| Extension | .alac |
| Category | audio |
| Description | ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) is a proprietary audio codec developed by Apple Inc. It is a lossless audio compression format that was first introduced in 2004 as a proprietary alternative to FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec). ALAC utilizes a linear prediction algorithm to compress audio data, resulting in an audio file that is approximately half the size of the original, uncompressed audio data. |
| Technical details | ALAC supports up to 24-bit audio data with sample rates ranging from 8 kHz to 192 kHz. It can compress audio data with a compression ratio of 2:1 to 4:1, producing high-quality audio files that require less storage space. ALAC files are typically encoded with a .m4a file extension, which is the same extension used for AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) files. ALAC is mainly used by Apple devices like iPod, iPhone, and iPad, as well as in iTunes software on Mac and Windows. It is also compatible with some other media players and devices, although not as widely supported as other codecs such as MP3 or AAC. ALAC is an open-source codec, and developers can access the source code to integrate ALAC support into their own software. |
