True Peak vs Sample Peak
Updated July 2026 · by Loopin
A sample peak meter reads the loudest digital sample in your file. A true-peak meter estimates the loudest point of the actual waveform between those samples — and that hidden peak is what clips after streaming compression.
What a sample peak actually measures
Digital audio is a series of snapshots taken thousands of times a second. A sample peak meter simply reports the highest of those snapshots. If the loudest sample reads −0.1 dBFS, the meter says you’re −0.1 dB below clipping and everything looks safe.
The catch is that the real, continuous waveform doesn’t live only at the sample points. When your converter reconstructs the smooth analogue signal between samples, the curve can rise higher than any individual sample. The sample meter never sees those overshoots, so it can show headroom that isn’t really there.
True peak and inter-sample peaks
A true-peak meter upsamples the audio to model that reconstructed waveform, then reports the highest point including the peaks between samples — the inter-sample peaks. It’s measured in dBTP (decibels true peak). A track can read −0.1 dBFS on a sample meter yet hit +0.4 dBTP, meaning it overshoots full scale on playback.
Those overshoots cause real distortion: when the file is encoded to MP3 or AAC, or run through a phone’s DAC, the over-level peaks clip and add a gritty, harsh edge — especially on cymbals, sibilance and synth transients. It’s the kind of damage you don’t hear in your studio but do hear on earbuds.
Why lossy encoding makes it worse
Streaming platforms re-encode your master into lossy formats, and that process slightly reshapes the waveform — which can push borderline inter-sample peaks over the line. A master that was just barely clean at 0 dBTP can come back distorted after Spotify or YouTube transcodes it.
That’s the core reason mastering engineers leave a true-peak ceiling instead of pushing right up to 0. It’s margin for the encoder. The same caution applies to the bitrates platforms use: lower-bitrate streams are exactly where these peaks bite hardest.
The ceiling to leave: -1 dBTP
The widely used target is a true-peak ceiling of −1 dBTP. That extra dB of margin absorbs inter-sample overshoots and encoder reshaping, so your master stays clean across earbuds, laptops and car speakers. Some engineers go to −1.5 dBTP for very dynamic, transient-heavy material, but −1 dBTP is the safe default.
Crucially, this is about peak control, not loudness — the two are separate. You still set perceived loudness with LUFS; the true-peak ceiling just guarantees nothing distorts when you hit that loudness. See how loud a master should be for how the two targets work together.
Hitting the true-peak target without guessing
You don’t need to read meters to get this right. Loopin’s free online mastering measures your track and limits the true peak to −1 dBTP automatically while it targets streaming loudness, so the master arrives both loud enough and clip-safe after encoding.
If you master elsewhere, the rule still holds: trust the dBTP reading over the sample meter, leave that −1 dB of margin, and your final master will translate cleanly to the formats listeners actually hear. The cleanest masters are the ones that respected the peaks they couldn’t see.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between true peak and sample peak?
Sample peak is the loudest individual digital sample in the file. True peak estimates the loudest point of the reconstructed analogue waveform, including the inter-sample peaks between samples. True peak is always equal to or higher than sample peak, and it's the one that predicts real-world clipping after MP3 or AAC encoding.
What true-peak ceiling should I master to?
A true-peak ceiling of around -1 dBTP is the standard. It leaves enough margin for inter-sample peaks and for the lossy encoding that streaming platforms apply, so your master won't clip on playback. Very transient-heavy material can go to -1.5 dBTP.
Why does my master distort on Spotify but not in my DAW?
Likely inter-sample peaks. Your DAW's sample meter shows headroom, but the true waveform overshoots full scale between samples, and Spotify's lossy encoding pushes those peaks into clipping. Leaving a -1 dBTP true-peak ceiling prevents it.