Does an audio watermark survive resampling?
Aureal first tries detection at the file's native sample rate. If that fails, it retries at 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz using a 64-phase windowed-sinc resampler. Those are the only automatic retry rates; unusual rates and third-party resamplers need their own test.
How Aureal handles it
Aureal's detector normalizes to 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz only when the native-rate attempt fails. That covers common delivery rates, but not 96 kHz, 32 kHz or unusual broadcast rates. If your pipeline uses a different rate, test the exact resampler and keep the result with the release; do not assume the two-rate retry covers it.
Common failure mode
“Any sample rate works because the detector resamples everything.”
Why it fails: Only 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz are automatic retry targets, and the detector tries the native rate first. An unusual rate may still work, but it is not covered by the documented retry path.
Verified example
Keep delivery at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz when you can, and test the exception:
ffmpeg -i copy.wav -ar 48000 copy-48k.wav
node aureal-watermark.cjs detect copy-48k.wav --id 883921
For unusual rates, test the exact resampler and record the result.Example only. Validate against your own audio, codec and processing chain.
Scope and limits
- Automatic retry covers 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz only.
- Native-rate detection is attempted first.
- Unusual rates and third-party resamplers need their own test.
Frequently asked questions
Does Aureal resample any input?
It first tries the native sample rate, then retries at 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz if needed. It does not automatically try every rate.
Will a 96 kHz file work?
It may, but it is not covered by the documented two-rate retry. Test the exact file and record the result.
Related topics
Test the actual delivery chain. A fixture result is a starting point, not a guarantee for your material.
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