Convert MP4 files to ALAC format online for free. Extract lossless audio from MP4 videos with our free converter.
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Max file size: 50 MBMax duration: 30 min
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Drag and drop your MP4 file, or click to browse for it.
Choose ALAC as the output and click Convert. The conversion runs on our servers, so your device does none of the work.
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How the two formats differ on the things that change your result.
| Specification | MP4 (source) | ALAC (result) |
|---|---|---|
| Container | MPEG-4 Part 14 | MPEG-4 (.m4a) |
| Developed by | MPEG | Apple |
| Introduced | 2003 | 2004 |
| Audio codecs | AAC, MP3, ALAC | ALAC |
| Compression | Depends on codec | Lossless (compressed) |
| Approx. file size | 38–150 MB per minute | 5–7 MB per minute |
| Metadata / tags | Container tags | MPEG-4 iTunes-style atoms |
| Licensing | Patent-licensed | Royalty-free |
| Plays natively on | Native: Web browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Smart TVs | Native: macOS, iOS · Needs a player: Windows, Android, Web browsers, Smart TVs |
| Best for | web delivery, social media uploads, sharing with anyone | long-term archiving, the Apple ecosystem, audiophile listening |
Only the soundtrack survives: the video stream is dropped, and the AAC audio inside the MP4 file is re-encoded as ALAC.
The size drop is dramatic because the video stream is where nearly all the data lives. A minute of MP4 runs around 94 MB; the extracted ALAC is roughly 6 MB per minute.
ALAC is lossless, but the ceiling is the soundtrack already inside the video. That track is usually AAC, which is lossy, so ALAC preserves it exactly rather than improving it.
Any subtitle tracks in the source are not part of an audio file and are dropped during extraction.
The source can carry more than one audio track, for example alternate languages or a commentary. Extraction takes the primary track.
This tool takes the audio track from inside a MP4 file, a MPEG-4 Part 14 container from 2003, and saves it on its own as ALAC. Everything visual is left behind.
MP4 comes from MPEG and dates to 2003. It usually holds H.264, H.265, or AV1 video with AAC, MP3, or ALAC sound, and those streams set the ceiling for anything converted out of it.
ALAC comes from Apple and dates to 2004. It carries losslessly compressed audio (ALAC), and without installing anything it plays on macOS and iOS.
After converting your file, you can use Scriptivox transcription services to convert your audio to text. Perfect for meetings, interviews, podcasts, and more.
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