Peak programme meter
![A typical British quasi-PPM. Each division between '1' and '7' is exactly four decibels and '6' is the intended maximum level.](/Images/godic/202501/27/Sifam.type34A.British.ppm0952.jpg")
![PPMs need active driver electronics - shown here mounted on back of meter movement](/Images/godic/202501/27/Alice_Soundtech_PPM_3060952.jpg")
![German](/Images/godic/202501/27/Lichtzeiger_Instrument_Siemens_&_Halske0952.jpg")
![A DIN scale quasi-PPM as widely used in Northern Europe.](/Images/godic/202501/27/Sifam_Type_32A_DIN_scale_PPM0952.jpg")
A peak programme meter (PPM) is an instrument used in professional audio for indicating the level of an audio signal.
There are many different kinds of PPM. They fall into broad categories:
In professional usage, where consistent level measurements are needed across an industry, audio level meters often comply with a detailed formal standard. This ensures that all meters that comply with the standard will give the same indication on a given audio signal. The principal standard for PPMs is IEC 60268-10. It describes two different quasi-PPM designs which have their roots in meters originally developed in the 1930s for the AM radio broadcasting networks of Germany (Type I) and the United Kingdom (Type II).