Soundmarking: protect your creations with an invisible audio watermark
As an independent musician, proving that you are the author of a track can become crucial — in case of disputes, plagiarism, or simply to trace the distribution of your work. Soundmarking is the technological answer to this need.
What is soundmarking?
Soundmarking (audio watermarking) is a technique that embeds a digital signature directly into the audio signal of your file. Unlike metadata (ID3 tags) that can be stripped, the soundmark is anchored in the sound itself.
On Timbry, soundmarking uses the LSB (Least Significant Bit) technique: the least significant bits of the audio are modified to encode your signature. The result is inaudible — no perceptible difference to the human ear.
How does it work on Timbry?
1. Enable soundmarking
From your dashboard, in the Tracks tab, enable automatic soundmarking. All your new uploads will be automatically protected.
2. Soundmark embedding
When you upload a track, Timbry:
- Converts your file to FLAC (lossless format, required to preserve the soundmark)
- Encodes your artist signature in the LSB bits
- Generates a unique protection hash
3. Verification
At any time, you can verify that a file contains your soundmark. Timbry checks both the LSB signature and embedded metadata.
Soundmark + Audio Certificate: complete protection
Soundmarking works in tandem with Timbry's numbered audio certificates:
- Audio certificate: unique sequential number, SHA-256 file hash, creation date, verification QR code
- Soundmark: invisible signature in the audio itself
Together, they constitute solid proof of prior art: the certificate proves when the file was registered on the platform, and the soundmark proves the audio file belongs to you.
Important things to know
FLAC format required
The LSB soundmark only survives in FLAC (lossless) format. Any lossy compression (MP3, AAC, OGG) destroys the watermark. That's why Timbry automatically converts your files to FLAC before embedding.
QR code verification
Each audio certificate comes with a QR code linking to a public verification page. Anyone can scan the QR and verify the certificate's authenticity — no Timbry account needed.
Limits by plan
| Plan | Certificates / month |
|---|---|
| Discovery (free) | — |
| Artist (€4.90/month) | 5 |
| Artist Pro (€49/month) | 50 |
Coming next
Timbry is working on strengthening audio protection:
- Qualified timestamping (RFC 3161): an eIDAS-certified timestamp server will add legally binding proof in the EU
- Spread-spectrum watermarking: a watermarking technique resistant to lossy compression (MP3, AAC)
In summary
Timbry soundmarking gives you an invisible but verifiable layer of protection for each of your tracks. Combined with numbered audio certificates, it's a concrete solution for independent musicians who want to protect their work without complex legal procedures.
Enable soundmarking now from your Timbry dashboard.
