What is True Peak?

True peak refers to the actual maximum level an audio signal reaches after it is converted from digital to analog during playback. It represents the highest possible peak of the waveform, including peaks that occur between digital samples.

In digital audio systems, meters normally measure sample peaks, which only show the level of individual digital samples. However, when the signal is reconstructed during playback, the waveform between those samples can rise slightly higher than the measured sample values. These higher points are called true peaks.

If a true peak exceeds the maximum allowed level, it can cause distortion when the audio is converted to analog or when it is encoded for formats such as streaming and compressed audio files. This is why mastering engineers often monitor true peak levels when preparing music for distribution.

To control true peaks, producers and mastering engineers often use true peak limiters, which are designed to detect and limit peaks that occur between digital samples. These tools help prevent clipping and ensure that audio plays back cleanly across different playback systems.

True peak measurement and limiting are commonly used during mastering inside digital audio workstations such as Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Logic Pro, where specialized metering plugins allow engineers to monitor and control the final output level of a track.