Convert FLAC to ALAC
Your files are processed on your device. We never upload them.
Audio is read and written with Mediabunny. MP3 files are made with LAME and FLAC files with libFLAC; browsers without their own AAC encoder use FFmpeg's. Apple Lossless files follow Apple's ALAC code.
How to convert FLAC to ALAC
- 01A ▸Choose a FLAC file, or drop it on the page.
- 02A ▸Select Convert to ALAC.
- 03A ▸Download the M4A and add it to the Music app (or iTunes on Windows).
About FLAC to ALAC
Where FLAC files come from
FLAC is the usual lossless format from Bandcamp, Qobuz, and CD rips, but Apple's Music app on Mac and iPhone won't import it. Apple's own lossless format, ALAC (Apple Lossless, in an M4A file), sounds identical and plays in Apple Music, iTunes, and on every iPhone, iPad, and HomePod.
What changes
- The sound stays exactly the same, sample for sample; only the way it's packed changes.
- Bit depth (16 or 24) and sample rate are kept.
- Song details (title, artist, cover) aren't copied yet; add them in the Music app.
- Surround (more than two channels) FLAC is mixed down to stereo.
Measured
Our three-minute music-like sample (stereo, 44.1 kHz, the length of a typical song), as a 16-bit FLAC, converted to ALAC in Chrome on a laptop. We decoded the ALAC with Apple's own decoder and FFmpeg's, and both gave back every sample unchanged. Phone timings are still to be measured.
| FLAC file | 13.3 MB |
|---|---|
| ALAC file | 13.6 MB (3% larger) |
| Time in Chrome (laptop) | 2.4 seconds |
In your browser
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari 26 and later decode FLAC with their own built-in decoders, inside a background worker; older Safari decodes it on the page with its audio engine. No browser can write ALAC, so it's written by our own encoder, which follows Apple's open-source ALAC code; there's nothing extra to download.
Limits
- The whole song is held in memory to convert it, so an hour of 24-bit hi-res needs a computer; the page warns you first.
- Chrome, Edge, and Firefox can't play ALAC, so the preview player only works in Safari. The download is fine everywhere.
Other options
- FLAC to MP3: a much smaller file, when lossless doesn't matter.
- FLAC to M4A (audio converter): AAC, smaller than ALAC, with the song details kept.
- Audio converter: WAV and AIFF, for software that wants uncompressed audio.
Questions
Is FLAC to ALAC really lossless?
Yes. Both are lossless, and the ALAC decodes to exactly the same samples as the FLAC. Our tests convert sample files and check that every sample comes back unchanged, and we checked our ALAC files with Apple's own decoder and FFmpeg's too.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Your files are processed on your device. We never upload them.
Why does the file end in .m4a?
Apple Lossless lives in an M4A file, the same kind of file as AAC music. The Music app, iTunes, Finder, and iPhones recognise it as lossless.
Are 24-bit and hi-res files kept as they are?
Yes. 16-bit FLAC becomes 16-bit ALAC and 24-bit stays 24-bit, at the same sample rate (44.1 kHz up to 192 kHz).
Are the song details kept?
Not yet. The ALAC file has the sound only, without title, artist, or cover. Add them in the Music app with Get Info, or convert to M4A (AAC) or MP3 to keep them.
Is the ALAC larger than the FLAC?
Usually slightly. Both compress losslessly; FLAC's compression is a little tighter, so expect the ALAC to be about the same size or a few percent bigger.