PSA everyone ignore db meter levels

Cubasis
1

While mixing I was getting confused and frustrated that my mix was not hitting -1db while sounding loud enough. I then loaded mastered songs from YouTube, one was hitting- 3db on the mixer meter.
I then checked the stock master strip plug-in that also shows dbs and found the levels were higher than the ones in the mixer window so I advise you to ignore the mixer values.

Edit- I think the 12 db marker on the left is where 0 db should be. confusing because the 0 marker on the right at the highest point says 0 but when you push sounds especially bass anywhere close to it even with a soft clipper it sounds distorted.

Edit 2 - I bought toneboosters barricade set the ceiling to 0 db and it confirms what I thought 0 db is not where the mixer channels say it is. It’s around where my first pic indicates.

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2

I only use the faders for guidance.
Put the free Youlean LM Lite auv3 as the last post fader tool and just use that. Different music services have different requirements for max db, and use integrated LUFS rather than Db for average volume.
Cubasis doesn’t show you LUFS but Youlean LM Lite does and probably some other plug ins too.