Symmetry of amplitude

[RedSkyRoad]

Hi,

Not sure where to post this...

If I have a waveform that is not symmetrical around the 0dB line, what is the amplitude? The bigger half, the max divided by two?

Please explain the two waveforms in the picture... How do the red and yellow amplitude compare if the top halves of each is similar?

 

[SwitchBack]

As a first attempt:
Amplitude = Peak Level is always what's furthest away from zero 'Volts', up or down. Symmetry (the average of everything) is based on the area between curve and zero. So a low level wide peak, up or down, can have the same area as a high level narrow peak, down or up. And then there's maybe DC offset which shifts everything up or down. DC offset usually has nothing to do with music content but more with equipment (real or virtual). Do note that DC offset also affects peak level as it can shift high peaks even further away from zero 'Volts'.