How it works
- Drop your audio file. MP3, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, OGG or M4A up to 500 MB — it's decoded and analyzed locally, nothing is uploaded.
- Read the report. Clipping regions, total clipped samples, clicks/pops and the file's true sample peak, with every region highlighted on the waveform.
- Click a region to listen. Each item seeks and plays with a short pre-roll, so you hear the distortion in context — and you can tune the detection settings.
Features
- Objective plateau detection. Clipping is identified as runs of consecutive samples stuck at the ceiling — no arbitrary threshold slider deciding the verdict.
- Clicks and pops too. A second pass flags abrupt sample-to-sample discontinuities (unfaded edits, bad joins), with adjustable sensitivity.
- Click-to-listen navigation. Every detected region is listed with its timestamp and highlighted on the waveform — click to play it back.
- 100% in your browser. Your track never leaves your computer — the analysis runs locally.
FAQ
Is this clipping detector free?
Yes. Anonymous users get 5 free uses per day across AudioKit's free tools — no account needed. One use is counted per file analyzed; re-listening to the regions and adjusting the settings afterwards is free. AudioKit Premium removes the daily limit.
Is my audio file uploaded to a server?
No. The file is decoded and analyzed entirely in your browser and never leaves your machine. The only network call is a tiny anonymous counter that tracks your daily free quota.
What's the difference between clipping and limiting?
Clipping is what happens when a signal exceeds what the format can hold: the waveform is flattened against the ceiling, which adds harsh distortion — it's an accident. Limiting is a deliberate process that turns the gain down for a few milliseconds whenever the signal would exceed a ceiling, so the wave is reshaped smoothly instead of chopped. A well-limited master can be loud with zero clipping; that's why a true-peak limiter belongs at the end of a master chain.
Does it also detect clicks and pops?
Yes — as a separate metric. Clicks and pops aren't clipping: they're abrupt discontinuities between two samples, typically caused by an edit without a crossfade or a bad join between regions. The tool flags them with an adjustable sensitivity slider, lists them with timestamps, and keeps them out of the clipping verdict so the two diagnoses stay clean.
Can this tool repair the clipping it finds?
No — it only diagnoses. Once samples are clipped, the original signal at the top of the wave is gone, so the honest fix is upstream: lower the level or use a true-peak limiter at the mix/master stage, then re-export (our LUFS normalize tool can help hit a target loudness safely). Clicks and pops, on the other hand, are usually repairable with a de-click tool or a short crossfade at the edit point.