FLAC to ALAC Converter — Convert Lossless Audio for Apple Devices

Convert FLAC lossless audio files to Apple Lossless ALAC format (.m4a) in your browser. Zero quality loss — perfect for iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone, and iPad. Free and private.

Drag & drop or click to upload

Supports .flac

Output Format
ALAC (Apple Lossless) — .m4a

Zero quality loss. Natively supported by iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone and iPad.

Result

Upload a FLAC file and hit convert to generate your Apple Lossless M4A.

FLAC → ALAC with Zero Quality Loss

Apple devices do not always play FLAC files natively in iTunes and Apple Music. Convert your FLAC collection to Apple Lossless ALAC format — keeping every bit of audio quality while gaining full compatibility with the entire Apple ecosystem.

Lossless → Apple Lossless

Key Features

Zero Quality Loss

FLAC to ALAC is a lossless-to-lossless conversion. The audio data is identical — only the container format changes.

Apple Ecosystem Ready

Output M4A files are natively recognised by iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone, iPad, and Mac without any additional software.

100% Private

All conversion runs locally via FFmpeg WebAssembly. Your audio files never leave your device — guaranteed privacy.

Metadata Preserved

Track title, artist, album, and year tags from the source FLAC are carried over to the output ALAC M4A file automatically.

Common Use Cases

iTunes Library

Import your lossless FLAC music collection into iTunes and Apple Music without any quality compromise

iPhone & iPad Playback

Sync your audiophile FLAC collection to iPhone and iPad in ALAC format for native lossless playback on the go

iCloud Music Library

Upload ALAC files to iCloud Music Library and stream your lossless collection across all your Apple devices

How this FLAC to ALAC Converter works

FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) and ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) are both lossless audio formats, meaning neither discards any audio data during compression. The difference is the container and codec implementation: FLAC uses its own native container while ALAC wraps audio inside an MP4/M4A container. This conversion is container-and-codec transcoding with no quality loss.

The tool loads FFmpeg WebAssembly on first use, writes the FLAC file to the virtual filesystem, then executes the transcode using FFmpeg's built-in ALAC encoder (-c:a alac). FFmpeg decodes the FLAC stream to raw PCM audio, then the ALAC encoder re-compresses it losslessly into the M4A container. The -map_metadata 0 flag carries all Vorbis comment tags from the FLAC source — title, artist, album, track number, and year — into the equivalent iTunes metadata atoms within the M4A output.

Sample rate and bit depth are fully preserved. A 24-bit/96 kHz FLAC outputs a 24-bit/96 kHz ALAC file. File size is typically within 5–15% of the original FLAC because both codecs use similar DEFLATE-based prediction algorithms but differ in compression efficiency. The output .m4a file is natively recognised by iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone, and iPad without any additional software. Processing is entirely local — your files never leave your device.

How to use this FLAC to ALAC Converter

1

Upload FLAC file

Drag and drop or click to select a FLAC audio file from your device.

2

Review file info

Confirm the file name, size, and detected duration before starting the conversion.

3

Convert & download

Click Convert — monitor the progress bar and download your ALAC M4A file when complete.

Example Usage

A high-resolution 24-bit FLAC classical music file converted to ALAC for native playback in Apple Music with full quality preserved.

Input
beethoven-symphony-5.flac (245 MB, 24-bit/96kHz, 33:22)
Output
beethoven-symphony-5.m4a (238 MB, ALAC 24-bit/96kHz)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ALAC?
ALAC stands for Apple Lossless Audio Codec. It is a lossless audio format developed by Apple, stored inside M4A or CAF container files. It produces the same audio quality as FLAC but is natively supported by iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
What is the difference between FLAC and ALAC?
Both FLAC and ALAC are lossless audio codecs — they compress audio without removing any data, so the quality is identical to the original source. The key difference is compatibility: FLAC is open-source and widely supported on Linux and Android, while ALAC is Apple's native lossless format favoured on Apple devices.
Why convert FLAC to ALAC?
Apple's ecosystem — including iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone, and iPad — does not natively support FLAC playback in all scenarios. Converting FLAC to ALAC ensures seamless integration with Apple devices, iCloud Music Library, and iTunes without any quality loss.
Is there any audio quality loss during the conversion?
No. FLAC to ALAC is a lossless-to-lossless conversion. The audio data is decoded from the FLAC container and re-encoded into the ALAC/M4A container without any compression step. The resulting ALAC file is bit-for-bit identical in audio quality to the original FLAC.
Is my FLAC file uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser using FFmpeg WebAssembly. Your audio files are never transmitted to any server. This means complete privacy and no file size limits imposed by server policies.
What file extension does the output file use?
The output file uses the .m4a extension, which is the standard container for ALAC audio files. The M4A extension is recognised by iTunes, Apple Music, and all Apple devices as a native Apple Lossless file.
Will iTunes and Apple Music recognise the converted file?
Yes. The output .m4a file containing ALAC audio is fully recognised by iTunes and Apple Music. You can drag and drop it directly into your iTunes library, and Apple Music will display it as Apple Lossless with the original metadata intact.
Are ID3 tags and metadata preserved during conversion?
Yes. FFmpeg carries over metadata including track title, artist, album, and year from the FLAC source into the ALAC M4A output using the -map_metadata 0 flag. Some tag fields may differ slightly in naming between FLAC and M4A but all standard fields are transferred.
What sample rates does ALAC support?
ALAC supports the same sample rates as FLAC — from 1 Hz up to 384 kHz. Common rates like 44.1 kHz (CD quality), 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, and 96 kHz are all preserved exactly in the output. The original bit depth (16-bit, 24-bit) is also retained.
Why is the converted ALAC file a different size from the original FLAC?
FLAC and ALAC use different compression algorithms, so the same audio data will produce slightly different file sizes — typically within 5-15% of each other. Both formats store the complete, unaltered audio data; the size difference is due to compression efficiency, not quality.

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The FLAC to ALAC Converter is maintained by CodeItBro. We aim to provide the best free developer tools on the web. If you have feedback or suggestions, please visit our contact page.

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