How do I trace a leaked promo copy?
Run the leak audit with the leaked file and your private recipients.json. It normalises the input to WAV when needed, runs blind detection with the manifest key, and looks up the recovered ID. A hit names the recipient record and shows the original filename and SHA-256; the verdict is a lead, not proof of who leaked the copy.
How Aureal handles it
Non-WAV input is decoded with ffmpeg to 44.1 kHz WAV before detection; a missing ffmpeg is an explicit failure, not a silent skip. The script takes the key from the manifest unless --key overrides it, runs blind detection, maps recoveredPayloadId to the recipients array and prints the record. The human report includes confidence, BER, CRC status, filename, original SHA-256 and distribution date; --json returns the detection object and a leakMatch. Exit status is 0 when a watermark was detected, 1 when none was. Preserve the leaked file and its hash before running anything.
Common failure mode
“The audit names the leaker, so the report is ready to send as a complaint.”
Why it fails: The report names the record whose ID was recovered. It cannot show who copied, shared or leaked the file, whether the ID was reused, or how the file was handled. Use the result as one lead among contracts, delivery records, hashes and other evidence; state the limitation in the report.
Verified example
Hash the evidence, then audit it:
sha256sum leaked.mp3
node scripts/audit_leak.js leaked.mp3 --manifest ./private/recipients.json --json
# exit 0 = watermark detected; 1 = none
# Record the tool version, key reference, manifest hash and the full output.
# Describe the hit as an ID-to-record match, not as proof of leaking.Example only. Validate against your own audio, codec and processing chain.
Scope and limits
- A match names a distribution record, not a person or an act.
- The manifest must be private, intact and the same one used for distribution.
- Short clips, codecs and wrong keys can produce a false negative.
- The audit does not establish chain of custody.
Frequently asked questions
What if no watermark is found?
That is not proof of innocence. The mark may have been removed by processing, the clip may be shorter than a frame, the wrong key or manifest may be in use, or the file may never have carried a mark. Record the negative result and its conditions.
Can I audit without the manifest?
You can run blind detection and recover an ID, but without the manifest you cannot map it to a recipient record or a filename. The manifest is the private lookup table; detection alone is not attribution.
Related topics
Test the actual delivery chain. A fixture result is a starting point, not a guarantee for your material.
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