# Creating and inserting Nielsen watermarks
<a name="feature-nielsen-watermark"></a>

You can set up MediaLive to create new Nielsen watermarks and insert them in the output audio. Typically, only content and distribution providers use Nielsen watermarks. If you're not working with The Nielsen Company to implement watermarks, you don't need to read this section. 

If your content already contains watermarks, you might choose to convert them to ID3 metadata and include that metadata in the output. For more information about passthrough and conversion to ID3, see [Converting Nielsen watermarks to ID3](feature-nielsen-id3.md). 

**Topics**
+ [Audio requirements](supportedaudio.md)
+ [Getting ready](nielsen-watermark-getready.md)
+ [Setting up Nielsen watermarks in a MediaLive channel](watermark-procedure.md)

# Audio requirements
<a name="supportedaudio"></a>

## Supported audio
<a name="nielsen-watermarks-input-audio"></a>

All the source audio in the MediaLive inputs must meet the following requirements:
+ Sample-rate frequency: 48 kHz (48000 samples per second).
+ Up to 8 audio channels, with interleaved samples.
+ The audio must conform to one of the coding modes and channel layouts specified in the following table.

In the table, read across each row to identify the channel layout for the coding mode that is identified in the first cell.


| Number of channels |  Coding mode  | Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | 
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 
| 1 |  Mono  |  Left  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
| 2 |  Stereo  |  Stereo left  |  Stereo right  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
| 6 |  5.1 audio  |  Front left  |  Front right  |  Center  |  LFE  |  Surround left  |  Surround right  |  |  | 
| 8 |  5.1 audio plus stereo  |  Front left  |  Front right  |  Center  |  LFE  |  Surround left  |  Surround right  |  Stereo left  |  Stereo right  | 

## Recommended minimum bitrates
<a name="nielsen-watermarks-input-audio-bitrate"></a>

We strongly recommend following the minimum audio bitrates listed in the following table. If you set the audio bitrates lower than the recommended values, your watermarks might not be reliably detected.

[\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/medialive/latest/ug/supportedaudio.html)

# Getting ready
<a name="nielsen-watermark-getready"></a>

To prepare to insert Nielsen watermarks in a MediaLive output, you must obtain some information about the watermarks data for each channel.

**To get ready for watermarks**

1. Determine if you should insert NAES II (N2), NAES VI (NW) watermarks, or CBET watermarks. NAES II are used in the United States. CBET are used in Canada. You can insert one or both types in the same audio encode.

1. Obtain the following information from your contact at The Nielsen Company:
   + For NAES II or NAES VI watermarks:
     + Source Identification Code (SID). 
     + NAES check digit code. 
   + For CBET watermarks:
     + CBET Source Identification (CSID) code.
     + CBET check digit code. 

   You must obtain separate sets of values for each channel.

1. If you are setting up CBET watermarks, decide how you want to handle watermarks that are already in the source audio. The options are the following:
   + Remove all the existing watermarks and replace them with new ones.
   + Keep the existing watermarks. MediaLive will insert new watermarks only in portions of the audio stream where there are no watermarks.

# Setting up Nielsen watermarks in a MediaLive channel
<a name="watermark-procedure"></a>

**Note**  
The information in this section assumes that you are familiar with the general steps for creating a channel, as described in [Creating a channel from scratch](creating-channel-scratch.md). It also assumes that you have already set up the audio encodes (outputs) that will contain the watermarks.

**To create Nielsen watermarks**

1. On the **Create channel** page of the MediaLive console, choose the output group in the left navigation bar. Then choose the output. In the **Stream settings** pane, choose the desired **Audio** tab.

   In the **Codec settings** section, expand the **Additional encoding settings** section. Expand the **Additional settings** drop-down menu, and find the **Audio Watermark Settings** field.

1. Choose **Audio watermark**, then choose **Nielsen Distribution Type**. 

1. Choose the option that applies:
   + **Program content**: Typically, this option applies if your organization is a network broadcaster. 
   + **Final distribution**: Typically, this option applies if your organization is a broadcast affiliate or a cable network provider. 

1. If you want to include CBET watermarks: In the **CBET Settings** field, choose **Nielsen CBET**. More fields appear.

   If you want to include NAES watermarks: In the **NAES II and NW Settings** field, choose **NAES II and NW**. More fields appear.

   You can include both sets of watermarks in the same output audio.

1. Complete the fields as shown in the table.     
[\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/medialive/latest/ug/watermark-procedure.html)