Peak level is the instantaneous maximum amplitude of a signal — the single highest sample in the sample domain. Peak meters are essential for one job: making sure you never exceed 0 dBFS and clip. But peaks say almost nothing about how loud something sounds. A sharp transient like a snare hit can peak high while contributing little to perceived loudness, and two clips that peak identically can differ widely in loudness. That gap is why peak metering, useful as a safety check, was replaced by RMS and ultimately LUFS for any judgement about loudness, leaving peak (and true peak) to guard the ceiling.
The book · Volume 4 of 7
Audio for Video: A Complete Guide to Sound in Video Products: From PCM and Codecs to Loudness, Accessibility, and Real-Time Voice Processing
Sample peak meters prevent obvious clipping, but they miss inter-sample overs and say nothing about loudness. This volume covers peak measurement in detail with true peak, RMS, LUFS and headroom, so you know which meter to trust at each stage and avoid clipped or overly quiet deliverables. Written by Nikolay Sapunov, CEO at Fora Soft.
Relying on sample peak meters and still getting clipped or rejected deliverables?
Send us a sample file and target specs and we will set peak, true-peak and loudness checks that catch problems before delivery. 250+ video products shipped since 2005.
