Cryptochords Framework: Multi-Layered Symbolic Audio Steganography for Covert Communications
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Conventional audio steganography methods that operate in the physical domain (LSB modification, phase encoding, or echo hiding) are fragile under lossy compression (MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis) and acoustic air-gap re-recording. This paper presents the formal specification of Cryptochords, a symbolic audio steganography framework that embeds encrypted payloads into higher-level musical abstractions—harmonic voicing matrices and micro-timing offsets—rather than the raw waveform. By targeting pitch-class profiles in harmonically dense genres (Bossa Nova, Jazz Fusion, Shibuya-kei), the payload remains recoverable after multiple transcoding cycles and analog re-recording. We define a 16-symbol harmonic codebook (4 bits/chord) constrained by a first-order Markov model trained on genre corpora, a micro-timing channel with δ = 15 ms modulation depth, and a dual-layer Reed-Solomon code over GF(28 ). Realistic capacity estimates range from approximately 8 to 22 bytes per minute depending on tempo and harmonic density, with zero-knowledge properties for performing musicians. The framework is intended as a low-bandwidth, high-deniability covert channel for strategic signaling rather than bulk data transfer.
Author: Pradana, Nova Damar
Language: English
Subfield: Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7172337504
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