MPG files contain MPEG-1/MPEG-2 video with MP2 audio — the standard codec pairing for DVDs, Video CDs, and digital TV recordings. ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) provides lossless compression that preserves every decoded sample while achieving roughly 50% file size reduction compared to raw PCM. Converting MPG to ALAC extracts the MP2 audio, decodes it, and re-encodes it losslessly in Apple's format for seamless integration with iTunes, Apple Music, and the wider Apple ecosystem.

ALAC is the native lossless format for Apple's ecosystem. If you want to preserve audio from MPG sources (DVD rips, VHS digitizations, broadcast recordings) in the highest possible quality while keeping files manageable in size and fully compatible with iTunes, Apple Music, iPhone, and HomePod, ALAC is the optimal choice. It avoids the massive file sizes of AIFF while preserving every decoded audio sample.

FFmpeg decodes the MP2 audio from the MPG container to raw PCM, then encodes it using the ALAC codec and wraps it in an M4A (MPEG-4 audio) container. ALAC compression reduces file sizes to approximately 50-70% of the equivalent raw PCM data while guaranteeing bit-perfect reconstruction. The M4A container supports full iTunes metadata including artist, album, artwork, and chapter markers.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Bitrate: 8-12 Mbps

H.264 recommended for fast processing

Resolution: 1080x1080

Bitrate: 3.5 Mbps

Square or 9:16 for Reels

Resolution: 1080x1920

Bitrate: 4 Mbps

9:16 vertical, under 60s ideal

Resolution: 1280x720

Bitrate: 5 Mbps

Under 140s, 512MB max

Resolution: 960x540

Bitrate: 2 Mbps

16MB limit for standard, 64MB for document

Resolution: 1280x720

Bitrate: 4 Mbps

8MB free, 50MB Nitro

Yes, ALAC losslessly preserves the decoded MP2 audio. The only quality limitation comes from the original MP2 compression — ALAC itself introduces zero additional loss.

ALAC files contain only audio (no video) so they are much smaller than the full MPG. Compared to raw PCM, ALAC is roughly half the size. Compared to the original MP2, ALAC is typically 3-5x larger since MP2 is a lossy codec.

Android 3.1+ includes ALAC decoding support. However, FLAC has broader and more reliable support on Android devices and apps.

Both are lossless with identical quality. ALAC integrates better with Apple devices; FLAC is more universal and open-source. Choose based on your primary ecosystem.

DVD chapter markers are in the video stream, not the audio. They will not transfer to the audio-only ALAC output. Chapter markers would need to be manually added in iTunes.

Device	MPG	ALAC
Windows PC	Partial	Partial
macOS	Partial	Native
iPhone/iPad	Partial	Native
Android	Partial	Partial
Linux	Partial	Partial
Web Browser	No	No

Feature	MPG	ALAC
Full Name	MPEG Video	Apple Lossless Audio Codec
Extension	.mpg	.m4a
Best For	Universal support	Lossless

Convert MPG to ALAC — Free Online Converter

About MPG to ALAC Conversion

Why Convert MPG to ALAC?

Common Use Cases

How It Works

Quality & Performance

Device Compatibility

Recommended Settings by Platform

YouTube

Instagram

TikTok

Twitter/X

WhatsApp

Discord

Tips for Best Results

Related Conversions

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Conversions & Tools

Also Convert MPG to

Also Convert to ALAC

Related Tools

Explore More

How to Convert

Convert MPG to other formats

Convert other formats to ALAC

MPG vs ALAC