PURPOSE: To preserve an electronic file by giving an attribute in the case of making a picture and sound, which are recorded in a recording medium, into the electronic file and retrieving the picture and sound, which are made into the electronic file, according to the attribute synthesized into the picture and sound with respect to the data file system of the picture and the sound and a picture/sound data generation device.

CONSTITUTION: An attribute generation device 19 generating attribute data of main data, a data generation device 2 inputting main data and attribute data and synthesizing and recording them, a file generation device 10 generating the file of attribute data on synthesized data recorded in the recording medium and main data, a data preservation device 12 preserving the file and a retrieval device 17 retrieving the file preserved in the data preservation device according to attribute data are provided. Attribute data generated by the attribute generation device 19 is inputted and is synthesizied into main data so as to record it. Them, the file of attribute data on recorded synthesis data and main data is generated and preserved.