ALAC to M4A Audio Converter
Drop your ALAC files — the M4A audio is generated in your browser in seconds. Multiple files at once, no upload on the fast path.
9,214+ audio files converted
This tool turns your audio into M4A entirely in the browser. MPEG-4 audio container, usually holding AAC (lossy) or ALAC (lossless). The format iTunes and Apple Music download in. You can convert several files at once, and because the fast path is local there is no upload step and nothing to clean up afterwards.
Looking to programmatically convert ALAC to M4A?
Same engine, available as a JSON API. Drop a file or URL via REST and get the converted audio back — no browser, no UI, no rate limits on paid tiers.
Fast response on common audio pairs
Webhook delivery for batch jobs
Dozens of audio format pairs supported
ALAC vs M4A: how they compare
The numbers and capabilities at a glance, so you know what you're trading.
ALAC (Apple Lossless)
- Year released
- 2004
- Compression
- Lossless
- Lossless
- Yes
- Channels
- Multichannel
- Player support
- Apple ecosystem
- Best for
- Lossless libraries in Apple Music
M4A
- Year released
- 2001
- Compression
- Lossy (AAC) or Lossless (ALAC)
- Lossless
- No
- Channels
- Multichannel
- Player support
- Apple ecosystem
- Best for
- Apple Music & iTunes downloads
Heads up before converting to M4A
What this specific conversion changes about your audio.
Converting ALAC (Apple Lossless) to M4A discards audio data
ALAC (Apple Lossless) is lossless, but M4A is lossy — this conversion permanently throws away part of the signal to save space. Keep your ALAC (Apple Lossless) file as the master and use the M4A copy for sharing or playback.
Best practices for M4A
Small choices that keep your output sounding right.
- Play the first converted file before batch-converting the rest, so you catch a wrong setting early.
- For M4A, choose a bitrate that fits the use: 192–256 kbps keeps most music transparent, 320 kbps for archival-grade lossy.
- Check that title, artist, album and cover art survived the conversion; some players cache old tags.
When NOT to convert to M4A
Cases where a different format serves you better.
When you need an editable master
If you might re-edit or re-export later, keep the lossless ALAC (Apple Lossless) original and skip flattening it to M4A. Lossy targets are for delivery, not for archiving the source of truth.
The importance of a good audio conversion
Why getting ALAC → M4A right matters more than you think.
Frequently asked
The basics everyone asks before dropping a track.
Convert ALAC to other formats
Convert other formats to M4A