SAMPLED

Mixing and mastering · updated 2026-08-16

TRUE PEAK

The real analogue peak an inter-sample reconstruction can hit — often higher than your meter's sample peak. Leave around -1 dBTP for lossy encoding.

A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.
Mixing and mastering — A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.

Photo: Solid State Logic (SSL) Matrix Mixing Console at Audio Mix House, Studio C (opens in a new tab) by Audio Mix House (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • The real analogue peak an inter-sample reconstruction can hit — often higher than your meter's sample peak.
  • Leave around -1 dBTP for lossy encoding.
  • Lossy codecs make this worse, so a file that reads 0 dBFS in the DAW can clip a consumer DAC after encoding.
  • Set the final ceiling to −1.0 dBTP so MP3 and AAC encodes stay clean on phones and car systems.
  • Watch out: trusting the sample peak meter.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define true peak in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at true peak in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

TRUE PEAK IN DEPTH

True peak measures the level of the reconstructed analogue waveform between samples, which can exceed the highest sample value. Lossy codecs make this worse, so a file that reads 0 dBFS in the DAW can clip a consumer DAC after encoding.

How it works in practice

Set the final ceiling to −1.0 dBTP so MP3 and AAC encodes stay clean on phones and car systems.

The mistake people make

Trusting the sample peak meter. It cannot see inter-sample overs, which is exactly where codec distortion comes from.

WHERE TRUE PEAK SITS

True peak belongs to mixing and mastering in the Sampled music glossary. The processing vocabulary, plus the loudness standards streaming services actually measure you against.

TEST YOURSELF

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3 quick questions on true peak. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes true peak?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with true peak?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to true peak?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for true peak — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • ITU-R BS.1770 (true-peak metering) (opens in a new tab)

    Treaty-level standards body · International Telecommunication Union

    “The real analogue peak an inter-sample reconstruction can hit — often higher than your meter's sample peak.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: ITU recommendations define the measurement method itself, so the figures here are testable rather than editorial.

  • Apple Digital Masters (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · apple.com

    “Leave around -1 dBTP for lossy encoding.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

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