Free online ALAC to WV converter

Use this conversion when a media player, archive, or audio application accepts WavPack but cannot open Apple Lossless files. A correctly configured lossless conversion preserves the decoded audio samples, although the resulting file may have different metadata or artwork.

What the ALAC format is

ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) is Apple's reversible audio compression codec. It preserves the original PCM samples while reducing storage requirements and is commonly stored in .m4a containers. Apple Music and iTunes libraries, Apple devices, macOS, and iOS use ALAC; VLC, foobar2000, MusicBee, and FFmpeg can also decode it. ALAC files may contain tags, cover art, multiple channels, and sample rates such as 44.1, 48, 96, or 192 kHz.

What the WV format is

WV is the filename extension normally used for WavPack audio. WavPack is an open-source format that compresses PCM audio without changing its samples in standard lossless mode. It supports high-resolution and multichannel audio, metadata, and optional hybrid mode. Hybrid mode creates a lossy WV file plus a correction file that can restore the original audio; select ordinary lossless mode for a direct ALAC conversion.

WavPack can be useful for an archive or playback system that specifically supports it, but compatibility is less universal than ALAC, especially in phones, car stereos, and consumer music-library applications.

Convert ALAC to WV online

101convert.com can convert the file in a browser for free without installing software.

1. Open the ALAC-to-WV converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the source .m4a or other ALAC file.
3. Select WV or WavPack as the output format.
4. Start the conversion and download the resulting .wv file.

Check the service's current file-size and privacy limits before uploading private recordings. Keep the original until the WV file has been tested and its tags and artwork have been checked.

Convert with FFmpeg

FFmpeg is suitable for local and batch conversions. Install a current build that includes both the ALAC decoder and WavPack encoder, then run this command in the source folder:

ffmpeg -i input.m4a -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -c:a wavpack -compression_level 3 output.wv

Replace input.m4a and output.wv with the actual filenames. -map 0:a:0 selects the first audio stream, and -map_metadata 0 copies available source metadata. The command keeps the source sample rate, channel layout, and sample format unless additional options request conversion. Compression level changes encoding efficiency and speed, not lossless audio quality.

On a Unix-like shell, this loop converts every lowercase .m4a file in the current folder separately:

for f in *.m4a; do ffmpeg -i "$f" -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -c:a wavpack -compression_level 3 "${f%.m4a}.wv"; done

If FFmpeg reports that the encoder is unavailable, check the build with ffmpeg -encoders | grep wavpack on macOS or Linux. On Windows, run ffmpeg -encoders | findstr wavpack.

Use desktop audio software

A desktop converter such as fre:ac can provide a graphical workflow when its installed encoder list includes WavPack. Add the ALAC files, choose Output format → WavPack, select lossless mode, retain the original sample rate and channels, choose a destination folder, and start the job. foobar2000 can also perform the conversion on Windows when its WavPack encoder component or an available WavPack encoder is configured.

Quality and compatibility limits

Both ALAC and standard WavPack are lossless, so the conversion does not create generation loss. WV may be larger or smaller than the source because compression depends on the audio content, sample format, channel count, and encoder settings.

Container and metadata handling is not identical between ALAC's M4A container and WavPack. Tags, embedded artwork, replay-gain data, chapter information, and multiple audio streams may not transfer exactly; verify these items separately. WavPack readers may also support fewer tag or artwork conventions than the software that created the ALAC file.