How to convert Apple Lossless (ALAC) to AAC
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Upload your file
Drag and drop a file or click to select one. Keep this page open while the file uploads and converts.
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Convert Apple Lossless (ALAC) to AAC
NexMedia converts Apple Lossless (ALAC) to AAC on its own servers. Processing time depends on the file size and how busy the queue is.
- 3
Download the converted file
When the conversion finishes, the download appears on this page. Your converted file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
About Apple Lossless (ALAC)
Apple Lossless (ALAC) is Apple's lossless audio codec, usually stored in an .m4a file; Apple released it as open source in 2011.
Lossless music in iTunes, Apple Music and on iPhones.
ALAC files are smaller than WAV but several times larger than AAC, and many devices outside Apple's prefer FLAC.
Convert ALAC to AAC online free, no account required — AAC is the lossy audio codec that succeeded MP3.
Change ALAC to AAC without losing quality — convert ALAC to AAC free in your browser.
Why won't my Windows PC or Android phone play my ALAC files? Apple Lossless rarely ships outside Apple software, so converting to FLAC keeps the lossless quality on the rest of your devices.
About AAC
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is the lossy audio codec standardised in MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 as the successor to MP3; at the same bitrate it generally sounds better than MP3.
It is the audio in most MP4 videos, in Apple Music and on YouTube; a .aac file is a bare AAC stream without a container.
A bare .aac stream has only limited room for tags and cover art, so music players usually expect AAC inside an M4A file.
Why convert music to AAC instead of MP3? At the same bitrate AAC sounds better, and every modern phone, computer and streaming service decodes it.
What changes when you convert ALAC to AAC
- The audio is decoded and re-encoded as AAC at the default settings, so the result is close to the ALAC but not bit-identical.
- AAC uses lossy compression: the encoder discards the detail that is least noticeable, so the file is smaller than the ALAC but cannot be turned back into the original.
Settings you can change
Before you convert ALAC to AAC, you can adjust: Audio codec, Rate control, Audio bitrate, Quality (VBR), Sample rate, Channels, Normalize loudness, Trim start, Trim duration, and Keep tags.
Limits
Each plan sets a maximum file size and a number of conversions per day, and video and audio files also have a maximum length. Guests can convert files up to 100 megabytes and 5 per day; a free account raises this to 500 megabytes and 25 per day; paid plans go up to 100 gigabytes.
Your converted AAC file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
ALAC to AAC: questions and answers
Does converting ALAC to AAC reduce quality?
The audio is decoded and re-encoded as AAC at the default settings, so the result is close to the ALAC but not bit-identical. AAC uses lossy compression: the encoder discards the detail that is least noticeable, so the file is smaller than the ALAC but cannot be turned back into the original.
What is the difference between ALAC and AAC?
ALAC is Apple's lossless audio codec. AAC is the lossy audio codec that succeeded MP3.
Can I change the settings when converting ALAC to AAC?
Before you convert ALAC to AAC, you can adjust: Audio codec, Rate control, Audio bitrate, Quality (VBR), Sample rate, Channels, Normalize loudness, Trim start, Trim duration, and Keep tags.
Do I need an account to convert ALAC to AAC?
No. You can convert ALAC to AAC without an account; signing in raises the file-size and daily limits.
How long is my converted AAC file kept?
The AAC file you convert from ALAC is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
Will the AAC file be smaller than my ALAC?
AAC uses lossy compression: the encoder discards the detail that is least noticeable, so the file is smaller than the ALAC but cannot be turned back into the original.
When I convert ALAC to AAC, is the audio re-encoded?
The audio is decoded and re-encoded as AAC at the default settings, so the result is close to the ALAC but not bit-identical.