https://www.cnet.com/news/what-is-flac-the-high-def-mp3-explained/

To see where FLAC has come from and where it is headed, you only need to look at the history of its "lossy" predecessor. Though MP3.com was one of the first sites to sell MP3s in 1999, dedicated players like the Rio PMP300 were subject to legal action by record companies. Yet when the iPod was released in 2001, it helped to legitimize the format, and today MP3s are now sold by most online music stores. (Disclosure: MP3.com no longer sells MP3s and is now owned by CBS Interactive, parent company of CNET.)

One of the best FLAC players available is Roon, a high-end music player for PC and Mac.