Scarification (lightly sanding the edges of the seed) is a legitimate technique. Some people even use this for newer seeds when the seed hull is a bit thicker than typical.
I add a bit of hydrogen peroxide to my soaking water. My water to h2o2 ratio ranges from about 20:1 to 3:1, though I usually lean more toward a weaker h2o2 solution so I don’t turn my fingertips white if I forget to wear gloves. After a 12-24 hour soak, I direct sow to 3" pots half filled with pre-moistened seed starting soil sitting on a heat mat sensor regulated to about 80F. I actually find I have worse luck with seeds if they sprout significant tails in the cup. Though I shot myself in the foot with too-moist seedling soil this time causing a bunch to damp off.
I’ve read about others who have excellent germination results by sticking seeds straight into a section of freshly cut aloe, but I haven’t tried it myself.