True Peak Calculator
Use the free True Peak Calculator to estimate inter-sample peaks, check available peak headroom, and calculate the gain reduction needed for streaming, podcasts, broadcast, and lossless audio.
True Peak Calculator
Estimate reconstructed true peaks, compare them with a selected ceiling, calculate available headroom, and receive practical limiter guidance for streaming, podcasts, broadcast, and lossless audio.
1. Choose Your Delivery Target
Select a true-peak reference2. Enter Your Current Measurements
Use values from your peak meter3. Choose Your Audio Profile
Refines the peak estimateTrue Peak Recommendation
The results estimate possible inter-sample peaks and the output adjustment needed to remain below the selected true-peak ceiling.
What This Means
Mastering Guidance
Advanced Recommendation
Understanding LUFS
True Peak estimates the highest level your audio can reach after digital-to-analog conversion or lossy encoding. Understanding true peak helps prevent clipping, preserve audio quality, and improve playback consistency across streaming platforms and playback devices.
What Is True Peak?
True Peak measures the highest reconstructed level of your audio after playback or encoding rather than only the individual digital samples. Because audio is reconstructed into a continuous waveform during playback, the actual signal can briefly exceed the recorded sample values. True peak is measured in dBTP (Decibels True Peak).
Sample Peak vs True Peak
Sample Peak measures the highest individual digital sample in your audio, while True Peak estimates the highest level of the reconstructed waveform. A master can remain below 0 dBFS while still producing true peaks above the intended ceiling after conversion or compression.
Inter-Sample Peaks
Inter-sample peaks are signal peaks that occur between recorded digital samples. They cannot always be detected by traditional peak meters but may appear after digital-to-analog conversion or lossy encoding. This is one of the main reasons mastering engineers monitor true peak instead of relying only on sample peak measurements.
Why Is True Peak Important?
Monitoring true peak helps reduce the risk of clipping, distortion, and unexpected overloads during playback or encoding. It also improves compatibility across streaming services, podcasts, broadcast platforms, and different playback devices while maintaining a cleaner final master.
True Peak Ceiling
A True Peak Ceiling is the maximum reconstructed peak level you allow during mastering. Many engineers choose ceilings around -1.0 dBTP for streaming distribution to provide additional headroom before audio is encoded, although the most appropriate ceiling may vary depending on the destination and workflow.
True Peak and Streaming
How to Use the True Peak Calculator
Use the True Peak Calculator by entering your current peak measurements and selecting the delivery target that best matches your intended distribution. The calculator estimates your reconstructed true peak level, compares it with your selected ceiling, and calculates the output adjustment that may be needed to maintain sufficient headroom.
Step 1: Select Your Delivery Target
Choose the destination that best matches your final master, such as Streaming, Podcast, Broadcast, Lossless, or a Custom target. Each preset uses a practical true peak ceiling and safety margin based on common mastering workflows.
Step 2: Enter Your Current Measurements
Enter your maximum Sample Peak value. If you already know your measured True Peak from a dedicated meter, you can enter that as well for a more accurate calculation. If no measured value is available, the calculator estimates the true peak using your selected settings.
Step 3: Choose Your Audio Profile
Select the profile that best describes your master.
– Dynamic – Preserves transient detail and wider dynamics.
– Balanced – A versatile option suitable for most music.
– Dense / Loud – Optimized for louder masters with increased peak density.
Step 4: Enable Advanced Settings
Enable the advanced options to customize the calculation for your mastering workflow. You can adjust sample rate, oversampling, encoding, safety margin, limiter behavior, and calculation priority for a more refined estimate.
Step 5: Review Your Results
Review your estimated true peak, required gain adjustment, peak headroom, inter-sample peak risk, and limiter recommendation. Use these values as guidance and verify your final master with a dedicated true peak meter.
Dit vult de kaarten beter zonder zo’n grote lap tekst en blijft duidelijk.
Recommended True Peak Levels
Choosing an appropriate true peak ceiling helps reduce the risk of clipping after encoding while maintaining consistent playback quality across different platforms and devices. The ideal value depends on where your audio will be distributed and how much safety margin you want to preserve during mastering.
