Listed below you will find handy hints and tips on searching for music and sound effects from Audio Network.
You might also like to let Stephen Fry explain the sites highlights in our How to use the website film!
How to Search our Catalogues
First choose what you want:
- The Audio Network Production Music catalogue consists of original music and arrangements.
- The Borradaile Classical Collection is a collection of recordings of original works of classical music from public domain composers (composers who died more than 70 years ago).
- Sound Effects – we have 50,000 effects created for Hollywood movies. From explosions to elephants and from backgrounds to bodily functions you can download the effects straight to your hard drive.
Searching the Audio Network Production Music Catalogue
- Browse music by Category – recommended for first-time users
- Keyword search of music catalogue
- Advanced search of music catalogue (Audio Network main catalogue only)
Please contact us if you are unable to find what you need.
Browse by Category
Our music catalogue has been comprehensively categorised by:
- ‘Genres’ – from children’s music to rock, funk and film styles, it’s all there
- ‘Popular Styles’ – most frequently requested styles (you can also find styles by searching through ‘Genres’)
- ‘Ambient/Textural’
- ‘Mood/Atmosphere’
- ‘Instrumentation’ – from orchestral to solo instruments
- ‘CD listing’
- ‘Composer’ – includes both track listings and composer details
Under ‘Genres’ and ‘Instrumentation’ you will be given main categories that link to a page of related sub categories. Clicking on a sub category will produce a track listing under that sub category.
Please note that tracks in Featured Instruments within ‘Instrumentation’ are multi-instrument tracks, whereas tracks in Solo Instruments involve one instrument alone.
Use the keyword search to enter band names, films or any other references and generally you will find that tracks suggest themselves.
To refine a search try entering strings of words or adjectives (especially words we use in the category section). To perform a search, enter your chosen keywords into the music search text box at the top of any page and click on the orange arrow.
For example:
rock+drum or rock drum
This means the search results must contain music tracks whose keywords contain the word rock and drum.
piano-flute
This means the search results must contain music tracks whose keywords contain the word piano but not flute.
‘guitar solo’ (or "guitar solo")
This searches for the entire phrase ‘guitar solo’; it will return tracks containing the keywords ‘guitar solo’ as a phrase, but not those with the keywords ‘solo guitar’.
- Tip
When using the keyword box, try to use the same words that are used in the categories. For example, you might get lucky if you enter gloomy strings but if you can find an equivalent phrase such as sad orchestral, which uses terms used by the site, you are likely to get a better hit rate.
- Tip
You can enter as many words as you like into the text box. For example, fast orchestral dramatic filmic. The trick is to think carefully about what you want to find and, where possible, use the adjectives that are in the category sections.
- Tip
You can enter song, band, artist or film reference. The site should be able to make suggestions if the reference isn't too obscure.
- Tip
For famous original classical works by public domain composers you generally need to search the Borradaile Classical Collection. If you want the most famous tracks there is a ‘Very Famous Works’ section, which means you can use the word famous to filter in the keyword box. For example famous Baroque will find you just that.
Advanced Search
We are particularly proud of this bit. You can combine all of the above by mixing categories and keywords all at the same time. You can even refine your search for tracks in particular keys or tempos as well as a number of other parameters.
If you want to match a specific track use the beat calculator, which will tell you the tempo of your original track – then use the Advanced Search to find all tracks in the same style and at the same speed.
Track Listing
When you get to the track listing pages you will see an ANW reference that will show which Compact Disc the track has been released on. If there is no ANW reference then you should contact Audio Network for the sound file.
By clicking on the track name you can view the composer, duration, metre, tempo and key details of your selected track together with details of the publisher and the composer's Performing Rights affiliation (should you be interested). The track details section also includes details of the CD number and track number where the track can be found.
You may also be treated to a little fact about the tracks provenance, or a story or two, or information about other tracks that are similar to the one you’ve found.
Many of our tracks have a large number of versions and mixes or orchestrations available. Clicking on
allows you to see all the versions available.
Finding Tracks from the Borradaile Classical Collection
You can search the Borradaile Classical Collection in exactly the same way as the Audio Network main catalogue. Use the search text fields or search in the style/genre sections.
However, there is no Advanced Search function for the Borradaile Classical Collection.
- Tip
All the particularly famous classical works are in the ‘Very Famous’ section. That means if you put very famous+Baroque into the search text box, you’ll instantly find all the most famous Baroque works.
Finding Sound Effects
- Browse sound effects by category
- Keyword search
Our sound effects catalogue has some 80 main categories including Backgrounds, Telephones and Explosions. Serach these categories to see the related sub categories, and again into the sub category to produce the sound effects listing for that sub category.
Keyword Search of Sound Effects Catalogue
The keyword search for sound effects functions in the same way as the music keyword search as described above, although obviously in this case you must enter your chosen keywords into the sound effects search text box at the top of any page.
If more than 30 sound effects are returned by a keyword text search, only the categories to which they belong will be displayed. You can then search within these categories to find the sound effects you are looking for.