Levels & Metering

What is True Peak?

True peak is the actual maximum level of a digital audio signal, including inter-sample peaks that occur between measured sample points and can exceed 0 dBFS during playback.

How It Works

Standard digital peak meters show you the highest sample value in the waveform — but the actual analog waveform that gets reconstructed during playback passes through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that interpolates between samples. When two consecutive samples are both near 0 dBFS, the reconstructed analog waveform can overshoot above 0 dBFS between those sample points. This overshoot is called an inter-sample peak (ISP), and a true peak meter detects it by oversampling the audio (typically 4x) and measuring the interpolated waveform. Inter-sample peaks are not a theoretical curiosity — they cause real audible problems. When a DAC or a lossy codec (MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis) reconstructs a waveform that overshoots 0 dBFS, the result is clipping. This means a mix that shows no clipping on a standard peak meter can still clip on the listener's device or after encoding for streaming. True peak metering catches these overages before they reach the listener. The EBU R128 standard recommends a maximum true peak level of -1 dBTP (dB True Peak) for broadcast content, and this has become the de facto standard for streaming as well. Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other major platforms all recommend or require true peak levels at or below -1 dBTP. Some mastering engineers target -0.5 dBTP or even -0.3 dBTP, but -1 dBTP provides a comfortable safety margin for all codecs and playback systems.

Why It Matters for Your Mix

True peak is the metric that determines whether your master will clip after encoding. Even if your standard peak meter reads -0.3 dBFS and your limiter ceiling is set to -0.1 dBFS, inter-sample peaks can push the actual reconstructed signal above 0 dBFS. When Spotify encodes your track to Ogg Vorbis 320 kbps, those inter-sample peaks may become full-blown clipping artifacts — clicks, distortion, and harshness that were not present in your original WAV file. Setting your limiter's ceiling to -1 dBTP instead of 0 dBFS costs you only 1 dB of potential loudness — a difference that is perceptually negligible — but it guarantees that your track survives encoding and playback intact. It is the simplest, most impactful quality-of-life improvement you can make to your mastering chain, and every professional mastering engineer does it.

Common Mistakes

Using a standard peak meter instead of a true peak meter

Standard peak meters only show the highest sample value and completely miss inter-sample peaks. A track that reads -0.1 dBFS on a standard peak meter can easily reach +1.5 dBTP when measured with a true peak meter. Always use true peak metering for your final master check.

Setting the limiter ceiling to 0 dBFS

A limiter set to 0 dBFS will prevent sample peaks from exceeding that level, but it does nothing about inter-sample peaks between those samples. Set your limiter output to -1 dBTP (or use your limiter's true peak mode if available) to ensure the reconstructed analog signal stays clean.

Ignoring true peak after codec encoding

Even if your WAV master is clean, the encoding process to MP3, AAC, or Ogg can introduce new inter-sample peaks. If you are distributing directly (not through a distributor that handles encoding), encode your master and check the encoded file with a true peak meter to verify it is still clean.

How We Analyze This in Your Mix

RoastYourMix performs 4x oversampled true peak analysis on your uploaded audio to detect inter-sample peaks that standard meters miss. We report the maximum true peak level in dBTP, flag any instances where the reconstructed waveform exceeds -1 dBTP, and identify specific moments in the track where inter-sample clipping is most likely to cause audible artifacts after codec encoding.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Set your limiter ceiling to -1 dBTP. This is the recommendation from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and the EBU R128 standard. It provides enough margin to survive lossy codec encoding (MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis) without introducing inter-sample clipping on playback devices.

Standard peak meters measure individual sample values but miss inter-sample peaks — the points between samples where the reconstructed analog waveform overshoots 0 dBFS. When Spotify encodes your track to Ogg Vorbis, those hidden peaks become audible clipping. A true peak meter and a -1 dBTP ceiling prevent this.

Yes, though it is less critical than for streaming. CDs play back from the uncompressed PCM data, so there is no codec re-encoding to worry about. However, the listener's DAC still reconstructs an analog waveform, and inter-sample peaks can cause distortion in lower-quality CD players. A -0.3 to -1 dBTP ceiling is still good practice.

Related Terms

LUFS (Loudness Units)Clipping

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