ALAC to M4A Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Apple Lossless and MPEG-4 Audio exist for different jobs: ALAC is Apple's lossless codec inside an MP4 container — the iTunes Store lossless tier and every big iOS recording. M4A sounds better than MP3 at the same bitrate, and Apple users never have compatibility worries.
This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your files never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there are no watermarks, sign-ups or queues. Drop in several files at once to convert them as a batch.
How ALAC compares to M4A
| ALAC | M4A | |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | iOS, macOS, iTunes, ffmpeg | Apple-first, modern platforms |
| Best for | Apple-ecosystem lossless libraries | Music libraries and voice memos |
How to convert ALAC to M4A
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your ALAC files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to M4A". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted M4A file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the ALAC format
ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) is Apple's FLAC equivalent: bit-exact lossless compression inside an MP4 container, opened-source in 2011 and now native on every Apple device and most server-side pipelines. It is what iTunes Store sells as "lossless" and what iPhone recordings encode to by default.
For non-Apple players FLAC is the safer target, and conversion is sample-exact in both directions — the decode is handled by ffmpeg's native ALAC decoder without any Apple runtime.
+ Strengths
- ✓Native on every Apple device
- ✓Open source since 2011
- ✓Reasonable sizes inside MP4
! Limitations
- −Outside Apple ecosystems FLAC wins
- −Slightly worse ratios than FLAC
- −Confusing .m4a extension doubles as lossy
About the M4A format
M4A is MPEG-4 audio: AAC (or ALAC) inside the MP4 container, minus the video. It became the iTunes Store's format in 2003 and never left — Apple Music downloads, voice memos and most phone recordings are M4A. At the same bitrate, AAC sounds distinctly better than MP3, which is why 128 kbps M4A competes with 192 kbps MP3.
Support is excellent across Apple devices, modern Android, Windows and every streaming SDK. The one historical caveat: iTunes Store music bought before 2009 carried FairPlay DRM; everything since (and everything you record yourself) is DRM-free.
+ Strengths
- ✓Better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate
- ✓First-class on Apple and modern platforms
- ✓ALAC variant covers lossless needs
! Limitations
- −Very old feature phones and players miss it
- −Pre-2009 store purchases may carry DRM
Why convert ALAC to M4A?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of M4A meet what ALAC cannot give you. Better quality than MP3 at the same bitrate Meanwhile Outside Apple ecosystems FLAC wins One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this ALAC to M4A converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for ALAC to M4A?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
Can I convert a whole folder of ALAC files?
You can select many files at once and they are processed in a single batch. Output files land in one ZIP download when there is more than one result.
Are tags like title and artist preserved?
Tag handling varies between target formats and this conversion focuses on the audio itself. For archival copies where tags matter, keep the original file; the converted copy is for playback and sharing.