Streaming Platforms
A ceiling of approximately -1.0 dBTP is commonly used for streaming releases because it provides additional headroom for lossy encoding and helps reduce the chance of reconstructed peaks exceeding the intended output level.
Podcasts
Podcast productions often use a true peak ceiling around -1.0 dBTP to maintain clean speech while minimizing the risk of clipping during encoding and playback across different podcast platforms.
Broadcast
Broadcast workflows frequently follow technical delivery specifications that include true peak limits. Depending on the broadcaster or standard, the required ceiling may vary, so always confirm the delivery requirements before exporting.
Lossless Masters
When exporting lossless files that will not be encoded further, some engineers choose ceilings closer to -0.3 dBTP. However, additional headroom may still be beneficial depending on the intended playback system and future distribution.
Extra Safe Masters
For projects that may undergo multiple encoding stages or uncertain distribution, using a ceiling around -2.0 dBTP provides additional protection against reconstructed peaks while preserving clean playback.
Sample Peak vs True Peak
Sample Peak and True Peak are closely related measurements, but they describe different aspects of your audio signal. Understanding the difference helps you make better mastering decisions and reduce the risk of clipping after encoding or playback.
Sample Peak
Sample Peak measures the highest individual digital sample in an audio file and is expressed in dBFS (Decibels Full Scale). Traditional peak meters display this value, making it useful for monitoring recording levels and preventing digital clipping during production.
However, sample peak meters only measure the stored digital samples. They cannot detect peaks that occur between those samples after the waveform is reconstructed during playback.
True Peak
True Peak estimates the highest level of the reconstructed analog waveform and is measured in dBTP (Decibels True Peak). Because it analyzes the signal between digital samples, it can detect inter-sample peaks that are invisible to standard sample peak meters.
This makes true peak measurement especially valuable during mastering, where maintaining sufficient headroom helps reduce the risk of clipping after encoding or digital-to-analog conversion.
Understanding the Calculator Controls
The True Peak Calculator includes several settings that influence how the estimated true peak is calculated. Understanding what each control does helps you interpret the results more accurately and adapt the calculation to different mastering workflows.
Delivery Target
Choose the destination that best matches your final master. Each preset applies a practical true peak ceiling and safety margin commonly used for that type of distribution.
Sample Peak
Enter the highest sample peak measured in your audio file. This serves as the starting point for estimating the reconstructed true peak.
Measured True Peak
If you have already measured your audio with a dedicated true peak meter, you can enter the value here. The calculator will use this measurement instead of estimating the true peak from the sample peak.
Audio Profile
Select the profile that best matches your master. Dynamic preserves transients, Balanced suits most productions, and Dense / Loud is intended for louder masters.
Sample Rate
Higher sample rates can slightly reduce the difference between sample peak and reconstructed true peak. Select the sample rate that matches your exported audio.
Meter Oversampling
Oversampling improves the accuracy of true peak estimation by analyzing additional points between digital samples. Higher oversampling generally provides a more reliable estimate of inter-sample peaks.
Delivery Encoding
Different encoding formats can affect reconstructed peak levels. Choose the encoding method that best matches your intended distribution.
Safety Margin
Adds additional headroom below the selected true peak ceiling to provide extra protection against clipping during encoding and playback.
Limiter Behavior
Choose how aggressively the limiter is expected to control peaks. This setting refines the recommendation without replacing an actual limiter measurement.
Calculation Priority
Mastering Tips for Better True Peak Control
Keeping your true peak under control is about more than simply lowering the limiter ceiling. A balanced mastering approach helps preserve audio quality while reducing the risk of clipping after encoding and playback.
Leave Enough Headroom
Avoid pushing your limiter to the absolute maximum. A small amount of headroom provides extra protection against inter-sample peaks and unexpected level increases during encoding.
Use a True Peak Limiter
Not all limiters measure true peak levels. Using a limiter with true peak detection can help control reconstructed peaks more accurately than relying on sample peak measurements alone.
Check After Encoding
Lossy formats such as AAC or MP3 can introduce new inter-sample peaks. If possible, verify the encoded version of your master to ensure it still meets your intended true peak ceiling.
Balance Loudness and Dynamics
Increasing loudness often raises true peak levels. Instead of chasing maximum volume, aim for a balance between loudness, dynamics, and clean playback.