Digital watermarking embeds indelible and imperceptible data, the payload, into a media asset to give it a persistent identity. This data can later be extracted and interpreted by devices to identify, manage or monetize the asset. 

Forensic watermarks and transactional watermarks can be linked to specific information on the transaction or recipient (i.e. a person) and operates like serial numbering of instances or copies for a given content. Audio and video forensic marking solutions can be customized to adapt to different workflows and distribution channels e.g. pre-release, digital cinema, pay-TV, internet.

On the other hand, broadcast monitoring, audience measurement or triggering applications require to use the watermark payload to identify what the content is, or content version, and include timecode information all along the content to enable the identification of the exact abstracts which are being aired or published.

Digital audio and video watermarking technologies find application in:

- Deterrent against piracy and forensic marking

- Broadcast monitoring all around the world

- Television and radio audience measurement

- Triggering for interactive commercials