Methods and apparatus for processing stereophonic audio content

A method of processing stereophonic audio content received in a first audio channel and a second audio channel, the first audio channel to be output to a first speaker and the second audio channel to be output to a second speaker, the method comprising:

• receiving the first and second audio channels;
• identifying a plurality of frequency sub-bands in the first audio channel;
• for each of the plurality of frequency sub-bands, determining an importance weighting based on an estimated degree of audibility of the sub-band in the first audio channel when the first and second audio channels are output to the first and second speakers;
• in response to determining that a peak amplitude of the first audio channel is above a first clipping threshold, iteratively suppressing the sub-band of least importance in the first audio channel until the peak amplitude of the first audio channel is below the first clipping threshold;
• and
• outputting the suppressed first audio channel.