Convert Apple Lossless ALAC files to MP3 that play on Android, car stereos and any player. Upload files up to 20GB and download the converted result in a few clicks.
Drag & Drop your ALAC file here
ALAC files, up to 20GB
Files stay private.
Automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Link
20GB upload limit.
4.8/5
Trusted for 1,827,796+ conversions
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps, no account, nothing to install.
01
Upload your ALAC files
Drag in Apple Lossless files from your Music library, a hi-res download or a CD rip.
02
Convert to MP3
Start the conversion. The lossless audio is encoded with LAME at VBR V2, and iTunes tags and artwork move into ID3 tags.
03
Download the MP3
Download each track, or the whole album as a ZIP.
ALAC
ALAC, Apple Lossless, compresses audio without losing a single sample, at about half the size of WAV.
MP3
MP3 is the most widely supported compressed audio format, playing on virtually every phone, car stereo and computer.
FILE FORMATS
SOURCE
Apple Lossless Audio Codec was released in 2004 and made open source in 2011. It shrinks audio to roughly 50 to 60% of the WAV size with no quality loss, and Apple Music uses it for lossless and hi-res streaming. ALAC usually lives inside .m4a files, and support outside Apple devices is narrower than for MP3.
TARGET
MPEG-1 Audio Layer III has been the universal music format since the 1990s. It compresses audio by removing sounds the ear is unlikely to hear, so a song takes a few megabytes instead of tens. ID3 tags carry the title, artist and album art, and every phone, browser, car stereo and editor plays it.
| Feature | ALAC | MP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Developed by | Apple | MPEG (Fraunhofer) |
| File extension | .alac, .m4a | .mp3 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Size vs uncompressed WAV | About 1/2 | About 1/7 to 1/10 |
| Tags and cover art | iTunes tags and cover art | ID3 tags and cover art |
| Best for | Lossless music in Apple apps | Music and podcasts everywhere |
| Plays on phones and browsers | Apple devices; some players | Yes |
USE CASES
When a smaller, universal MP3 is more useful than the lossless original.
Play Apple Lossless on Android
Android phones and many players don't play ALAC. MP3 copies play everywhere.
Fit a lossless library on a phone
An MP3 takes roughly a third of the space of ALAC, so far more music fits.
Load music into a car
Many car stereos and USB sticks only read MP3.
Use music in a Windows app
Windows apps and older players often skip ALAC files.
Share a track with a friend
Send an MP3 that opens on any device instead of a large lossless file.
Feed a DJ or fitness app
Many DJ and workout apps import MP3 more reliably than ALAC.
Convert hi-res downloads for everyday use
24-bit, 96 kHz ALAC is great for archiving but overkill for earbuds.
Make a road-trip USB
Put MP3s from an ALAC collection on a stick for any car.
Upload to a website or podcast
Most upload forms expect MP3.
Keep a lossless master and a portable copy
Archive the ALAC and carry MP3s.
SUPPORTED FILES
Apple Lossless audio at any common bit depth and sample rate is supported.
16-bit, 44.1 kHz rips from iTunes or the Music app.
24-bit files at 48, 96 or 192 kHz from studio downloads, resampled to 48 kHz or 44.1 kHz for MP3.
This page takes files with the .alac extension. ALAC is more often stored in .m4a files, which you can convert through dragdropdo's other audio tools.
Embedded cover art and iTunes tags are carried into the MP3.
Upload every track and download the MP3s together as a ZIP.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Most surprises come from the lossless-to-lossy step.
01
This page takes .alac files. Apple Lossless saved as .m4a needs an M4A converter instead.
02
MP3 can't store rates above 48 kHz. The audible range is unaffected.
03
MP3 adds a few milliseconds of padding. Gapless-capable players hide it.
04
Only tags embedded in the file carry over. Ratings and play counts live in your library, not in the file.
05
MP3 is lossy. Keep the ALAC for archiving and critical listening.
06
Copy-protected tracks can't be decoded. ALAC files you ripped or bought DRM-free convert normally.
Audacity, foobar2000, fre:ac and Apple's Music app can all convert audio once they are installed and set up. dragdropdo is built for turning ALAC into MP3 quickly, from any device.
| What matters | dragdropdo | Desktop Audio Converters |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to install | ✓Yes. Runs in any modern browser. | ~Yes, a download, and sometimes an extra encoder or codec. |
| Works on phones and tablets | ✓Yes. Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad. | ~Mostly desktop only. |
| Batch conversion | ✓Yes. Add many files and download one ZIP. | ~Varies. foobar2000 and fre:ac batch well; Audacity needs macros. |
| Share finished files | ✓Yes. Send a unique link from the result page. | ~You upload and share the files yourself. |
| Pricing | ✓Free with daily limits. $2.99 or $6.99 passes for unlimited use, no monthly plan. | ~Mostly free (Audacity, foobar2000, fre:ac). |
| Choosing bitrate and settings | ✓Fixed, high-quality settings chosen for MP3. | ~Yes. Most let you choose bitrate, sample rate and channels. |
Other tools use different pricing, limits and workflows. This comparison describes dragdropdo's own features without assuming every other tool works the same way.
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WHY DRAGDROPDO
Convert ALAC to MP3 in your browser, with nothing to install and nothing kept after 24 hours.
Private by default
Files are encrypted in transit and deleted from our servers automatically after 24 hours.
No install required
Convert in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone or iPad. No app and no sign-up wall.
Big files and batches
Upload files up to 20GB each, add several at once, and download the results one by one or as a ZIP.
Share & download
Save finished files to your device or pass them on with a share link from the result page.
FAQ
Answers to common questions about dragdropdo's ALAC to MP3 converter.
