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Convert FLAC to M4A – Play Lossless Audio on Apple Devices

Transform your FLAC collection for iTunes, iPhone, and Apple Music compatibility.

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format
Step 3: Convert files

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FLAC Files Won't Play on Apple Devices?

You have a music collection in FLAC format—the gold standard for lossless audio quality. But when you try to import those files into iTunes or sync them to your iPhone, nothing happens. Apple has never supported FLAC playback natively.

Converting FLAC to M4A solves this instantly. M4A is Apple's preferred audio container, and it works seamlessly across iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In our testing, converted files appear in your Apple Music library just like any other purchased track.

If you have other FLAC files to convert to different formats, we support those conversions too.

How to Convert FLAC to M4A

  1. Upload your FLAC file – Drag and drop or click to select your lossless audio
  2. Confirm M4A output – M4A is preset as the Apple-compatible destination format
  3. Download your converted audio – Ready to import into iTunes or sync to your device

The entire process happens in your browser. No software to install, no account required. Your converted M4A file downloads directly to your device.

Understanding FLAC vs M4A

FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) preserves every bit of the original recording. It's the format audiophiles choose for archiving music because nothing is lost during compression. A typical FLAC file runs at 800-1400 kbps.

M4A is a container format that can hold either AAC (lossy) or ALAC (Apple Lossless) audio. When we convert your FLAC to M4A, we use high-quality AAC encoding at 256 kbps—the same quality Apple uses for iTunes Store purchases.

In our testing, most listeners cannot distinguish between the original FLAC and a properly encoded 256 kbps AAC file, especially through standard headphones or speakers. The file size, however, drops by 60-80%.

Why Apple Doesn't Support FLAC

Apple developed their own lossless codec—ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec)—back in 2004. Rather than adopt the open-source FLAC standard, they built ALAC into their ecosystem. This means:

  • iTunes – Cannot import or play FLAC files directly
  • Apple Music app – No FLAC support on macOS or iOS
  • iPhone/iPad – FLAC playback requires third-party apps
  • AirPlay – Won't stream FLAC to HomePod or AirPlay speakers

Converting to M4A bypasses all these limitations. Your music integrates perfectly with the Apple ecosystem.

Common Use Cases

Building an iTunes Library

You've ripped your CD collection to FLAC for archival quality. Now you want those albums in iTunes. Converting to M4A lets you import everything into your library, complete with artwork and metadata, ready to sync to any Apple device.

Syncing Music to iPhone

Your iPhone has limited storage, and FLAC files are large. A 4-minute song in FLAC might be 30-40 MB. The same song in M4A AAC at 256 kbps is under 8 MB—with audio quality that's indistinguishable to most listeners.

Apple Music Playlists

You want to add your own FLAC files to Apple Music playlists alongside streaming tracks. Converting to M4A makes your personal library compatible with Apple Music's interface and features.

Sharing with Apple Users

Sending FLAC files to friends with iPhones? They likely can't play them without installing a special app. M4A files open natively on any Apple device.

Quality Considerations

Let's be honest about the technical trade-off. FLAC is lossless—it preserves 100% of the original audio data. M4A with AAC encoding is lossy—some audio information is discarded during compression.

However, AAC is an exceptionally efficient codec. At 256 kbps, it retains the audio characteristics that matter most to human hearing. In our testing with various genres—classical, jazz, rock, electronic—the converted M4A files sounded excellent through both consumer headphones and studio monitors.

The practical difference: if you're listening through AirPods, car speakers, or computer speakers, you won't notice any quality loss. Professional audio engineers working in treated studios might detect subtle differences. For everyday listening, AAC at 256 kbps is sonically transparent.

When to Choose a Different Format

M4A isn't always the best choice. Consider these alternatives:

  • FLAC to MP3 – When you need maximum compatibility across all devices, not just Apple. MP3 works everywhere, though AAC offers better quality at the same bitrate.
  • FLAC to WAV – When you need uncompressed audio for professional editing. WAV is universally supported by audio software but creates very large files.
  • FLAC to AAC – If you specifically want the AAC codec without the M4A container. Some devices prefer raw AAC files.

