If you have purchased music on iTunes or subscribed to Apple Music, you will know that the audio format of both iTunes music purchased and Apple Music streamed by default is AAC. To enhance the experience of users, Apple Music launched Apple Music Lossless (ALAC) in 2021.
You may be curious about Apple Lossless vs. AAC: which audio format sounds better? In this article, we will show you the meanings of AAC and ALAC, and the differences between AAC and ALAC. Keep reading!
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What is Apple AAC Format?
AAC is short for Advanced Audio Coding, it is an audio file formats that provide a better sound quality as compared to MP3’s similar bit rates of compression. People also prefer AAC due to its performance, which enables it to produce clear and high-quality audio even when at a lower bit rate. This feature makes it ideal for streaming or storing.
Apple considerably contributed to the popularization of AAC with its iTunes software and later with Apple Music service. AAC was thus adopted as the standard encoding format of music marketed through the iTunes Store and provided improved sound quality. Also, it is natively supported in other Apple devices such as iPods, iPhones, and iPads, which puts the codec in place and increases its use.
Even today, AAC is one of the most popular and demanded audio formats not only for devices of Apple but also for other platforms and streaming services due to the combination of the quality and the size of files.
What is Apple Lossless Format (ALAC)?
Apple Lossless (ALAC) stands for Apple Lossless Audio Codec, which is a format created by Apple Inc. Unlike AAC or MP3 formats which lose some of the quality of the audio to get the smaller size, ALAC compresses the data but does not remove any of the data. That means that the quality is as high as the original.
Developed in 2004, Apple wholly owned the Apple Lossless Audio Codec and used it to encode iTunes and iPod content until late in 2011 when it was released as a royalty-free open source. Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Apple Music Lossless Audio are coming to Apple Music subscribers beginning June 2021. This movement enables users to store their music in small sizes with minimal loss in quality.
Since ALAC was developed by Apple, ALAC is compatible with Apple devices. ALAC offers a balance between a lossless format and a smaller file size, focusing on clear and high-quality audio for digital music users, especially those with Apple products.
AAC VS ALAC: What's the Difference?
After getting to know AAC and ALAC, you may be wondering what's the difference between AAC and ALAC. In this part, you will get the answer in detail.
Information Compression
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is a lossy audio format and it is defined to compress the audio up to a higher extent as compared to MP3 but with reasonably good quality. It does this by shedding some of the audible information that is less conspicuous to the human ear, primarily aiming to compress file size for smooth streaming and storage.
On the other hand, ALAC abbreviated as Apple Lossless Audio Codec is a lossless audio format that is a compression of information from audio data. ALAC manages to reach about 50% of the data size of the input file and is recommended for those who care about sound quality rather than file size.
Audio Quality
AAC gives pretty good audio quality at relatively low bit rates, which makes it ideal for streaming and the like. It can reproduce almost all CD-quality sound and thus it is used extensively for web-based music distribution and Internet radio.
ALAC, it could be mentioned, is a lossless codec and hence retains the sound characteristics of the original recording. The media functions as a perfect, signal-faithful copy of the audio source and does not lose any quality. As such, it makes ALAC suitable for the use of avid listeners, music producers, and anyone whose primary desire is to have the best quality of their music files.
File Size
AAC files, in general, are smaller in size than the same-quality ALAC files. This makes AAC preferable to stream over low bandwidth and for keeping a huge number of music libraries in devices with low storage space.
However, ALAC files are somewhat larger than those in other lossless formats, but even here compression is better than in, for example, AAC, WAV, or AIFF. This is a balance between the quality of the product and the ability to store large materials. Thus, it can be reasonable only if the user has a large amount of storage space or if he is willing to pay extra attention to the audio quality.
Compatibility
AAC is inherently compatible with devices and streams other than Apple – Android devices, Windows PCs, and casting services. Originally, supported natively by almost all contemporary audio players and software.
ALAC is specifically supported natively by Apple and its products: iTunes, Apple Music, and all Apple devices. Although it could be used with other devices through emulation or conversion software and ripping programs, it is created and is compatible most efficiently with other Apple devices.
FAQs About AAC vs. ALAC
How to view the encoder of audio tracks?
The file extension of both AAC and ALAC is .m4a, which makes it really hard to distinguish AAC from ALAC, if you see a list of Apple Music songs on your computer, all of them with the same .m4a file extensions. Here is the guide for you to learn how to view the encoder of audio tracks:
Step 1: Open "iTunes" on your computer.
Step 2: Select "View Options > Show Columns > Kind".
Step 3: When "the Kind column is enabled", you will visually know which ones have been encoded with AAC or ALAC.
Can I download purchased music as ALAC files from iTunes?
No, iTunes downloads the AAC files. If you are an Apple Music subscriber, you can set the streaming quality as ALAC, and then find the songs you want directly on Apple Music and download them. It's worth mentioning that Apple Music songs are DRM-protected and can only be listened to in the Apple Music app.
Therefore, if you want to download and save lossless music, it's recommended to use a professional third-party download tool like TuneFab Apple Music Converter, to directly download the music as a lossless WAV/FLAC local file on your device for further offline playback.
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Summary
After reading the article, you have learned what AAC/ALAC is, and the differences between AAC and ALAC. But, which audio format sounds better? It depends on your needs: AAC is ideal for everyday listening, streaming services, and casual listeners, while ALAC is suitable for archiving music collections and those who want the best possible sound reproduction. Now, you can make up your mind based on your needs, and feel free to enjoy your beloved music!
