How do I keep audio from peaking too high after mixing several tracks?

Check the master output meter while the tracks play together. Individual track meters or faders don’t tell you by themselves whether the combined output clips. In Audacity, the master playback meter shows the output level and turns red when the signal clips. Its peak reading is the one associated with clipping; RMS indicates average level, which is a different measure. [S1]

A practical routine is to play the loudest section you expect in the mix, watch the master meter, and note whether it turns red. Repeat for other dense or loud sections, since a quieter passage may not reveal the problem. This is a clipping check, not a guarantee that the mix is otherwise balanced or sounds good on every playback system.

No. Lowering the playback volume changes what you hear; it does not change the audio that Audacity exports. [S1] Adjust the mix itself instead—for example, reduce the level of a track that contributes strongly to the overloaded section, or reduce several contributing tracks if the buildup comes from their combination.

Then replay the same section and check the master meter again. Make one adjustment at a time when practical, so you can hear what changed and avoid lowering unrelated parts more than necessary. If effects are part of the mix, include them in your listening check: Audacity’s export applies track volume, pan, and effects as the tracks are mixed. [S2]

Use a repeatable pass:

1. Start playback where the mix is expected to be most crowded or loud.
2. Watch the master output meter, not just the separate tracks.
3. Listen through the rest of the project, including transitions and sections where several tracks overlap.
4. If the meter turns red, adjust the mix and replay the affected passage; then make another pass across the project.

The meter tells you about output level and clipping, not whether you have selected every relevant section. You still need to listen through the material. Also, don’t treat an RMS reading as a substitute for checking peaks: the Audacity meter can display both, and the peak is the value associated with clipping. [S1]

In Audacity, tracks are mixed together for export with their volume, pan, and effects applied, and exporting leaves the project and separate tracks in place. [S2] After making your final adjustments, check the project’s combined output meter during playback before exporting. If you export and then revise the mix, repeat the check before making the next delivery file.

These specific meter instructions apply to Audacity. The supplied guidance does not establish where another editor’s master meter is, what its clipping indicator looks like, or what peak target you should use for a particular delivery format. In another editor, consult its current meter guidance rather than assuming its controls match Audacity’s. A reusable note for a project could be: “Checked the full mix on the master output meter; replayed any passage that showed clipping after adjusting the mix.”