Convert ALAC Files on Mac
ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) is an audio format using the .alac extension. Consul converts ALAC files to 11 other formats, and 25 formats to ALAC. Rename a file's extension in Finder and Consul handles the conversion automatically.
What is ALAC?
ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) is Apple's lossless format, introduced in 2004 and open-sourced under Apache 2.0 in 2011. It compresses audio to roughly half size while reconstructing the original bit-for-bit, and it is the lossless option in the Music app and iTunes Store. ALAC audio is normally stored inside an .m4a (MP4) file rather than a bare .alac file.
ALAC uses lossless compression, so files shrink without losing any information and decode back to the original data exactly. Files can carry MP4 / iTunes tags.
ALAC was developed by Apple and is an open standard.
Opening ALAC files on a Mac
The Music app plays Apple Lossless natively, but only when the audio is inside an .m4a file. macOS doesn't recognize a bare .alac file. afconvert can read and write Apple Lossless from Terminal, e.g. converting WAV to ALAC.
Consul supports 36 conversions for ALAC
Consul is the easiest way to convert ALAC files on your Mac, or to turn other files into ALAC. Rename file.alac to change its extension, and Consul converts it automatically.