Leaving 2–3 dB of headroom or using true-peak metering prevents inter-sample overs in distribution

To guarantee that a mastered file does not clip in any playback device after DAC reconstruction, either: (a) use a true-peak meter that oversamples (typically 4–8×) and measures the reconstructed signal, targeting a true-peak ceiling of -1 dBTP or lower per streaming platform standards; or (b) reduce the overall level by 2–3 dB from 0 dBFS as a conservative hedge. True-peak metering is the accurate approach; the headroom reserve is a fallback when true-peak meters are unavailable. Digital volume control at the playback end (keeping the volume control a few dB below maximum) also adds headroom, since digital attenuation reduces the sample magnitude before the DAC.

Examples

EBU R128 specifies a true-peak limit of -1 dBTP. Spotify’s loudness normalisation (-14 LUFS integrated) combined with a -1 dBTP ceiling prevents inter-sample distortion on most content.

Assessment

A mastering engineer’s peak limiter is set to -0.1 dBFS. After delivery, a streaming platform’s quality-check flags inter-sample overs. What two options does the engineer have to fix this, and which is more precise?