True peak meter online: free LUFS and true peak checker
How it works
1. Drop a file: WAV, MP3 or FLAC up to 50 MB. 
2. Wait for the analysis: LUFS loudness, peaks and dynamics. 
3. Check the report against the platform loudness targets. 
4. Fix the track in mastering and check it again.
What you get: Integrated LUFS loudness, true peak and dynamics with advice.
A true peak meter reads the highest level of the waveform between the samples, in dBTP. Drop a WAV, MP3, FLAC or AAC file to read true peak next to integrated LUFS, momentary maximum and loudness range. Free, no sign-up, nothing to install.
What the checker measures
The free check gives the first five rows below. The full report in the lab adds the rest, before and after mastering.
| Reading | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Integrated loudness, LUFS | How loud the whole track sounds — the number streaming services normalize to |
| True peak, dBTP | The highest level between samples; above −1 dBTP, MP3 and AAC versions can distort |
| Momentary max, LUFS | The loudest moment, measured in 0.4-second windows — usually the chorus or the drop |
| Loudness range, LU | How much the loudness moves between quiet and loud parts |
| Streaming check | Whether the track sits near the Spotify (−14 LUFS) and YouTube (about −14, measured) levels, or the Apple Music (about −16, measured) and podcast (−16 LUFS, Apple's spec) levels |
| Sample peak, dBFS | The highest sample value; can read lower than true peak |
| Crest factor, dB | Gap between peaks and average level; small numbers mean a heavily limited track |
| Stereo correlation | +1 is mono-like, near 0 is very wide, below 0 can cancel on a mono speaker |
How to read your result
Around −14 LUFS, true peak below −1 dBTP — ready for streaming as it is. Spotify, YouTube, TIDAL and Amazon Music play it at, or close to, its own level.
Louder than −10 LUFS — streaming services will turn it down by 4 dB or more. It will not sound louder than other tracks there, only more compressed. If true peak is above −2 dBTP as well, the lossy versions may distort.
Quieter than −18 LUFS — normal for classical, jazz and ambient. On services that do not turn quiet tracks up, it will simply play quieter than the playlist around it.
True peak above 0 dBTP — the file already clips when it is converted to analogue or encoded. This is worth fixing before release, whatever the loudness.
Integrated, momentary and short-term LUFS
A loudness meter shows three readings, and they answer different questions. Integrated LUFS is one number for the whole track — the one streaming services use to set playback level. Momentary loudness is measured over 0.4 seconds and short-term over 3 seconds; both move with the music and show how loud the loudest parts get.
That is why a meter in your DAW can read −9 in the chorus while the track as a whole measures −14 LUFS. For release decisions, look at the integrated number and the true peak; the momentary maximum tells you how hard the loudest section is pushed. For a plain-English walk through each reading, see how to read a LUFS meter.
Checking a Suno song before release
Suno exports are usually not too loud: in our measurement of 248 Suno exports the median was −14.3 LUFS, close to the Spotify reference. The weak spot is dynamics — 40% had a loudness range under 5 LU, so verses and choruses play at nearly the same level.
Check the exact file you will upload, WAV or MP3: an MP3 can read a higher true peak than the WAV it came from. If the loudness range is very small or the track sounds harsh, clean the AI artifacts before any limiting.
How the measurement works
Loudness is measured as defined in ITU-R BS.1770 and EBU R 128: the signal is weighted the way the ear hears, and quiet passages below a gate do not pull the average down. True peak is measured on an oversampled signal, so peaks that fall between samples are caught.
The checker takes files up to 50 MB. The file is measured and not kept.
Numbers look off? Master it
If the track is too loud, too quiet or peaks too high, Echoteka can master it to a Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube target with a −1 dBTP ceiling, and shows the same readings before and after. See loudness targets for every platform and true peak explained.
How to read true peak on this meter
The meter reports true peak in dBTP, the level of the waveform the file reconstructs between its samples. It oversamples the file before it reads the peaks, so a peak that falls between two samples is caught. The reading is the highest point in the whole file.
For example, a DAW meter may show −0.3 dBFS on its sample peak while this checker reports −0.1 dBTP. The 0.2 dB gap is the overshoot between samples. At −0.1 dBTP the master is 0.9 dB over the −1 dBTP ceiling used for streaming, so use the reading here, not the DAW number, when you check a master for release.
What the reading means
| Reading | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| At or below −1 dBTP | Meets the ceiling this site uses for streaming masters | Measure the release file itself |
| Above −1 dBTP, up to 0 dBTP | Overshoots the ceiling, though it has not reached full scale | Lower the limiter ceiling and export again |
| Above 0 dBTP | The decoded waveform goes past full scale, so it clips | Re-export with more headroom and measure again |
For masters louder than −14 LUFS, Spotify suggests a lower ceiling of −2 dBTP. The true peak explainer has the details.
Step by step: check a master for true peak
- Export the file you plan to release, not the project and not a preview.
- Drop the file in the checker and read true peak and integrated LUFS together.
- If true peak is above −1 dBTP, lower the output ceiling of your limiter by the overshoot and export again.
- Measure the final MP3 or AAC as well. Encoding can raise the peak, so a WAV that passes may not pass after encoding.
Common problems
- The DAW says it is fine. Many DAW meters read sample peaks only. A true peak meter oversamples, so it reads higher on dense masters.
- The number is high on a mix. A mix bounced with a limiter on the output bus can overshoot before mastering starts. Re-export the mix without it and measure again.
- The checker says you are sending too fast. The checker accepts up to 20 files an hour from one address. Wait a little, or measure the files one at a time.
Related: true peak explained, loudness penalty checker, mastering calculator.
Is the LUFS checker really free?
Yes. The check is free and needs no account. Mastering is free too, once a day with no account; signing up adds 3 bonus masters.
Which file formats can I check?
WAV, MP3, FLAC, AAC/M4A and AIFF (OGG and WebM work too), up to 50 MB per file. Check the file you are about to release: a WAV export and an MP3 made from it can differ in true peak.
Is the result the same as in my DAW meter?
Integrated loudness is measured to the same ITU-R BS.1770 method most loudness meters use, so the numbers should agree within a few tenths of a dB. Short-term and momentary readings in a DAW will move around more.
What should my track measure?
For streaming, about −14 LUFS integrated with true peak below −1 dBTP is a safe single master. Louder is fine if you like the sound, but keep true peak below −2 dBTP.
Does it measure true peak or only sample peak?
True peak. The signal is oversampled before the peak is read, so peaks that fall between samples are caught. Sample peak can read lower than true peak, and it is true peak that tells you whether MP3 and AAC versions will clip.
Is my file uploaded or stored?
The file is sent to our server, measured in memory and discarded. It is not saved, listened to or used for anything else.
How many files can I check?
Up to 20 files an hour from one address, free. That is enough for an album; if you hit the limit, wait a little or master the track in the lab.
Other languages: Deutsch.