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.

Sources & Verification

• →
  ITU-R BS.1770-4, Annex 2 — True-peak level meter
  International Telecommunication Union, 2015
  https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BS.1770
• →
  EBU Tech 3341 — Loudness Metering: 'EBU Mode' metering to supplement loudness normalisation in accordance with EBU R 128
  European Broadcasting Union, 2016
  https://tech.ebu.ch/publications/tech3341
• →
  Intersample peaks in digital audio (convention paper)
  Audio Engineering Society
  https://www.aes.org

Last verified: 2026-04-25

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