Qualitätskontrolle für Audio-Publishing in WordPressWhat is a good true peak level for a podcast?
Keep the true peak at or below −1 dBTP. That −1 dB of headroom protects against inter-sample overshoots and the extra peaks that MP3 or AAC encoding can introduce.
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What is True Peak (dBTP)?
True Peak is the highest level audio actually reaches between samples. Keep it at or below −1 dBTP to avoid clipping after playback and lossy encoding.
The short answer
True Peak, measured in dBTP (decibels True Peak), is the highest level your audio actually reaches between the digital samples once the waveform is reconstructed for playback. For podcasts and streaming, keep it at or below −1 dBTP so the signal never clips on a listener’s device or after lossy compression.
True peak vs sample peak
A normal peak meter reports the level at each sample point. But the real analogue signal a speaker produces passes through those points, and can overshoot in between — an inter-sample peak. True peak (defined in ITU-R BS.1770) oversamples the signal to estimate that real maximum, so it reflects what actually reaches the listener. That is why true peak is always equal to or higher than the sample peak.
Why −1 dBTP
- Lossy codecs (MP3, AAC) reshape the waveform and can push peaks higher than the original — the headroom absorbs that.
- Playback digital-to-analogue converters can overshoot on inter-sample peaks; −1 dBTP keeps them in the clear.
- It costs almost nothing in perceived loudness, because loudness is governed by LUFS, not by the last decibel of peak.
How AudioLinter helps
AudioLinter reports true peak in dBTP alongside integrated loudness and flags anything above the −1 dBTP ceiling. Its repair workflow targets −16 LUFS / −1 dBTP together, so you fix loudness and protect against clipping in one pass.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between true peak and sample peak?
Sample peak (dBFS) measures the level only at each digital sample. True peak (dBTP) reconstructs the analogue waveform between samples, so it catches inter-sample peaks that a sample-peak meter misses. True peak is always equal to or higher than sample peak.
Why not just peak at 0 dBFS?
A file that reads 0 dBFS on a sample meter can still exceed 0 dB between samples after digital-to-analogue conversion or lossy encoding, which causes clipping and distortion. Leaving −1 dBTP of headroom prevents that.