When comparing Advanced Audio Coding (m4a) vs Free Lossless Audio Codec, the Slant community recommends Advanced Audio Coding (m4a) for most people. In the question“What is the best audio codec for music” Advanced Audio Coding (m4a) is ranked 1st while Free Lossless Audio Codec is ranked 2nd. The most important reason people chose Advanced Audio Coding (m4a) is:
Its MDCT-only compression algorithm makes it very efficient, retaining more data than MP3 at the same bitrate.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Efficient compression
Its MDCT-only compression algorithm makes it very efficient, retaining more data than MP3 at the same bitrate.
Pro FOSS
The FLAC format is free to use and fully open source.
Pro Lossless
Retains all of the original audio data.
Cons
Con Lossy
Loses audio data through compression.
Con Not free
An open standard, but licensing fees apply.
Con Compatibility
Not (yet) compatible with many music player devices, primarily older ones.