The sound library engine that respects your media.
Search, audition, region-select and spot to your DAW at the speed of thought — with a portable, API-native core that never rewrites a file unless you tell it to. The librarian pro post & game teams have been waiting for.
Launch pricing — 25% off. No account needed to trial.
The Studio theme — search → audition → region → spot, at a glance.
THINGS OTHER LIBRARIANS CAN'T DO
Built by sound people, for the parts of the day that actually cost you time.
WYHIWYG loop → DAW
Equal-power loop crossfade you audition exactly as it will play — then spot the seamless loop straight into your session. What you hear is what you get.
Region slot banks
Lock, recall and spot multiple in-file regions. Build a set of go-to hits from a long take and fire them without re-scrubbing.
Performance pad
Scrub-perform a file on an XY pad and record the take. Turn a static asset into a performance in seconds.
THE TRUST MODEL
Your library, untouched.
The number-one question about any librarian is “will it eat my files?” Phonotheke's core is media-untouchable by default: it indexes in place and never rewrites metadata into your files unless you explicitly ask. No surprise re-tagging, no destructive imports, no lock-in.
- Indexes NAS & local volumes in place — nothing moved
- Per-library SQLite databases you own and can back up
- Metadata writes are opt-in and explicit, per file
- Portable C++ core — your data outlives any one app version
For humans
Native thick GUIs on macOS and Linux. Real OS drag, real region select, real spot-to-DAW — no fake thin-client desk. Multichannel files are first-class; audition folds to stereo or a channel pair.
For agents & pipelines
The same operations exposed over HTTP/WS with scoped API tokens. Search, tag, render and deliver from scripts, pipelines, or an assistant — the identical verbs your GUI uses, no bolt-on.
PRICING
Buy once. Own it.
Perpetual licenses with paid major upgrades — no forced subscription. 15-day full trial, no card required.
| Feature | Standard $179 | Pro $399 |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited local libraries + FTS5 search | ||
| Multichannel-first audition | ||
| Region select + spot-to-DAW | ||
| bext · iXML · XMP · ID3 read/write | ||
| 14-module FX audition chain + 5 presets | ||
| Playlists, categories, waveform | ||
| XY performance pad | — | |
| WYHIWYG Loop Lab | — | |
| Region slot banks (lock / recall / spot) | — | |
| Headless server + HTTP/WS API | — | |
| Agent / tool access (scoped tokens) | — | |
| Priority email support | — |
Team / Server
Multi-seat + shared server library. Contact for a facility quote.
Compared: Soundminer V6 $199 / $399 / $899 · BaseHead $149–549. Phonotheke undercuts the mid/pro band while adding the Loop Lab, region slots and XY performance pad.
Prices shown in USD (US/Canada) · EUR elsewhere.
Try it on your own library for 15 days.
Full features, no card, no account. If it earns its place, keep it — perpetual license, from $179.