| 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 uses 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 is capable of compressing audio data with a compression ratio of 2:1 to 4:1, resulting in high-quality audio files that take up less storage space. ALAC files are typically encoded with a .m4a file extension, which is the same file extension used for AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) files.
ALAC is primarily used by Apple devices such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, as well as in the iTunes software on Mac and Windows. It is also supported by a number of other media players and devices, although it is not as widely supported as some other audio codecs such as MP3 or AAC. ALAC is an open-source codec, and the source code is available to developers who wish to incorporate ALAC support into their own software. |
