The presently claimed invention relates generally to encoding and decoding audio signals to include auxiliary information. One example encoding technique includes steganography. One method recites: using a microphone, obtaining an audio signal carried by sound waves; utilizing an analog-to-digital converter to convert the audio signal into a digital audio signal; utilizing a programmed electronic processor, extracting auxiliary data from a series of segments of the digital audio signal, the segments conveying the same auxiliary data, yet the segments represent the auxiliary data differently as code signals carrying the same auxiliary data change over the blocks, the auxiliary data being steganographically hidden in the digital audio signal; and utilizing a programmed electronic processor, utilizing the auxiliary data from the series of segments to increase confidence of accurate extraction of the auxiliary data, the auxiliary data being separately decoded from the segments and combined to increase the confidence of extraction of the auxiliary data. Of course, other combination and claims are provided as well.