Convert Core Audio Format (.caf) to Apple Lossless Audio Codec (.alac) online for free. Fast, secure audio conversion with no watermarks or registration.
Upload your .caf file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.
Click Convert and download your .m4a file when it's ready.
CAF (Core Audio Format) is Apple's professional container supporting any audio codec and unlimited file sizes. ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) stores lossless compressed audio in M4A containers, natively supported by every Apple device. CAF may contain PCM, AAC, ALAC, IMA4, or other codecs; ALAC specifically provides lossless compression in the universally playable M4A format.
Converting CAF to ALAC extracts the audio, decodes to PCM if necessary, and re-encodes losslessly into an M4A container. This transforms professional macOS recordings into Apple's universal lossless distribution format.
CAF files are limited to macOS Core Audio applications. ALAC in M4A plays natively on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, Apple TV, and in iTunes/Apple Music. Converting CAF to ALAC makes your professional recordings universally playable across the entire Apple ecosystem.
ALAC in M4A also provides better metadata support for music libraries — album art, lyrics, chapter markers, and iTunes-specific tags that CAF does not support in the same way. For distributing professional recordings as music files, ALAC/M4A is the standard format.
FFmpeg reads the CAF container, decodes the enclosed audio to PCM, and encodes using the ALAC encoder (-c:a alac) into an M4A container. From PCM-in-CAF, the conversion is lossless (PCM→ALAC is mathematically lossless). From ALAC-in-CAF, the ALAC stream can potentially be copied directly. From lossy codecs in CAF, the decoded audio is captured at its current quality level and preserved losslessly by ALAC.
From PCM or ALAC in CAF, the conversion is perfectly lossless — the ALAC output preserves every sample. From lossy codecs in CAF, ALAC preserves the full decoded quality without any additional loss. ALAC compression reduces file size by 40-60% compared to raw PCM while maintaining bit-perfect audio.
| Device | CAF | ALAC |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Partial |
| macOS | Partial | Native |
| iPhone/iPad | Partial | Native |
| Android | Partial | Partial |
| Linux | Partial | Partial |
| Web Browser | No |
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 320 kbps
OGG Vorbis preferred
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 256 kbps
AAC format required
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 128 kbps
Lossless FLAC/WAV for best quality
Resolution: N/A
Bitrate: 128 kbps
MP3 mono for spoken word
CAF to ALAC transforms macOS-only professional audio into Apple's universal lossless format. Quality is preserved losslessly from uncompressed or ALAC sources.
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| No |
| Funktion | CAF | ALAC |
|---|---|---|
| Fullstandigt namn | Core Audio Format | Apple Lossless Audio Codec |
| Filandelse | .caf | .m4a |
| Bast for | Apple native | Lossless |