You mean the simple non-patented “drown-out” method, right?
“just below” audibility could be tricky and it will probably require some trial-and error.
I assume you have a music file and a subliminal file…
- Open the subliminal file, select the whole thing and then use the Amplify effect at -20dB to reduce the volume. (If that turns-out not to be quiet enough go back and start-over a bigger negative number.)
- Use File → Import to import the music file into the same project.
If you Play in audacity with both files open they will mix and that will give you an idea of what you’re going to get.
- File → Export → Export as WAV. and the new file will be the mix. That’s it. You’re done! (You can try MP3 later but I suggest you “play with” WAV first.)
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Now, if you want to reveal the subliminal message -
- Clear-out those files and/or start fresh with Audacity.
- Open the original music-only file.
- Select the whole thing and run the Invert effect. This changes the positive samples to negative and vice-versa, flipping the wave upside down. It will sound the same and probably look the same but it’s going to subtract-out when we mixed back-in.
- Use File → Import Audio to bring the subliminal mix into this new project.
When you play the file the inverted music will mix with and cancel-out the music in the mixed-file and you should hear the subliminal message (quietly since you reduced the volume before mixing).
You can export and you’ll get that new “mix” with just the recovered/decoded message. Then you can open and amplify that if you wish.
…I hope I didn’t miss any steps.
There is one more thing that might improve quality… The mix of the music and subliminal will boost the volume (when you mix you are summing) and that can push your levels into clipping (distortion). It shouldn’t be too bad since the subliminal is low level but you can prevent that if you reduce the music by 1 or 2 dB. Just make sure to save that slightly-reduced file if you want to recover the subliminal because the inverted file has to be an exact copy if it’s going to subtract completely. In fact that’s the issue with clipping… if the mixed file is clipped the music in that file is no longer identical and it won’t subtract completely, The subliminal is distorted and damaged too.
…Sometimes I’ve said “subtract” and sometimes I’ve said “cancel”. But as I also said that mixing is done by summation, When you invert and mix you are “adding a negative to a positive” which is the same as subtraction, and the result is canceled sound.