Extract text from Apple Lossless audio files (ALAC)
To convert ALAC audio files to another format, you need Apple Music or other Audio software.
To convert other file formats to the "Lossless Audio Codec" file type, you need software like Apple Music or a similar tool.
The .alac file extension contains audio data compressed using the Apple Lossless Audio Codec. It stores full-resolution digital music without discarding any acoustic detail.
Developed by Apple, these files are typically managed and played using Apple Music or legacy iTunes software. You can read more about the format on its Wikipedia page.
The main disadvantage of the ALAC format is limited hardware compatibility. While it is lossless, it is heavily tied to the Apple ecosystem. Many standalone audio players, smart TVs, and non-Apple mobile devices do not natively support ALAC files. Furthermore, ALAC files are large, often exceeding 30MB for a single track, which consumes significant mobile storage and bandwidth.
To resolve compatibility issues, you should convert your .alac files. Convert to FLAC if you want universal lossless playback on Android or high-fidelity audio gear. Convert to MP3 or AAC if you need small file sizes for web streaming, though this will result in a loss of audio quality.
Audio files locked in specific codec containers can be difficult for standard online tools to parse. Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible. Our system inspects the internal container and, if the underlying stream is supported, allows you to transcode the audio to standard formats quickly.
Use Convert.Guru to open and convert your ALAC file.
Users also converted FLAC, M4A, MP3, AAC, CDDA, ITL, WAV and AIFF files.
If you want to convert ALAC file to FLAC, MP3, WAV, AAC, AIFF, OGG, WMA, M4A, OPUS, APE, WV or TTA, you can use Apple Music or similar software from the "Lossless Audio Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to ALAC, try Apple Music or another comparable tool in the "Lossless Audio Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our ALAC converter.