Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording audio or video data so as to enable true raw audio or video certification includes recording on a mobile recorder an audio or video data stream taken from at least one microphone or camera respectively cooperating with the recorder, generating a digital hash and embedding the digital hash in the data stream concurrently with the recording of the data stream, enabling playback of the recording containing the digital hash by a playback device not equipped to decode the digital hash, wherein the digital hash contains attributes unique to the recording and where the digital hash is embedded in the data stream so as to minimize noise impact on a later playback of the data stream respectively by the playback device, and wherein the digital hash is embedded during the embedding continuously on a periodic basis throughout the duration of the recording.