The most common usage is to boost the perceived level of a signal by increasing base amplitude while preventing clipping. It works by first increasing the level of the incoming audio by a given amount. Then, any audio that becomes too loud is "turned back down", ensuring that the level never exceeds the "ceiling" level. While a maximizing limiter is often used to make an entire song seem "louder", it may also be used in place of a compressor to help control individual tracks.
