FLAC to M4A Converter
Convert FLAC to M4A free — no upload, no signup
To convert FLAC to M4A, drop your FLAC audio files into the box below and click Convert. Fylo converts with ffmpeg running inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded and there's no signup or watermark. Make FLAC albums play on iPhones and iTunes.
Drop audio files here
or tap to browse · paste with Ctrl+V · add many at once
Your files never leave your device
Advanced
How to convert FLAC to M4A
Add your FLAC files
Drag and drop FLAC files into the box or tap to choose them. The converter engine (about 31 MB) downloads once, the first time you convert.
Pick a bitrate
192 kbps suits music and 128 kbps or less suits speech. Sample rate and mono/stereo are under Advanced.
Convert and download
Click Convert, then download each M4A file or all of them as one ZIP.
Why convert FLAC to M4A?
Apple Music and older iPhones don't play FLAC. AAC in M4A is Apple's native format.
What happens when you convert FLAC to M4A?
Fylo encodes AAC at 160 kbps (choose 256 kbps for music) in M4A, around 85% smaller.
How does Fylo convert FLAC to M4A?
Fylo decodes the FLAC audio in the FLAC with ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly and encodes it with FFmpeg's AAC encoder at 160 kbps inside an MPEG-4 (M4A) container. Going from lossless to lossy is where the big saving happens: a 3-minute song is ≈ 18–24 MB as FLAC but ≈ 3.6 MB at 160 kbps as M4A. The original sample rate and channel layout are kept unless you change them under Advanced.
What's the difference between FLAC and M4A?
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) was released in 2001 and later maintained by the Xiph.Org Foundation. It compresses PCM audio like a ZIP file compresses data: nothing is thrown away, so a FLAC decodes to exactly the same samples as the source WAV, typically at 50–70% of the size.
M4A is an MPEG-4 container that holds only audio — usually AAC, or Apple Lossless (ALAC). Apple popularised the extension with the iTunes Store in 2003; iPhone Voice Memos and many podcasts also use it. Audiobooks often use the related .m4b extension.
Learn more: FLAC format guide · M4A format guide
| Property | FLAC | M4A |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy (AAC) or lossless (ALAC) |
| Typical bitrate | ≈ 700–1,100 kbps | 128–256 kbps |
| 3-minute song | ≈ 18–24 MB | ≈ 3.6 MB at 160 kbps |
| Tags and cover art | Yes (with cover art) | Yes (full, with cover art) |
| Compatibility | Android, Windows 10+, macOS, most players and hi-fi gear | Apple devices, Android, Windows 10+, browsers |
| Best for | Archiving music without quality loss | iTunes/Apple Music libraries, voice memos, audiobooks |
| Introduced | 2001 | 2003 |
Frequently asked questions
Can iPhones play FLAC?
The Files app can, but Apple Music needs ALAC or AAC.
What bitrate for music?
256 kbps matches what Apple Music uses.
Is my FLAC file uploaded to a server?
No. Fylo runs ffmpeg, the same engine used by professional video tools, compiled to WebAssembly inside your browser. Your FLAC file is read directly from your device and never sent anywhere.
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