The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), responsible for developing internet protocols and architecture, has officially formalized the Request for Comments (RFC) for the free lossless audio codec FLAC, developed by the Xiph.Org community. The associated specification, designated as RFC 9639, has gained the status of a proposed standard and outlines the existing state of the FLAC compression format, with the exception of the explicit addition of 32-bit audio support and the introduction of constraints for its adaptation.
The approval of RFC 9639 marks a significant milestone in the history of FLAC, a popular open-source audio codec known for its exceptional lossless compression capabilities. This development is expected to further strengthen the adoption and deployment of FLAC in various industries and applications, particularly in the fields of music streaming, audio editing, and lossless data storage.
The standardization of FLAC by the IETF is also expected to promote interoperability and collaboration among different stakeholders, including developers, manufacturers, and users, to enhance the overall quality and efficiency of audio compression and decompression processes.
In addition to its technical merits, the standardization of FLAC is also seen as a testament to the power of open-source initiatives and community-driven projects. The success of FLAC is a direct result of the collective efforts of its developers, contributors, and supporters, who have worked tirelessly to improve and refine the codec over the years.
As the adoption of FLAC continues to grow, it is likely that we will see more innovative applications and uses of the codec in the future, further cementing its position as a leading open-source audio standard.