For Apple ecosystem use, M4A remains the optimal choice.

Batch Conversion for Large Collections

Have hundreds of FLAC albums to convert? Our converter handles batch processing efficiently. Upload multiple files and convert them all at once—no need to process each track individually.

This is particularly useful when migrating an entire music library to Apple-compatible formats. In our testing, batch conversion maintained consistent quality across all files while significantly reducing the total time compared to converting files one by one.

Works on Any Device

The irony of converting files for Apple compatibility? You can do the conversion from any device:

  • Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
  • Android phones and tablets
  • Even iPhone and iPad (then import the M4A directly)

Everything runs in your browser. The converted files download locally—your audio never needs to leave your device.

Pro Tip

Keep your original FLAC files as the master archive. Convert copies to M4A for Apple devices. If you ever need to create a different format in the future, you can re-convert from the lossless FLAC source without any generational quality loss.

Common Mistake

Converting FLAC to M4A and then deleting the original FLAC files. AAC is excellent quality, but it's still lossy. Once you discard the FLAC, you can't recover that lossless quality. Always keep your lossless originals backed up.

Best For

Music collectors who have FLAC libraries but use iPhone, iPad, or Mac as their primary listening devices. Convert your collection to M4A for seamless integration with iTunes, Apple Music, AirPlay, HomePod, and CarPlay.

Not Recommended

If you're a professional audio engineer working with source files for mixing or mastering, keep using FLAC or WAV. M4A is for final listening copies, not production work where you need every bit of original audio data.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is some technical quality loss since FLAC is lossless and M4A uses AAC compression. However, at 256 kbps, the difference is inaudible to most listeners. In blind tests, most people cannot distinguish between FLAC and high-bitrate AAC through standard audio equipment.

Apple has never supported FLAC playback in iTunes or the Apple Music app. Apple developed their own lossless codec (ALAC) instead. Converting FLAC to M4A makes your files fully compatible with iTunes and all Apple devices.

AAC is the audio codec (compression method). M4A is the container format (file wrapper). M4A files typically contain AAC-encoded audio. Think of AAC as the content and M4A as the package it comes in.

If you specifically need lossless quality in an Apple-compatible format, you would need to convert FLAC to ALAC (Apple Lossless). Our converter creates M4A files with AAC encoding, which offers excellent quality in much smaller file sizes.

M4A files are typically 60-80% smaller than FLAC. A 40 MB FLAC file converts to roughly 8-12 MB in M4A format at 256 kbps, with no perceptible quality difference for most listeners.

Yes. M4A files in your Apple Music or iTunes library play through CarPlay just like any other music. Once converted and imported, your files work seamlessly with all Apple ecosystem features.

Yes. Our converter works in Safari on iPhone. Convert your FLAC files, download the M4A, then import it to your Apple Music library using the Files app or iTunes on a computer.

The conversion preserves audio content. Metadata and album art may need to be re-added in iTunes after import. iTunes can automatically fetch album artwork for recognized albums.

M4A is the better choice for iPhone. It's Apple's native format and provides better audio quality than MP3 at the same file size. MP3 is only preferable if you also need the files to work on older devices that don't support AAC.

Yes. Upload multiple FLAC files and convert them all simultaneously. This is efficient for converting entire albums or migrating a music collection to Apple-compatible format.

FLAC is better for archiving because it's completely lossless—you can always convert to other formats later without any quality loss. Keep your FLAC originals as the archive, and use M4A copies for daily listening on Apple devices.

FLAC is an open-source, royalty-free format that provides perfect lossless compression. Audiophiles and music collectors prefer it because it preserves exact CD quality. Android devices, Windows, and many music players support FLAC natively—only Apple's ecosystem excludes it.

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