**1. Introduction**

In a present digital era, a digital file like audio can be copied easily to a computer and other smart devices, and distributed on open network. However, this has prompted issues such as maintaining copyright, ownership, particular person authentication, privacy, and sensitive information loss [1]. The possible solution is to insert some ownership data bits into the audio which would be extracted for the purpose of the authentication. Digital audio watermarking is a technique where a watermark is embedded in the original audio media file. Subsequently, the secured watermarked may be transmitted over internet to any other person. Inaudibility and robustness are two primary characteristics of a digital audio watermark. Robustness is defined as the ability of watermark to resist channel attacks like echo addition, filtering and Gaussian noise, etc. [2]. Inaudibility means the insertion of the watermark should not have any impact on final watermarked audio. Ownership protection helps to identify the content for the originator in order to protect his copyrights. Illegal use of audio without consent, leaking sensitive information, etc. can be prohibited by embedding owner signature into original audio in real-time [3].

The main objective is to design an algorithm which is robust, blind and inaudible and useful for audio applications.

proposed work is design VLSI architecture of the blind audio watermarking algorithm and also check its area and timing calculation. The proposed work is also

*Hardware Implementation of Audio Watermarking Based on DWT Transform*

present in a previous year [6–8]. Also, there is a DWT SVD-based audio

designed would help to have the hardware efficient and very fast algorithm.

embed watermark on offline process where algorithm runs on PC for audio captured through the device. However, the hardware implementation helps to insert the watermark online when the audio is being recorded itself. Then again, in a

hardware implementation, a watermark calculation is entirely performed in

best recommended. Initially, the proposed audio watermarking algorithm is implemented on the MATLAB; however MATLAB provides only the simulation platform to validate the performance [13]. The real-time implementation of the proposed audio watermarking is achieved in Xilinx ISE software and simulated result of the audio watermarking is discussed. Here DWT transform is implemented by using adder/subtractor and shifter only. Then steps of both embedded and extraction process of the digital audio watermarking is implemented. Subsequently,

the proposed watermarking is also synthesized using Xilinx ISE14.7.

specially crafted hardware. A hardware implementation consumes less area and less power contrasted with a software implementation [5]. The hardware implementation may have the advantage of parallel processing and poses lesser delay compared to software. This chapter is targeting a real time application, so hardware solution is

Watermarking is a method through which the protected data conveyed without much observable change in the watermarked content. The watermarking process

The scheme of watermarking is implemented either using software or hardware. In a software implementation, a watermark algorithm is executed on a processor. The software implementation is flexible, but the software implementation is used to

Digital audio watermarking is used for correct owner identification, prevention of fragile and copying and also providing a particular person authentication of their digital property. There are many digital audio watermarking algorithms are designed and simulated on MATLAB platform. So many types of audio watermarking methods

watermarking algorithm is implemented in previous work [9]. This work based on semi-blind audio watermarking-based algorithm and a digital watermark is applied on DWT-SVD transform with robustness and imperceptible. The proposed algorithm is a blind digital audio watermarking scheme using DWT algorithm. There are several hardware implementation of the DWT algorithm [10–12]. In the proposed algorithm, the reduced the complexity of the DWT is designed along with its inverse DWT algorithm. The real-time application requires high speed of the algorithm. Our algorithm gives less delay with complete synchronization which does not require any control segment as suggested by many scholars which increase delay. Here, the hardware implementation uses only adders, subtractors and shifters so multiplier-less

designed to have compatibility with real-time application.

**1.4 Previous work and my contribution**

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86087*

**1.5 Hardware solution**

**2. Digital watermarking**

**197**
