How to Add Cover Art to FLAC Files: Complete Guide

Missing album artwork in your music library? It's frustrating when your carefully curated FLAC collection displays blank squares instead of beautiful album covers. The good news: adding cover art to FLAC files is straightforward once you know the right tools and techniques.

FLAC files store cover art in their metadata using Vorbis Comments, the tagging system designed for Ogg-based formats. Unlike some audio formats with limited metadata support, FLAC handles embedded images beautifully, displaying them in music players, media servers like Plex, and mobile devices.

Why Embed Cover Art in FLAC Files?

Embedding album artwork directly into your FLAC files ensures the cover art travels with the music file wherever it goes. When you embed the image in the file's metadata:

• Universal display: Album art shows up in iTunes, Plex, VLC, foobar2000, and every modern music player
• File portability: Copy files between devices and the artwork comes along automatically
• Library organization: Visual browsing makes finding albums faster and more enjoyable
• Professional appearance: No more blank squares in your music collection
• Lock screen integration: Phones display album art on lock screens during playback

Method 1: Desktop Software (Best for Batch Processing)

MusicBrainz Picard (Windows, Mac, Linux)

MusicBrainz Picard is free, open-source, and excellent for automatically fetching and embedding cover art for entire albums. It matches your files against the MusicBrainz database and downloads the correct album artwork.

Steps:

1. Download and install MusicBrainz Picard from musicbrainz.org
2. Drag your FLAC files into the left panel
3. Click "Scan" to identify the files
4. Picard matches files to albums and fetches cover art automatically
5. Click "Save" to embed the artwork into your FLAC files

Picard works best when your files have existing metadata like artist and album names. For obscure releases, you may need to search manually or use alternative methods.

Mp3tag (Windows, Mac)

Mp3tag provides precise control over metadata editing and works with FLAC files despite its name. It's perfect when you want to manually add specific cover art images.

Steps:

1. Download Mp3tag from mp3tag.de
2. Open your FLAC files in Mp3tag
3. Select the files you want to add artwork to
4. Right-click the album art panel on the left
5. Choose "Add cover" and select your image file
6. Save the changes with Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac)

Method 2: Browser-Based Tools (Quick and Convenient)

If you need to add cover art to a few FLAC files without installing software, browser-based tools offer instant convenience. These tools process files client-side in your browser, meaning your audio never uploads to a server.

Steps for browser-based editing:

1. Select your FLAC file from your computer
2. Click "Add Cover Art" and choose your image
3. Optionally edit other metadata fields (artist, album, date)
4. Click "Save Metadata" to download your updated FLAC file

Browser tools excel at one-off edits. They require no installation, work on any operating system, and provide immediate results. The trade-off is they typically process one file at a time rather than batch operations.

Best Practices for Cover Art Images

The quality and format of your cover art images matter for optimal display across different devices and players. Follow these guidelines:

Image Format

• JPG: Best for photographs and most album covers. Smaller file size, widely compatible
• PNG: Use for artwork with text or sharp edges. Larger files but perfect quality
• Avoid WebP: Not universally supported by music players despite modern browser support

Image Size

• Minimum: 500×500 pixels – Acceptable but may look pixelated on high-res displays
• Recommended: 1000×1000 pixels – Excellent balance of quality and file size
• Maximum: 1400×1400 pixels – Perfect for 4K displays without excessive file bloat
• Always use square images – Music players expect 1:1 aspect ratio for album art

File Size Considerations

Embedded images become part of your FLAC file, increasing its size. A 1000×1000 JPG typically adds 100-300KB per file. While this seems small, it matters for large libraries. A 10,000 song collection could add 1-3GB total. Balance quality needs against storage constraints based on your situation.

Where to Find Album Artwork

Finding high-quality cover art is straightforward when you know where to look:

• Google Images: Search for "[album name] album cover" and filter by size (Large or >1024px)
• Cover Art Archive: Part of MusicBrainz, offers official album artwork at coverartarchive.org
• Bandcamp: Right-click album covers on artist pages for high-resolution downloads
• Discogs: User-uploaded scans often include front and back covers plus inserts
• Album liner notes: Scan physical CD or vinyl covers for authentic artwork

Verifying Your Cover Art

After embedding cover art, verify it displays correctly:

1. Open the FLAC file in your primary music player
2. Check if the artwork displays in the now-playing view
3. Verify library grid view shows the album cover
4. Test on a mobile device if you sync music to phones
5. Check media server apps like Plex or Jellyfin if applicable

Most players cache artwork, so you may need to refresh the library or restart the application to see new embedded images. In iTunes or Music app, right-click the album and choose "Get Info" to verify the artwork appears in the file's metadata.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Cover Art Not Displaying

If artwork doesn't show after embedding, try refreshing your music library cache. In most players, this means rescanning the music folder or forcing a metadata refresh. Some older players require specific image dimensions or formats—stick to JPG images at 1000×1000 pixels for maximum compatibility.

Image Too Large

If your cover art image exceeds 2-3MB, consider resizing or compressing it. Most image editing tools can resize to 1000×1000 pixels and save at 85-90% JPG quality without visible degradation. This maintains great visual quality while keeping file sizes reasonable.

Wrong Artwork Shows

Music players sometimes cache old artwork. Delete the player's cache folder, remove and re-add the files to your library, or use a metadata editor to verify the correct image is actually embedded in the file. The issue usually stems from cached data rather than the embedded image itself.

Conclusion

Adding cover art to FLAC files transforms a functional music library into a visually appealing collection. Whether you choose desktop software for batch processing or browser-based tools for quick edits, the process takes minutes and the results are permanent.

Desktop tools like MusicBrainz Picard excel at automatically fetching artwork for entire albums, while manual tools like Mp3tag and browser-based editors provide precise control. Choose the method that matches your needs—automated batch processing for large libraries, or manual editing for careful curation.

Your music deserves great-looking album art. With the techniques in this guide, every FLAC file in your collection can display its proper artwork across all your devices and players.