There is currently an effort to standardize the classification of audio data that’s flooding the world. Here, we will explain the Universal Category System (UCS), which is also used by major sound effects vendors, and show how to use it.

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About The Universal Category System (UCS)

The Universal Category System (UCS) is a system that categorizes and organizes a wide variety of audio data used in video and music production. Organized sound data is easy to search and can be shared with others under a common understanding.

Currently, UCS is at its final version, Version 8.2, with 82 main categories and 753 subcategories.

UCS was designed with the support of numerous sound librarians, vendors, and users worldwide, including Tim Nielsen, Justin Drury, and Kai Paquin. As a public domain resource, it’s available for anyone to use. By providing a framework for categorizing sound effects and a standardized file-naming structure, UCS reduces the complexity of managing a sound library that can easily become cluttered.

Download The Universal Category System (UCS)

You can download UCS from Dropbox by clicking “ACCESS NOW” on the following URL:

The Universal Category System

How to Use The Universal Category System (UCS)

About the Category System｜THE CATEGORY LIST

The UCS category system is organized into 82 main categories and 753 total subcategories.

In the downloaded data from the UCS website, you’ll find three types of category lists:

  • UCS v8.2 Full List.xlsx – All categories
  • UCS v8.2 Full Translations List.xlsx – All categories translated into 20 languages
  • UCS v8.2 Top Level Categories.xlsx – Main categories only

The UCS v8.2 Full Translations List.xlsx includes translations into 20 languages, making it usable in Japanese as well.

How to Name Files｜THE FILENAME STRUCTURE

One of the key points of UCS is managing metadata through a standardized file-naming structure.

A simple naming rule involves attaching the category ID from UCS to the beginning of the file name and separating it with an underscore, followed by other necessary details.

CatID_Whatever Else You Want Here

The official UCS naming format is as follows:

CatID_FXName_CreatorID_SourceID
  • CatID: The category ID specified by UCS
  • FXName: A short description of the sound effect
  • CreatorID: Name of the creator, such as the recordist or sound designer, or company name
  • SourceID: Name of the sound library or project for which the sound was created

For example, the file name for a recorded sound of a “Dry Ice Using Various Types of Microphones sound library” might be:

WATRBubl_Dryice, Water, Pour, Bubble, Fog, Glass Tea Pot, Clink_BGDS_LOM basicUcho, 192​-​32_01_Dry Ice Using Various Types of Microphones

Here, WATRBubl is the category ID for the “BUBBLES” subcategory within “WATER”. This is followed by a short description of the effect (“Water, Pour, Bubble, Fog,….”), the creator’s name or abbreviation (“BGDS” for barbe_generative_diary_SOUNDS), and the library name (“Dry Ice Using Various Types of Microphones”).

Optionally, the naming structure can be expanded as follows:

CatID-(UserCategory)_(VendorCategory)FXName_CreatorID_SourceID_UserData
  • UserCategory: A third user-defined category (optional)
  • VendorCategory: A third vendor/manufacturer-defined category (optional)
  • UserData: Additional information, such as location, microphone type, or unique ID (optional)

Tools for Category Search and File Creation｜AVAILABLE TOOLS

In the App file, there is a program called AudioCategoryClipper. When opening on Mac, you may be asked if you trust the app.

This program helps search for the correct category and generates a file name by entering the following text.

When you open AudioCategoryClipper, there are two tabs (Category and Filename).

  • In the Category tab, the program finds the appropriate category for the keyword entered and copies it to the clipboard.
  • In the Filename tab, you can generate a file name by entering the required information, such as category ID, sound effect summary, creator, and source ID, then clicking the copy button.

Organizing by Folder

UCS provides three types of folder structures for organizing files, all available as zipped downloads under “Category Folders”:

  • UCS Category Only v8.2: Folders for top-level categories only
  • UCS Category SubCategory v8.2: Folders with subcategories nested under top-level categories
  • UCS Category Full v8.2: Folders that list both top-level and subcategories together

You can choose a folder structure that best suits your needs and store files with the clearly labeled data accordingly.

Recommended Equipment for Field Recording

Zoom H1essential Stereo Handy Recorder

For beginners looking to get into field recording with ease, “Zoom H1essential Stereo Handy Recorder” is a great option. It’s affordable, compact, and portable, and it supports 32-bit float recording, making it an excellent choice for starting out.

BGD_SOUNDS (barbe_generative_diary SOUNDS)

At BGD_SOUNDS, we have started sharing and selling a collection of field recordings stocked for use in sound visualization experiments. Nearly all recordings are captured in 192kHz-32bit float quality and are royalty-free, allowing for unrestricted use. New releases are added regularly, so if you’re looking for sound sources, consider following us to stay updated.