How to convert ffmpeg 24 bit flac to 16 bit alac?

Question

I was needing help with the command to turn a 24 bit flac to 16 bit alac.

To turn 24 bit flac to 16 bit flac:

ffmpeg -i input.flac -sample_fmt s16 -ar 48000 output.flac

To turn flac to alac:

ffmpeg -i input.flac -vn -acodec alac output.m4a

I could try to pipe, but was wondering if there was anyway to marry these together into wedded bliss?

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 11 '21 at 16:40

Use:

ffmpeg input.flac -sample_fmt s16p -ar 48000 -c:a alac output.m4a

ALAC requires a planar sample format (s16p) in which each channel data is in its own plane, instead of the regular, packed s16 format.

When you run the two commands separately, ffmpeg will helpfully convert s16 to s16p for you.

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