MP3 or Wav steganography

[wado1942]

I'd say it's very possible with WAV but MP3 would be unreliable at best. You may use code in the metadata, but I wouldn't even try to anything into the audio stream itself.

[Rob Murray]

It's quite easy to pull out of an MP3 if done correctly, or even shittier encodings, recordings etc.

Wiki seems to be lacking on info... Audio watermark detection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A company that does the embedding itself, and provides you with the watermarked copy is probably your best bet, as licensing the technology itself is extremely expensive, unless you've got some DSP programming skills, and are going to try and engineer something yourself.

A quick google for watermarking audio will start you down the path to confusion or enlightenment depending what you're looking for.

At the end of the day it is an extreme waste of time and money unless you really plan on checking leaks etc. for watermarks, and then enforcing/penalizing the offenders. Most labels I've worked with on the matter, don't even really do the follow up work except in extreme cases.

It's certainly not something for sales, usually more something used for protecting from leaks during early releases/review copies for press and such. If it turns out rolling stone keeps leaking it, well then you know who doesn't get a review copy next time. Again, pretty worthless unless you plan on penalizing offenders which can be difficult.

[ISedlacek]

I don't want to sue anyone, I just thought it would be nice to give people a feeling that when buying online music, they get something that is personalised and of their own. That could make them feeling good after the purchase and they may also feel more reluctant to share their files with friends etc.

[Rob Murray]

It seems like the work and/or cost of personalizing each track would negate the benefit of the sale. Not to mention there would be no way for the end user to decode/realize that there's anything there... Unless you were to program your own system, and give them a program to decode it, I just don't see the point. They would have no way of knowing it's actually personalized, you might as well just be telling them there's a hidden code since there wouldn't be a way for them to decipher it.

Not to mention that although they're pretty good they're not 100% transparent as some companies claim, there is an ever so slight degradation of the program material IMHO.

[ISedlacek]

Oh yes, so the solution seems to be easy then ) Just to announce - the purchased files are personalised (only you have no way to find out how )

[Pezz]

Originally Posted by ISedlacek

That could make them feeling good after the purchase and they may also feel more reluctant to share their files with friends etc.

This is a contradiction to me. If I like a new record then I want others to hear it. If someone aquired my album and liked it enough to show other people then that would be a compliment.

[ISedlacek]

It depends whether you sell your music or not