Introducing the Digimarc Mobile SDK

The Digimarc Mobile SDK (DM SDK) is Digimarc’s mobile content recognition platform. The DM SDK enables a mobile device to continuously monitor its environment and report when it recognizes audio and visual content.

The key features of the DM SDK are:

  • Detection of Digimarc digital watermark in Print
  • Detection of Digimarc digital watermark in Packaging
  • Detection of Digimarc digital watermark in Audio
  • Detection of the most common 1D traditional barcodes found in retail (UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, Code 39, Code 128, DataBar, ITF-14, ITF Variable Length) and QR codes
  • Quick drop-in or sophisticated low-level app integration options
  • Simultaneous detection of supported content in image and audio streams
  • Easy integration with the Digimarc Resolver

In the DM SDK API, detected codes are referred to as payloads. Some simple payloads can be used immediately by the app. Other payloads can be resolved by sending a request to the Digimarc Resolver Service, which returns a ContentItem, giving more information associated with that payload. Those associations are managed by the Print & Audio Module and are outside the scope of this document. 

This documentation provides an overview of using the DM SDK to detect payloads in content and resolve the payloads. For further information about payloads, see Representation.

Minimum Requirements

You'll need a valid license key. See Get an API Key. 

The minimum system requirements for using DM SDK depend on the operating system.

Android

  • Android Studio v4.2 (Chipmunk | 2021.2.1) or higher.
  • An Android project targeting at least Android 7.0 (API level 24).

iOS

IDE: Xcode 14 or newer

Deployment Target Minimum Version Camera Microphone Image Data Audio Data
iOS, iPadOS 13.0 Supported Supported Supported Supported
macOS 10.15.0 (Catalina) Supported Supported Supported Supported
Mac Catalyst Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported
watchOS Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported
tvOS Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported Unsupported

Only some Apple capture APIs are supported under Mac Catalyst. Refer to the DM SDK Audio Reader documentation for details.

Get an API Key

You'll need an account on the Digimarc Print & Audio Module. If you don't have an account, see Create an Account.

To get an API key for using DM SDK:

  1. Log in to Digimarc Print & Audio Module (https://portal.digimarc.net).
  2. Click the Developer tab at the top of the screen.
    screenshot of the top-level menu, showing the Developer tab
  3. Click Get Started if it's displayed.
  4. Optional: For your desired operating system, click SDK Download. Save the download file to your computer.
    Tip

    We recommend using a package manager to install the DM SDK but provide the download ZIP file for those who prefer manual installation.

  5. In the Mobile SDK section, click CREATE MOBILE SDK USER and type a descriptive name for your application.
    screenshot showing how to create a mobile SDK user
  6. Click Key beside the mobile app name to get the API key.
  7. Copy the key string and save it to your computer.
Note

Digimarc will never ask for your API key. Don’t share your API keys with anyone you don’t trust. If you misplace your credentials, return to the Developer tab and click Key to reveal the API key for the target mobile app.