Protecting MP3 files?
| # | Post |
|---|---|
| 1 | Is there any way to protect MP3 files so they can be played but not modified? Or played on a website, but not downloaded? Edited by rpvr at 12:26 pm, Tue 27 Oct rpvr - 2020-10-27 12:25:00 |
| 2 | If someone can download an MP3 file I can't see how you could stop them modifying it after that. As for preventing download, again it's probably impossible. If you have it available to play anyone can do that and record the sound at the same time, thus effectively downloading it. Anyway essentially if you are playing an online served sound them you have already downloaded it to do so. Edited by nice_lady at 1:47 pm, Tue 27 Oct nice_lady - 2020-10-27 13:45:00 |
| 3 | nice_lady wrote:
Yeah that's what I thought. An organisation I belong to has discovered an audio record of a historical convention I attended way back in 1980, and has converted all the presentations from audio tape to MP3s. I want a copy of these, but they are concerned about people being able to download and edit the files. I can't see why anyone would want to, and don't see it as a concern. In view of the extremely limited interest (many of the participants are now deceased), if they want to limit the distribution they could just post the MP3s on a CD or DVD. Edited by rpvr at 2:10 pm, Tue 27 Oct rpvr - 2020-10-27 14:08:00 |
| 4 | Could upload it to YouTube with only non public, limited private access? Edited by nice_lady at 2:16 pm, Tue 27 Oct nice_lady - 2020-10-27 14:16:00 |
| 5 | I could be wrong but the only advantage there would be that you'd know who had access. Doubt you could stop anyone modifying files they'd accessed, (played, downloaded), tho as I said before. Edited by nice_lady at 2:19 pm, Tue 27 Oct nice_lady - 2020-10-27 14:18:00 |
| 6 | There is no way to copy protect audio. tygertung - 2020-10-28 06:57:00 |
| 7 | rpvr wrote:
It is a little bit technical, but the correct way of protecting them is to generate a checksum for the original file. BitTorrent clients do this automatically. Something like a SHA2 hash would work. This is done in the open source a lot. The original author generates a checksum for each file and records them onto a website which can't be tampered with. So 'fileone.mp3' is checksum XYZ123 etc. Anybody listening to the files can also generate the checksum and confirm by comparison with the website that the file is the same and had not been tampered with. Anybody trying to modify the .MP3 would end up with a file with a different checksum gblack - 2020-10-28 07:26:00 |
| 8 | But how would that stop anyone from recording a file they're listening to and then modifying it ? Obviously they might have trouble passing it off as an original in that instance but the bottom line is it's impossible to protect audio really. nice_lady - 2020-10-28 07:31:00 |
| 9 | nice_lady wrote:
You are correct, there is really no way to protect audio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_hole tygertung - 2020-10-28 12:58:00 |
| 10 | nice_lady wrote:
Agreed, you can never stop somebody making illegal copies - the analog hole for one,. but if the concern is (as I read it), that the recordings will be modified. The OP was asking about them being read-only and not copy protected. The only way I know of, is to get the person receiving the files under an legally binding NDA and ensure the files are all stamped (you can use steganography to include a unique sequence into the files). If the files are found to be publically available (i.e the files are found on piratebay - unlikely given the source material), then the organization releasing the files can go after the person responsible for the release. gblack - 2020-10-28 13:19:00 |
