Robust audio watermarking based on dynamic DWT with error correction

Audio watermarking was introduced as a solution for the arising challenges facing audio ownership verification. These challenges are a result of easiness and high speed of copying and distribution digital audio. This paper presents enhancements in the performance of an audio ownership verification system that has been reported previously. The proposed system is based on the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). A new approach for audio signal framing, dynamic DWT leveling, error correction code and new embedding methods are suggested to improve the watermark bit rate, minimum audio-cover period, quality of the watermarked audio and watermark robustness against audio attacks. The evaluation of the suggested system showed the following improvements: the watermark bit rate increased 23.4 times, 92% reduction in the minimum required audio-cover period, 54% increase in the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of watermarked audio, and it demonstrated better robustness against watermarking benchmark attacks.