Open source · Free · Community
The origin point
of sound.
Every file we deliver carries our name.
Not as a lock. Not as a threat.
As a commitment.
Locus is the trust infrastructure sound studios put on their work before delivery — an invisible, permanent, traceable mark.
Three layers of protection
01 — WATERMARK
Inaudible signal
An imperceptible mark embedded directly in the audio signal — not in metadata, not in a tag that can be deleted. Survives MP3 compression down to 64 kbps.
02 — HASH
Integrity proof
A SHA-256 cryptographic fingerprint written into the file at delivery. Proves the file hasn't been altered since it left your studio.
03 — REGISTRY
Timestamped record
Every lodged file is linked to your studio, your client, and the delivery date. The chain of custody, documented.
Watermark robustness — MP3 compression tests
Results across three content types: voice-over, music, digital ad mix.
| Bitrate | Voice-over | Music | Ad mix | Usable quality? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 320 kbps | 100% | 100% | 100% | Yes |
| 256 kbps | 100% | 100% | 100% | Yes |
| 192 kbps | 100% | 100% | 100% | Yes |
| 160 kbps | 100% | 100% | 100% | Yes |
| 128 kbps | 100% | 100% | 100% | Yes |
| 96 kbps | 99.9% | 100% | 99.8% | Marginal |
| 64 kbps | 99.4% | 99.7% | 96.0% | No |
| 32 kbps | 58.0% | 14.2% | 27.3% | Unusable |
The Locus watermark survives all professionally usable MP3 compression. At 32 kbps — a quality lower than AM radio — it begins to degrade. This is the honest limit of the system.
What Locus doesn't do
Locus does not prevent AI cloning. A voice synthesis tool like ElevenLabs generates a new audio signal from scratch — the watermark of the source file is not present in the generated output. This is a fundamental technical limitation of all current audio watermarking systems.
What Locus establishes is a chain of responsibility. It proves that specific files were delivered by a specific studio to a specific client on a specific date. If those files were later used for unauthorized AI training or cloning, that chain becomes evidence — not a technical block, but a legal foundation.
Built for the sound community
Composers & producers
Lodge your music masters and stems before delivery. Document every client relationship.
Sound designers
Sign your sound design work — even if rights differ from music, traceability matters.
Voice actors
The studios you work with use Locus to commit to protecting the recordings of your voice.
Locus is open source and free because this ecosystem works better when everyone participates. The more studios adopt this practice, the more meaningful it becomes — for studios, composers, and voice actors alike.