How do I find the SONIC catalog?

The Sound Online Inventory and Catalog (SONIC) was a database that described some of the audio holdings of the National Audio Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC). The database that supported SONIC dated from the 1990s and has been decommissioned. As a result, the SONIC database will be retired on May 20, 2026.

What collections were cataloged in SONIC?

SONIC contained commercial cassette recordings from the Copyright Office, 78-rpm discs, and 45-prm singles, in addition to several broadcasting collections. Click to view a full list of collections in SONIC.

Where can I find records previously cataloged in SONIC?

NAVCC has added all of the records into internal databases and is in the process of migrating these records into the Library of Congress public catalog. Some of these records are already available in the catalog. 

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us through Ask a Librarian or through the "Additional Ways to Contact Us" listed on this page.

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Last Updated: May 11, 2026   Views: 474
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Please Note

We cannot provide lists of recordings in the public domain, perform copyright searches, provide extensive research including compiling discographies, provide language instruction tapes or books on tape for the visually disabled (see NLS), and/or offer appraisals.

Copyright Note: due to copyright restrictions the vast majority of sound recordings are not available online nor will they enter the public domain until the year 2067.