Free online WMA to ALAC converter

Source format: WMA

WMA stands for Windows Media Audio, an audio format developed by Microsoft. It is commonly used on Windows systems, in older media libraries, and in files distributed through legacy Windows-based software and devices. WMA can be either lossy or lossless, but in everyday use it is often associated with compressed audio meant to save space while keeping reasonable sound quality.

Typical uses include music collections, voice recordings, and audio files created or played in Microsoft-oriented environments. Because support for WMA is less universal than for more modern formats, users often convert it when they need broader compatibility or want to move audio into an Apple-friendly workflow.

Target format: ALAC

ALAC stands for Apple Lossless Audio Codec. It is a lossless audio format, meaning it preserves the original audio data without quality loss during compression and decompression. ALAC is widely supported by Apple devices and software, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iTunes/Music.

The main advantages of ALAC are perfect audio preservation, smaller file sizes than uncompressed audio, and strong compatibility within the Apple ecosystem. It is a good choice for archiving music or moving audio into a library where quality matters more than maximum compression.

How to perform the conversion

The easiest way is to use the built-in converter on 101convert.com, which lets you convert WMA to ALAC online for free without installing software. Upload the WMA file, choose ALAC as the output format, start the conversion, and then download the resulting file.

If you prefer desktop software, FFmpeg is one of the best tools for this conversion because it is reliable and supports both formats. A typical command is ffmpeg -i input.wma -c:a alac output.m4a. This reads the WMA file and writes an ALAC-encoded file in an .m4a container, which is the most common container for ALAC audio.

In iTunes or the Music app, you can also import the WMA file first and then convert it through the library workflow if your system supports the source file. However, direct conversion support may vary by platform and installed codecs, so FFmpeg is usually the most dependable desktop option.

Notes on quality, compatibility, or limitations

Converting from WMA to ALAC does not restore audio quality if the WMA file is already lossy. If the source is lossy WMA, the result will still be lossless ALAC only in the sense that the conversion itself does not add further compression artifacts, but it cannot recover information that was lost earlier.

ALAC is best when you want Apple ecosystem compatibility and a lossless archive. If your goal is maximum device support outside Apple products, formats like MP3 or AAC may be more universally recognized. Also note that ALAC files are commonly stored in .m4a containers, so the extension may differ from what some users expect.