What is the MPC file format?
.mpc files store audio encoded with the Musepack codec, a lossy compression format developed by Andree Buschmann, first released in 1997 as MPEGplus (.mp+) and renamed Musepack around 2000.
Musepack is based on MPEG-1 Layer 2 principles but is not bitstream-compatible with MP3 or standard MP2. It was designed for near-transparent quality at 160-200 kbps and performed well in blind listening tests of its era. The codec has been inactive since approximately 2013.
Two stream versions are in use. SV7 (the dominant 2000s standard) structures audio as 32 sub-bands × 36 sub-band samples per frame (1,152 samples total), producing a variable-bitrate stream that is not byte-aligned - making random seeking expensive. Its file signature is MP+ (bytes 4D 50 2B) at offset 0. SV8, introduced in 2009, replaced that with a TLV packet structure starting with MPCK (4D 50 43 4B), adding per-packet checksums and support for arbitrary sample rates, but it never gained broad adoption.
Metadata is stored using APEv2 tags, which Musepack prefers (appended at the end of the file). ID3v1 tags may also be present; ID3v2 is tolerated by many players but not natively handled by the reference library libmpc.
For new projects, Opus and AAC have largely replaced Musepack, offering better compression efficiency with active development and broader device support. Most modern players - including VLC and foobar2000 - still play .mpc files.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWAudio-only format; no scripting or executable content. Low risk from malformed files (potential decoder crash exploits historically, as with all audio decoders). Use updated VLC/foobar2000.
Format details
in a nutshell- Media Player Classic playlist/project file - Some versions of Media Player Classic (MPC-HC) associate .mpc with internal project files - rare, unrelated to audio.
Programs that open MPC files
Windows6 apps
Winamp
Free Winamp relaunched in 2023 (new owners); classic in_mpc plugin supports Musepack playback. 
Foobar2000
Free Drag .mpc file into foobar2000 playlist; Musepack support built-in via bundled foo_musepack component. 
macOS1 app
Linux4 apps
Audacious
Open-source Drag .mpc into Audacious playlist; requires audacious-plugins with musepack support. 
Music Player Daemon (MPD)
Open-source MPD supports Musepack via libmpc; add files to music directory. 
Android1 app
VLC media player for Android
Open-source Browse to the .mpc file in VLC for Android and tap to play. Technical details
deep spec| Codec basis | MPEG-1 Layer 2 psychoacoustic model; not bitstream-compatible with MP2 or MP3 |
| Stream versions | SV4-SV6 (obsolete); SV7 (dominant, finalized 2004); SV8 / MPCK (2009) |
| SV7 magic bytes | 4D 50 2B 07/08 hex ('MP+' followed by version byte) at offset 0 |
| SV8 magic bytes | 4D 50 43 4B hex ('MPCK') at offset 0 |
| Frame structure (SV7) | 32 sub-bands × 36 sub-band samples = 1,152 PCM samples per frame; bit-packed, not byte-aligned |
| Packet structure (SV8) | TLV (type/length/value) packets; byte-aligned; supports random access and direct streaming |
| Typical bitrate | 160-200 kbps for near-transparent quality; variable bitrate by design |
| Supported sample rates | 32000, 37800, 44100, 48000 Hz (SV7); arbitrary rates supported in SV8 |
| Tag format | APEv2 preferred (appended at end of file); ID3v1 also supported; ID3v2 tolerated but not natively handled by libmpc |
| Seeking | Expensive in SV7 (no seek index; non-byte-aligned stream); SV8 packet structure enables efficient seeking |
| Integrity checking | SV8: per-packet CRC checksums; SV7: no checksum |
| Byte order | SV7: little-endian; SV8: big-endian for variable-length packet size fields |
| Released | 1997 (as MPEGplus / MP+); renamed Musepack circa 2000 |
| Latest version | Stream Version 8 (SV8, 2009); SV7 remains the most widely deployed |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | wiki.multimedia.cx |
MPC conversions
Community Q&A
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