M4A to ALAC Converter
Convert M4A files to ALAC format online for free. No installation or registration required.
Quick Answer: How to Convert M4A to ALAC
M4A is an MPEG-4 audio container — the file, not the codec — usually holding AAC audio, while ALAC is Apple Lossless — FLAC's counterpart inside the MP4/M4A container. Converting M4A to ALAC wraps or re-encodes your audio into the ALAC structure, but be aware: quality lost when the M4A was created stays lost — a ALAC made from a lossy source is a perfect copy of an imperfect original. Run it free at practicalwebtools.com/convert/audio/m4a-to-alac: drop in your M4A, adjust settings if you like, and download the ALAC — no signup, no upload, everything stays on your device.
M4A vs ALAC: Which One and Why
M4A is an MPEG-4 audio container — the file, not the codec — usually holding AAC audio, introduced with the MPEG-4 standard (1998) and popularized by iTunes in 2005. ALAC is Apple Lossless — FLAC's counterpart inside the MP4/M4A container, released by Apple in 2004; open-sourced under Apache 2.0 in 2011. People reach for M4A mainly for iTunes and Apple Music purchases, podcast distribution, iPhone recordings, while ALAC is the usual choice for Apple Music lossless streaming, ripping CDs for the Apple ecosystem, iPhone/local-library audiophile setups. M4A's headline strength: smaller than MP3 at equal quality when AAC-coded. ALAC's: perfect fidelity inside the iTunes/Apple Music pipeline. On the other side of the ledger, M4A limitation: confusing naming — M4A vs M4B vs M4P are the same container with different intent — and ALAC limitation: no advantage over FLAC outside the Apple world.
How to Convert M4A to ALAC Online
- 1
Add your M4A file: Drag and drop it into the converter, or click to browse. M4A files up to the size limit are accepted, and nothing is uploaded — processing runs locally in your browser.
- 2
Set ALAC options: The converter re-encodes into ALAC, which is lossless — roughly 40–60% of original size, comparable to FLAC. Set quality to maximum since you're going lossless — no reason to trim bits you already have.
- 3
Download the ALAC: Conversion runs on your device. When it completes, download the ALAC file — repeat for as many files as you need, free and unlimited.
Key Facts
- M4A: introduced with the MPEG-4 standard (1998) and popularized by iTunes in 2005, depends on the codec inside: AAC (lossy) or ALAC (lossless).
- ALAC: released by Apple in 2004; open-sourced under Apache 2.0 in 2011, lossless — roughly 40–60% of original size, comparable to FLAC.
- Converting M4A → ALAC cannot restore what the M4A encoding already discarded — the ALAC is a faithful copy of the M4A, not of the original recording.
- M4A strength: smaller than MP3 at equal quality when AAC-coded.
- ALAC strength: perfect fidelity inside the iTunes/Apple Music pipeline.
- M4A limitation to know: confusing naming — M4A vs M4B vs M4P are the same container with different intent.
- ALAC limitation to know: no advantage over FLAC outside the Apple world.
- Fun fact: Apple Music streams ALAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz — but AirPods re-compress it to AAC over Bluetooth, so lossless is only audible on wired or Wi-Fi playback
Format Background
M4A
M4A — introduced with the MPEG-4 standard (1998) and popularized by iTunes in 2005. M4B (audiobooks) and M4R (ringtones) are M4A files with a different iTunes file-type flag — the audio is identical
ALAC
ALAC — released by Apple in 2004; open-sourced under Apache 2.0 in 2011. Apple Music streams ALAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz — but AirPods re-compress it to AAC over Bluetooth, so lossless is only audible on wired or Wi-Fi playback
Frequently Asked Questions
Will converting M4A to ALAC lose quality?
The ALAC output preserves everything present in your M4A file — but M4A is depends on the codec inside: AAC (lossy) or ALAC (lossless), so information discarded when that file was made is gone for good. You get a bit-perfect copy of what you have, not a restoration of the original recording.
Are my files uploaded anywhere during M4A → ALAC conversion?
No. This converter runs on WebAssembly inside your browser — your M4A file is read from disk, processed by your device's CPU, and the ALAC is written back locally. There is no server upload at any point, which also means no size-based throttling or waiting in queue.
Does converting M4A to ALAC restore lost quality?
No — and this trips up a lot of people. M4A is depends on the codec inside: AAC (lossy) or ALAC (lossless): the data it discarded at creation time cannot be reconstructed by any converter. A ALAC from a M4A source sounds exactly as good as the M4A, no better. The reasons to convert anyway are compatibility, editing headroom, and future-proofing — not restoration.
Why is my ALAC file larger/smaller than the M4A original?
ALAC is lossless — roughly 40–60% of original size, comparable to FLAC, while M4A is depends on the codec inside: AAC (lossy) or ALAC (lossless). File size follows from that: moving to a less aggressive or lossless target grows the file; moving to efficient lossy compression shrinks it. Apple Music streams ALAC up to 24-bit/192 kHz — but AirPods re-compress it to AAC over Bluetooth, so lossless is only audible on wired or Wi-Fi playback
What devices and apps play ALAC files?
iOS, macOS, iTunes, Apple TV, HomePod; most modern browsers via MSE. No advantage over FLAC outside the Apple world — worth knowing before you standardize on it.
Related Converters
Further reading
Guides and explainers on the Practical Web Tools blog cover audio and video formats in depth — or browse every audio converters pair from the hub.