Free online ALAC to M4A converter

Source format: ALAC

ALAC stands for Apple Lossless Audio Codec. It is a lossless audio format used to store music without removing any audio data from the original recording. ALAC is commonly used by Apple devices and software, including iTunes, Music, iPhone, iPad, and macOS. It is often chosen for archiving CDs, keeping a high-quality music library, and syncing audio across Apple ecosystems.

Target format: M4A

M4A is an audio container format that is commonly used for music files. In practice, M4A files often contain AAC audio, but they can also contain ALAC audio. The main advantages of M4A are wide compatibility, compact file size when using AAC, and support in many players, phones, and media libraries. It is widely used for portable music playback, streaming downloads, and general audio distribution.

How to perform the conversion

Because ALAC is already commonly stored inside an M4A container, the conversion may be either a simple remux or a true audio re-encode, depending on what you want:

1. If your ALAC file is already an .m4a file, you may only need to rename or re-save it if the container is correct. In many cases, no actual conversion is needed.
2. If you want to keep lossless quality, convert ALAC to M4A with ALAC audio. This preserves the original quality and usually only changes the container or file structure.
3. If you want smaller files, convert ALAC to M4A with AAC audio. This reduces file size but is lossy, so some audio quality is discarded.

Best desktop tools:

• FFmpeg for command-line conversion and batch processing.
• iTunes or the Apple Music app for Apple-based library conversion.
• Audacity or similar editors if you need to inspect or edit audio before exporting.

FFmpeg examples:

To copy ALAC into an M4A container without re-encoding:

ffmpeg -i input.alac -c:a copy output.m4a

To convert ALAC to AAC in M4A for smaller size:

ffmpeg -i input.alac -c:a aac -b:a 256k output.m4a

If you prefer a graphical workflow in Apple software, open the file in Music → Settings → Files or use the import/export options available in your library tools, then choose an AAC-based export if compression is desired. Exact menu names vary by version.

You can also convert the file on 101convert.com for free, without installing any software.

Notes on quality, compatibility, or limitations

ALAC to M4A is not always a format change in the usual sense, because ALAC is often already stored in an M4A container. If you keep ALAC inside M4A, the result remains lossless. If you convert to AAC inside M4A, the file becomes smaller but not lossless.

Compatibility is generally excellent for M4A with AAC, while M4A with ALAC is best supported in Apple software and many modern players. Some older devices may not play ALAC-in-M4A files correctly. For maximum portability, AAC in M4A is usually the safest choice.

When converting from lossless to lossy, the original detail cannot be recovered, so keep a backup of the source ALAC file if you may need it later.