What happens when you convert M4A to ALAC
- The audio is decoded and written as Apple Lossless in an .m4a file.
How to convert M4A to ALAC online
- Press "Choose M4A files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
- Adjust the settings if you need to: the bitrate controls quality and size. The defaults suit most people.
- Press "Convert to ALAC". The first audio or video conversion downloads the converter engine, about 32 MB, which your browser then keeps for next time.
- Save each ALAC with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert M4A to ALAC?
M4A files usually come from iTunes purchases, iPhone voice memos and Apple Music downloads. People convert them to ALAC because Apple Lossless keeps full CD quality and plays natively on every iPhone and Mac.
In short, M4A is good at what it was made for, and ALAC is the more practical choice when the file has to play on another device or app. M4A plays in all current browsers and every Apple device, while ALAC plays in Safari and on every Apple device.
How to convert M4A to ALAC on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your M4A files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each ALAC is saved to your Downloads folder. If you prefer a desktop program, VLC can also convert M4A to ALAC: choose Media, then Convert / Save.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the M4A files from Finder onto the drop zone and the ALAC files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose M4A files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted ALAC appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose M4A files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The ALAC is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it. Keep the screen on while a long video converts, because Android may pause a tab in the background.
Best settings for M4A to ALAC
ALAC is lossless, so there is no quality setting: every sample of the decoded M4A is kept. What changes is size. CD-quality stereo, 44.1 kHz at 16 bits, takes about 10 MB per minute as uncompressed PCM, and roughly half to two thirds of that once compressed losslessly.
The M4A is lossless too, so the conversion is exact in both directions.
M4A vs ALAC: the differences
| M4A | ALAC | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Audio | Apple Lossless Audio Codec |
| Type | audio | audio |
| Created by | Apple, on the MPEG-4 standard | Apple |
| First released | 2001 | 2004 |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Usually contains | AAC, or ALAC for lossless files | ALAC lossless audio inside an .m4a file |
| In a browser | plays in all current browsers and every Apple device | plays in Safari and on every Apple device |
| Common uses | iTunes purchases, iPhone voice memos and Apple Music downloads | lossless music in the Apple Music app and iTunes libraries |
| MIME type | audio/mp4 | audio/mp4 |
About M4A and ALAC files
What is an M4A file?
M4A is an MP4 file that only holds audio, which is why renaming one to .mp4 often works. Voice Memos on iPhone saves recordings as M4A.
What is an ALAC file?
ALAC is lossless like FLAC, but it plays natively on iPhones, iPads and in the Music app. ALAC files use the .m4a extension, so the file you download will end in .m4a.
M4A to ALAC not working? Common problems
- The conversion is slow. Audio and container changes take seconds, but re-encoding video runs on your own processor. Lower the resolution to 720p, close other tabs, and keep the device plugged in.
- The tab stops or reloads on a very large file. Browsers limit how much memory one tab can use, around 2 GB and less on phones. Split long recordings or convert them on a computer.
- Song titles are missing. Tags such as title and artist are copied when ALAC can store them, but cover art is not carried over.
Convert M4A to ALAC with ffmpeg
This converter runs ffmpeg inside your browser. If you would rather use the ffmpeg command line on your own computer, this command produces an equivalent ALAC with the same kind of settings:
ffmpeg -i input.m4a -vn -c:a alac output.m4aReplace input.m4a with the name of your file. For a whole folder of M4A files, run the command in a loop, or drop them all on the converter above, which processes them one after another.
M4A to ALAC converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting M4A to ALAC?
No further quality is lost, because ALAC is written losslessly. Detail the M4A compression already removed does not come back.
Why is the ALAC a different size from the M4A?
The ALAC is usually larger, because it stores every sample without compression losses, while the M4A was compressed lossily.
Are my M4A files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page and converter engine have loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several M4A files to ALAC at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an ALAC file?
ALAC plays in Safari and on every Apple device. ALAC is common for lossless music in the Apple Music app and iTunes libraries.
Is this M4A to ALAC converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert M4A to ALAC on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Converted files are saved to the Downloads folder.