How to convert FLAC to Apple Lossless for iTunes playback

This is a tutorial on how to batch convert FLAC audio files to Apple Lossless (ALAC) for playback in iTunes and Apple Music using FFmpeg.

Here's the script I used in PowerShell to do the conversion:

ls -Recurse -Filter "*.flac" | % { ffmpeg.exe -i $_.FullName -c:a alac -c:v copy "$($_.Directory)\$($_.BaseName).m4a" }

The script recursively enumerates each *.flac file underneath the current directory and converts each file to its Apple Lossless (ALAC) equivalent *.m4a file, which is saved as a separate file in the same directory.

If you're interested in converting a single *.flac file at a time, here's the base command:

ffmpeg.exe -i [Input *.flac file path] -c:a alac -c:v copy [Output *.mp4 file path]

Adding the directory containing ffmpeg.exe to the PATH environment variable ensures that ffmpeg.exe is accessible from any directory within PowerShell.

Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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