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Worried about the dark corners of the net using your music or sound illegally? It’s a valid concern for any music producer. 

 

Historically, it has been hard to find a true solution to this and we’re still a long way away of finding something perfect to stop people or companies from stealing your music and using it without permission. 

 

One method that comes close is audio watermarking, but it can be expensive to get done professionally.

 

Most musicians start by trying to go it alone and watermark their audio themselves. Let’s discuss this, but first…

 

Music Watermarking – What is it?

 

Most audio watermarking companies use old-school techniques and this is likely the version you will know. 

 

You will have heard the watermarks where you listen to a song and it has a voice overlaid on top of the song. 

 

Kind of like a DJ intro. This is the easiest way to watermark audio yourself. But how? 

 

• Watermarking Your Audio For Free With Software e.g Audacity
• Watermarking With Specific Paid Software
• Use YouTube’s Content ID System

 

Although it can be effective to do the job yourself, it’s not foolproof and comes with some setbacks. 

 

It’s a good idea to look at the pros and cons of going it alone and deciding if you still want to

 

Pros of Watermarking Your Own Music

 

• It’s pretty easy to do in many pieces of software
• Works great to add your “brand” to audio for people who do want to legally license your music. They’ll know where to come.
• It gives you SOME protection against people sharing or using your music and profiting.

 

Cons of Watermarking your Own Music

 

• It can ruin the experience of the person listening to your music
• Some watermarks sound unprofessional
• It means adding more layers to your audio, which means more work for you.
• If you’re posting on music sites like SoundCloud to increase your profile, you may find that your music receives less engagement
• Most importantly – it’s not very secure. There are services out there removing these watermarks for a few dollars.

 

Silent Intrasonics Watermark Technology

 

You’ll notice the big problem with the options above are that they are loud, abrasive, and noticeable on your music. They take away from the listener’s experience. 

 

The latest advancement in watermarking technology is that it’s inaudible to the human ear and pretty much unremovable. 

 

Companies like Intrasonics watermarking solutions are leading the way with this newer technique called echo-modulation watermarking. 

 

While this may be the most expensive way, it’s a more foolproof way of securing and tracking your music than doing it yourself. 

 

Still, a watermark you have done yourself is better than no watermark at all for protecting your music. 

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