A method for decoding an encoded input signal to generate an audio output signal, wherein the method comprises: receiving the encoded input signal that includes encoded audio information and associated metadata including one or more decoding-control parameters and one or more first parameters specifying dynamic range compression according to a first dynamic range compression profile and optionally including one or more second parameters specifying dynamic range compression according to a second dynamic range compression profile, wherein the one or more first parameters have values that were set according to an encoding process that generated the encoded audio information to represent aural stimuli with amplitudes that do not exceed a clipping level for playback at a first reference reproduction level, and wherein the one or more second parameters have values that were set according to the encoding process that generated the encoded audio information to represent the aural stimuli with amplitudes that do not exceed the clipping level for playback at a second reference reproduction level that is higher than the first reference reproduction level; applying a decoding process to the encoded audio information to obtain subband signals representing spectral content of the aural stimuli, wherein the decoding process is adapted in response to the one or more decoding-control parameters; modifying the subband signals to obtain modified subband signals with changed dynamic range characteristics, wherein the modifying is adapted in response to the one or more second parameters if the metadata includes the one or more second parameters or is adapted in response to the one or more first parameters if the metadata does not include the one or more second parameters; applying a synthesis filter bank to the modified subband signals to obtain a time-domain audio signal; and if the metadata does not include the one or more second parameters, applying a gain and a limiter to the time-domain audio signal in response to the metadata, wherein the application of the gain modifies the time-domain audio signal to obtain the audio output signal with amplitudes for playback at the second reference reproduction level, and wherein the application of the limiter prevents the amplitudes of the audio output signal from exceeding the clipping level. receiving the encoded input signal that includes encoded audio information and associated metadata including one or more decoding-control parameters and one or more first parameters specifying dynamic range compression according to a first dynamic range compression profile and optionally including one or more second parameters specifying dynamic range compression according to a second dynamic range compression profile, wherein the one or more first parameters have values that were set according to an encoding process that generated the encoded audio information to represent aural stimuli with amplitudes that do not exceed a clipping level for playback at a first reference reproduction level, and wherein the one or more second parameters have values that were set according to the encoding process that generated the encoded audio information to represent the aural stimuli with amplitudes that do not exceed the clipping level for playback at a second reference reproduction level that is higher than the first reference reproduction level; applying a decoding process to the encoded audio information to obtain subband signals representing spectral content of the aural stimuli, wherein the decoding process is adapted in response to the one or more decoding-control parameters; modifying the subband signals to obtain modified subband signals with changed dynamic range characteristics, wherein the modifying is adapted in response to the one or more second parameters if the metadata includes the one or more second parameters or is adapted in response to the one or more first parameters if the metadata does not include the one or more second parameters; applying a synthesis filter bank to the modified subband signals to obtain a time-domain audio signal; and if the metadata does not include the one or more second parameters, applying a gain and a limiter to the time-domain audio signal in response to the metadata, wherein the application of the gain modifies the time-domain audio signal to obtain the audio output signal with amplitudes for playback at the second reference reproduction level, and wherein the application of the limiter prevents the amplitudes of the audio output signal from exceeding the clipping level.