True peak explained: why −1 dBTP
A master can peak at −0.1 dB on your meter and still clip on Spotify. The reason is true peak — the level between samples. Here is what it is and how to keep it under control.
Sample peak and true peak
A digital file stores the waveform as samples. A sample peak meter reports the largest sample value. But the analogue waveform rebuilt from those samples is a smooth curve, and between two samples it can rise higher than either of them. That higher point is the true peak, measured in dBTP.
Heavily limited masters are full of these inter-sample peaks: the limiter holds every sample at −0.1 dBFS, while the curve between them goes over 0.
Why it matters on streaming services
Listeners rarely hear your WAV. Streaming services deliver lossy versions — AAC, Ogg Vorbis, Opus — and encoding changes the waveform slightly. Peaks that were just under 0 in the WAV can land above 0 after decoding and clip: a short, harsh crackle on transients, more noticeable on bright, dense mixes.
| Who | Ceiling |
|---|---|
| Spotify | below −1 dBTP; below −2 dBTP if the master is louder than −14 LUFS |
| Apple (Apple Digital Masters) | not above −1 dBTP at the encoder input |
| EBU R 128 (broadcast) | −1 dBTP |
Sources: Spotify for Artists, "Loudness normalization"; Apple, "Apple Digital Masters"; EBU R 128. Checked 29 September 2026.
How true peak is measured
ITU-R BS.1770 defines the method: the signal is oversampled, at least four times, and the peak is read from the oversampled version. That reconstructs most of the curve between samples. Meters that do not oversample can under-read by a dB or more on dense material.
How to keep it under the ceiling
Use a true-peak limiter as the last stage, set to −1 dBTP — it oversamples internally and catches overshoots a sample-peak limiter misses.
Push less. The louder the master, the more overshoot. Streaming services turn loud masters down anyway, so the last decibel of loudness usually buys nothing.
Check the file you release, not the project. A final MP3 or AAC made from the WAV can have a higher true peak than the WAV itself.
Check yours
The free LUFS checker shows true peak next to loudness. Echoteka masters every track through an oversampling true-peak limiter with a −1 dBTP ceiling and reports true peak before and after. Targets by service: streaming loudness targets.
Is −1 dBTP always enough?
For most masters around −14 LUFS, yes. Spotify recommends −2 dBTP for masters louder than −14 LUFS, because louder, denser material overshoots more when encoded.
My DAW meter says −0.1 dB. Why is true peak above 0?
A sample peak meter reads only the sample values. The waveform between samples can go higher. A true-peak meter oversamples the signal to find those peaks.
Can I just lower the gain by 1 dB?
Yes, that fixes true peak, but it also makes the track 1 dB quieter. A true-peak limiter keeps the loudness and only catches the overshoots.
Does Echoteka control true peak?
Yes. Every master goes through an oversampling true-peak limiter with a −1 dBTP ceiling, and the report shows true peak before and after.