What is the FLP file format?
An .flp file is a project file for FL Studio (formerly FruityLoops), the digital audio workstation developed by Image-Line Software. It stores a complete production session: patterns, mixer routing, automation clips, instrument and effect plugin parameter snapshots, and tempo and time-signature settings - everything except the actual audio samples, which remain as external files referenced by path.
The file opens with the four-byte signature FLhd, followed by a header block encoding the format version, channel count, and PPQ (pulses per quarter-note), then an FLdt data chunk holding all project events as TLV (type-length-value) records. FL Studio has maintained reasonable backward compatibility, so newer releases can generally open .flp files from much earlier builds.
FL Studio was first released on 18 December 1997 as FruityLoops by Didier Dambrin. Image-Line renamed it FL Studio at version 4 following a trademark dispute with Kellogg's. macOS support arrived with FL Studio 20.9 in 2022; .flp files created on either platform are interchangeable.
Because .flp files do not embed audio, sharing a project requires either bundling the referenced samples alongside it or using the built-in export to package everything into a ZIP. The format has been partially reverse-engineered by community projects such as PyFLP and the flp-file-format documentation repository, enabling third-party tools to read and parse .flp data.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWBinary project file with no executable code. Low risk; plugin state blobs are data, not executables.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEFL Studio Projectaka FruityLoops Project, FL Studio Project File
DEVELOPERImage-Line Softwaresince 1997 (FruityLoops 1.0, December 18, 1997)
CATEGORYAudio Files
MIME TYPEapplication/octet-stream
TYPEProprietary binary DAW project file
This extension is also used by…
- Floppy Disk Image - Some disk imaging tools use .flp for raw floppy disk images (~1.44 MB); largely obsolete, pre-dates FL Studio.
- Promethean ActivInspire Flipchart - Educational whiteboard software uses .flp for flipchart files; unrelated to audio.
MAGIC BYTES · FILE SIGNATURE
OFFSET
00010203
HEX
464C6864
ASCII
FLhd
Followed by 6-byte header block then 'FLdt' data chunk; version string at byte 24 onwards (plain text)
Programs that open FLP files
Windows1 app
macOS1 app
Technical details
deep spec| File type | Proprietary binary DAW project file |
| Encoding | Binary |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Magic bytes | 46 4C 68 64 (ASCII: FLhd) |
| Chunk structure | FLhd header chunk followed by FLdt data chunk |
| Header fields | Format version, channel count, PPQ (pulses per quarter-note) |
| Event encoding | TLV (type-length-value) records within the FLdt data chunk |
| Version identification | Plain-text version string starting at byte 24 of the FLhd chunk |
| Audio sample storage | Samples not embedded - referenced by external path; must be bundled separately for portability |
| Compression | Project data uncompressed; individual plugin state blobs may use internal compression |
| Sample rate | Project-defined (typically 44100 Hz or 48000 Hz); stored in project settings |
| Backward compatibility | Partial; newer FL Studio versions generally open older .flp files |
| Associated OS | Windows; macOS (FL Studio 20.9 and later, released 2022) |
| Reverse engineering | Partially documented by community projects PyFLP and flp-file-format |
| Released | 1997 (FruityLoops 1.0, December 18, 1997) |
| Latest version | FL Studio 21.x (2024+); format version encoded in file header |
| Specification | www.image-line.com |
FLP conversions
Community Q&A
asked by users
B
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an FLP file to MP3?
Open the FLP in FL Studio, then File → Export → MP3. There is no standalone converter - FL Studio's audio engine is required to render the project.
Can I open an FLP file without FL Studio?
The FL Studio trial (free download) opens and plays FLP files but cannot save changes. LMMS (free, open-source) can open some older/simpler FLP files but plugin support is limited.
Why does my FLP file sound different after updating FL Studio?
Plugin presets and some default settings change between FL Studio versions. Old FLPs may use legacy defaults; check the version string in the file header.
Why doesn't my FLP include the audio samples?
FLP only stores references to sample files, not the samples themselves. Use File → Export ZIP package (or Collect and Save) to bundle the FLP with all referenced audio.
Can FL Studio on Mac open Windows FLP files?
Yes - the FLP format is cross-platform since FL Studio 20.9 (2022). Plugin availability on macOS may differ.
References
1FL Studio - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2Image-Line - FL Studio FLP project format docswww.image-line.com
