# Adding an image to flac file can cause the file to be unplayable
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/adding-an-image-to-flac-file-can-cause-the-file-to-be-unplayable/69271
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [July 27, 2025, 11:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/adding-an-image-to-flac-file-can-cause-the-file-to-be-unplayable/69271 "2025-07-27T23:54:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@pepejw](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pepejw)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2025, 11:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/adding-an-image-to-flac-file-can-cause-the-file-to-be-unplayable/69271/1 "2025-07-27T23:54:42Z")
I tried to add the image that came with an album (3000x3000 png). The files no longer play in Media Player. I converted it to jpg and resized it (1080x1080), but it doesn't fix the already broken ones, but works on files that I did not add the original image to. Is there any way to fully remove the image? Removing it in MP3TAG does not fix it.
The file functions in foobar2000 & MusicBee. Possibly an issue with Media Player itself?
Windows 24H2, MP3TAG 3.30
Media Player Error:
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2025, 4:53am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/adding-an-image-to-flac-file-can-cause-the-file-to-be-unplayable/69271/2 "2025-07-28T04:53:59Z")
Embedded pictures in flac-files are limited to ~ 16 MB.
Since Mp3tag-version 3.19 you get an error message when you try to add a picture that exceeds this limit. How large was your 3000x3000 png that you added?
Did the file play at all **before** you embedded the picture?
Does the file **now** play if you leave it without any picture?
With foobar2000 you can verify the integrity of the file.
You could try if de-encoding and re-encoding the file fixes the problem with WMP.
In Mp3tag is a feature to optimize the padding after embedding and deleting too large pictures in Mp3tag. (Right mouse click on the file -\> Utils -\> Optimize Flacs).
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### Author:  [@pepejw](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/pepejw)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2025, 11:28am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/adding-an-image-to-flac-file-can-cause-the-file-to-be-unplayable/69271/3 "2025-07-28T11:28:12Z")
I believe the png was around 15MB.
The files played before, and do not play after removing the picture.
Optimize Flacs seems to have fixed the issue. Thanks for the help!
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### Author:  [@poster](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/poster)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/adding-an-image-to-flac-file-can-cause-the-file-to-be-unplayable/69271/4 "2025-07-28T11:55:04Z")
> [@pepejw](#):
>
> Optimize Flacs seems to have fixed the issue. Thanks for the help!
So I think the reason was a known WMP issue.
WMP has trouble handling FLAC files with large embedded cover images inside the `METADATA_BLOCK_PICTURE` field - even if the file is technically 100% valid - according to the FLAC specification.
WMP fails to initialize its FLAC parser if the image is large and large does not mean larger than 16 MB but even down to about 2 MB. This causes WMP to abort the loading process before it even gets to the audio stream.
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 27, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/adding-an-image-to-flac-file-can-cause-the-file-to-be-unplayable/69271/5 "2025-08-27T11:55:27Z")
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