Free online WV to ALAC converter

Apple Music, iPhone, iPad, and many Apple-compatible applications handle ALAC in M4A containers more consistently than WavPack files. Converting a WV archive makes it easier to import, edit, and play while retaining lossless audio when the source is lossless.

What the WV format is

WV is the filename extension normally used by WavPack, an open-source audio codec supporting lossless, lossy, and hybrid compression. It is used in personal music archives, CD-ripping and archival software, cue-sheet releases, and applications such as foobar2000 and CUETools.

A hybrid WavPack set contains a lossy .wv stream and a matching correction file with the .wvc extension. Keep both files together with their original names before conversion; the correction file may be required to reconstruct the full lossless signal. A standalone WV file may be either lossless or lossy, so the extension alone does not identify its audio quality.

What the ALAC format is

ALAC, or Apple Lossless Audio Codec, compresses audio without discarding decoded source samples. ALAC is a codec rather than a usual filename extension; it is most commonly stored in an M4A container, so the output normally ends in .m4a, not .alac.

ALAC is supported by Apple Music, iTunes for Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, and compatible editing and playback software. It generally uses less storage than uncompressed WAV while preserving the source audio. The original sample rate and bit depth can remain unchanged when the converter does not resample.

Convert WV files on 101convert.com

1. Open the WV converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the .wv file. If it belongs to a hybrid WavPack set, include the matching .wvc file when the uploader supports multiple input files.
3. Select ALAC as the output format.
4. Start the conversion and download the resulting M4A file.
5. Test the file in the target application and check its duration, tags, and artwork.

This option runs without installing desktop software. For private or irreplaceable archives, use a local converter instead of uploading the files.

Convert with FFmpeg

FFmpeg is a free command-line converter for Windows, macOS, and Linux that can decode WavPack and encode ALAC.

1. Install FFmpeg using a package appropriate for your operating system.
2. Put the WV file and, if present, its matching .wvc correction file in the same folder.
3. Open Command Prompt, PowerShell, Terminal, or another shell in that folder.
4. Run ffmpeg -i "input.wv" -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -c:a alac "output.m4a".
5. Replace the example filenames with the actual names, then open output.m4a in the destination application.

The -c:a alac option selects the ALAC encoder, and -map_metadata 0 copies metadata that FFmpeg can read. Quotation marks protect paths containing spaces. The command does not specify a sample-rate or bit-depth conversion, so FFmpeg normally retains the decoded source parameters.

Graphical desktop options

On macOS, XLD can decode WavPack and encode ALAC, with batch conversion and configurable metadata handling. On Windows, foobar2000 can perform the same task after installing an ALAC encoder component: add the WV files, open Convert → ..., choose an ALAC encoder, set the output container to M4A, and start the job. Component names and menu labels can vary between versions.

Quality and compatibility limits

Converting a lossless WV source to ALAC is a lossless codec change; it does not reduce the audio samples. Converting a lossy WV source cannot restore information already removed. For hybrid WavPack, the correction file must be available to the decoder if the goal is to recover the original lossless audio.

ALAC output is not guaranteed to be smaller than WV because compression efficiency depends on the source and encoder. Metadata, embedded artwork, replay-gain information, and cue-sheet data may not transfer identically from WavPack to M4A. Verify album, artist, title, track and disc numbers, artwork, duration, and sample properties after conversion.

Modern Apple software generally supports M4A/ALAC, but some older hardware players and non-Apple applications support neither ALAC nor its M4A container. Use a WAV or another codec when the destination specifically requires that format.