Normalize the output peak
Peak normalization adjusts the maximum sample amplitude. It is not loudness normalization or mastering.
Choose a target
Enable Normalize joined output peak and set −24 to 0 dBFS. Clip gains and fades are applied first, then one common multiplier scales the whole joined output to the requested peak. This retains relative clip levels. Silence is unchanged.
Check clipping
Without normalization, high gains can push samples beyond ±1. Prepare WAV reports the measured pre-quantization peak and count of channel samples above full scale. Those values are saturated when encoded to 16-bit PCM. Lower gain or enable normalization, then prepare again. Speaker volume does not reveal whether export samples clip.
Know the limits
The peak meter measures discrete samples, not intersample true peak, integrated LUFS or perceived loudness. The selected peak is reached before 16-bit quantization within floating-point tolerance; quantization introduces at most roughly one PCM step. Normalization cannot repair already distorted recordings or remove noise.