ALAC not an available filter?

[Boznian3]

Need to batch convert a subset of my ALAC files to FLAC, but ALAC doesn't even show as an available filter. Options to remedy this?

[Spoon-]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

ALAC would be .m4a

[Boznian3]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

ALAC would be .m4a

Right, but .m4a doesn't mean ALAC. I'm sure you know there are many possible codecs in an m4a container. I don't want to convert already lossy tracks to lossless.

[Spoon-]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Using the file selector is the incorrect way.

Use Batch converter, right click on where it says 'size' on the listing and choose 'Extended properties >> Audio Quality' and sort on this, with the m4a filer enabled. The lossless will appear as Perfect (Lossless).

[Boznian3]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Using the file selector is the incorrect way.

Use Batch converter, right click on where it says 'size' on the listing and choose 'Extended properties >> Audio Quality' and sort on this, with the m4a filer enabled. The lossless will appear as Perfect (Lossless).

Sorry, but I am confused. I must be doing something wrong. I am using Batch Converter; when I select the parent directory of all my music, nothing shows in the right window other than the headers. If I select[List] from the menu bar I get a list of exactly 173 items and I have no idea what these 173 have in common. (There are currently some 4,800 or so songs under this parent directory). How do I get a list of all my songs in order to do the steps you suggest?

[Spoon-]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Which version of dBpoweramp do you have? on which platform?

[Boznian3]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Which version of dBpoweramp do you have? on which platform?

V 17.3 on latest Windows 10

[Spoon-]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Update to last of R17 which is R17.7

then right click on one music track in windows file explorer >> properties

what extension is shown for type of file?

[Boznian3]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Update to last of R17 which is R17.7

then right click on one music track in windows file explorer >> properties

what extension is shown for type of file?

These are all .m4a's

[Spoon-]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Update dBpoweramp, R17.7 can decode m4a for certain.

[Boznian3]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Update dBpoweramp, R17.7 can decode m4a for certain.

I have no problem with it converting .m4a's. Again, what I need is for it to filter and ONLY convert ALAC m4a's. Otherwise I have to sort through and delete all the non-ALAC conversions. Is there a way to have it filter/sort, ONLY convert ALAC tracks.

"Right, but .m4a doesn't mean ALAC. I'm sure you know there are many possible codecs in an m4a container. I don't want to convert already lossy tracks to lossless."

[Spoon-]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Use Batch converter, right click on where it says 'size' on the listing and choose 'Extended properties >> Audio Quality' and sort on this, with the m4a filer enabled. The lossless will appear as Perfect (Lossless).

[Boznian3]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Use Batch converter, right click on where it says 'size' on the listing and choose 'Extended properties >> Audio Quality' and sort on this, with the m4a filer enabled. The lossless will appear as Perfect (Lossless).

I appreciate your quick reply. Kind of back to the initial issue though, which is that this only works within a directory that has music files in it, of which I have around 1,000 directories containing the actual music files. Not really practical to go through and do each directory one by one. I need to be able to select the main directory that contains ALL my individual artist folders and music files, then have it find/select ONLY ALAC files and convert them.

"Sorry, but I am confused. I must be doing something wrong. I am using Batch Converter; when I select the parent directory of all my music, nothing shows in the right window other than the headers."

[Spoon-]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Put a tick mark in the box next to the root folder, click Filter >> exclude all >> click just m4a

Click 'List' then ensure that the column Audio Quality is enabled, then sort on that, right click on list >> uncheck all, select first Lossless one, scroll to last lossless, press shift and click on it, then put a check in any of the selected and they all select.

Click convert

[Boznian3]

Re: ALAC not an available filter?

Put a tick mark in the box next to the root folder, click Filter >> exclude all >> click just m4a

Click 'List' then ensure that the column Audio Quality is enabled, then sort on that, right click on list >> uncheck all, select first Lossless one, scroll to last lossless, press shift and click on it, then put a check in any of the selected and they all select.

Click convert

Yippee! That works! thanks