non-Finder camp, either obtain compatible versions of the .flac files from your original source (which should be possible), or use a conversion programme to convert them to a suitable high quality iTunes format.