DynamicsFormats & Resolution
True Peak
Definition
A measurement standard that accounts for intersample peaks — real peak levels occurring during digital-to-analog conversion that can exceed values reported by standard sample peak meters. Expressed as dBTP.
In Simple Terms
The real loudest point in your audio — not what your meter shows, but what actually happens during playback. Set your limiter to -1 dBTP to catch these hidden peaks and prevent distortion on streaming platforms.
In Practice
A true peak limiter is used in mastering to set the ceiling at -1.0 dBTP, ensuring no intersample peaks exceed this level during playback or streaming encoding.