ALAC vs FLAC
A detailed comparison of Apple Lossless Audio and FLAC Audio — file size, quality, compatibility, and which format to choose for your workflow.
Apple Lossless Audio
Audio FilesALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) provides lossless compression for audio, similar to FLAC but native to Apple ecosystem.
About ALAC filesFLAC Audio
Audio FilesFLAC is an open-source lossless audio codec that compresses audio to roughly 50-60% of its original size without any quality loss. It is the preferred format for audiophiles and music archival.
About FLAC filesStrengths Comparison
ALAC Strengths
- Lossless — bit-exact with the original PCM.
- 40-60% smaller than uncompressed WAV/AIFF.
- Native Apple ecosystem support (iTunes, Apple Music Lossless).
- Open-source since 2011 — supported in FFmpeg, VLC, Android.
FLAC Strengths
- Lossless — decoded audio is bit-exact identical to the source.
- 40-60% smaller than uncompressed WAV/AIFF.
- Free, patent-free, open-source reference implementation.
- Built-in error detection via MD5 checksums.
- Streaming-friendly — seek tables let you jump to any timestamp instantly.
Limitations
ALAC Limitations
- Non-Apple devices support ALAC but rarely make it the default.
- Slower encoding than FLAC on most reference implementations.
- Large files vs lossy alternatives (AAC).
- The .m4a extension is shared with lossy AAC, causing mislabeling.
FLAC Limitations
- File sizes still large compared to lossy codecs (5-10× bigger than AAC for same audio).
- Not suitable for low-bandwidth scenarios like streaming on mobile data.
- Older MP3 players and car stereos may not decode FLAC.
- Slower to encode than lossy codecs.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | ALAC | FLAC |
|---|---|---|
| MIME type | audio/mp4 (inside .m4a) | audio/flac |
| Extensions | .m4a (common), .alac | — |
| Container | ISO Base Media File Format (like MP4) | — |
| Sample rates | Up to 384 kHz (hi-res); typical 44.1-192 kHz | — |
| License | Apache 2.0 (since 2011) | — |
| Extension | — | .flac |
| Standard | — | Open-source reference implementation (Xiph.Org) |
| Max bit depth | — | 32 bits per sample |
| Max sample rate | — | 655 350 Hz |
| Max channels | — | 8 |
Typical File Sizes
ALAC
- 3-min song (CD quality) 20-30 MB
- Full album (CD, 10 tracks) 250-400 MB
- Hi-Res 24-bit/96 kHz song 80-120 MB
FLAC
- 3-min song (CD quality) 20-30 MB
- Full album (10 tracks, CD) 250-400 MB
- 3-min song (hi-res 24-bit/96 kHz) 80-120 MB
- Live concert recording (24-bit) 2-10 GB
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Frequently Asked Questions
ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio) is an audio file format used to store sound recordings — music, voice, podcasts, sound effects. The format defines how the audio samples are compressed (or stored raw), what bitrates are supported, and how metadata such as title, artist, album, and cover art is embedded. It is part of the audio files family.
ALAC (Apple sem perdas Audio) is an audio formatoo de arquivo used to store sound recordings — music, voice, podcasts, sound effects. The formato defines how the audio samples are comprimido (or stored raw), what bitrates are suportado, e how metadata como title, artist, album, e cover art is embedded. It is part of the audio arquivos family.
VLC, foobar2000, and the default media players on Windows and macOS handle ALAC natively. On mobile, iOS Music and Android media apps vary in their support — popular formats work everywhere; niche ones may need a dedicated app. If playback fails on a device, converting to MP3 or AAC usually solves it.
VLC, foobar2000, e the default media players no Windows e macOS handle ALAC natively. On mobile, iOS Music e Android media apps vary in their support — popular formatoos funcionar everywhere; niche ones may need a dedicated app. If playback fails em um device, convertendo to MP3 ou AAC Geralmente solves it.
Upload the ALAC to KaijuConverter and pick MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, OGG, or any other target. Our FFmpeg pipeline decodes the audio and re-encodes to the target format at sensible default bitrates (VBR ~190 kbps for music, 96 kbps for speech). Metadata and cover art travel with the audio where both formats support them.
ALAC can be lossy or lossless depending on the specific variant. Lossy variants (smaller files) discard some audio detail during compression in ways tuned to be inaudible; lossless variants preserve every sample exactly but produce larger files. For distribution, lossy at high bitrate is standard; for archival, lossless wins.