Iconic Doctor Who and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy sounds archive made available for first time

The work done at the studio has been cited as an influence by a number of major musicians including Brian Eno and Hans Zimmer, and the BBC has said that by making the archive available, it will preserve "an important musical heritage for generations to come".

The key features of the new library include authentic sounds from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop archives, new recordings and experiments by Workshop members and associates, and a wide range of sounds, including archival content, found sounds, junk percussion, tape loops, and vintage synthesisers.

You can get a closer look at the Workshop by watching the below trailer:

Describing the Workshop as "a department at the BBC that was purely for making bonkers noises", archivist Mark Ayres explained further why the decision had been made to open up the archive.

"I'm the youngest member of the core Radiophonic Workshop – and I'm 64!" he said. "We're not going to be around forever.

"It was really important to leave a creative tool, inspired by our work, for other people to use going forward. I hope we've made an instrument that will inspire future generations."

He added: "This instrument is all formed from the work, processes and equipment that the Workshop created and used.

"You know, sampling now really looks like sampling then, but with a few more twiddles. I've been saying for years that Workshop composers such as Delia Derbyshire and John Baker were really samplists."

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Meanwhile, Harry Wilson, head of recording at Spitfire Audio – which has collaborated with the BBC on the project – said: "We're not just looking back at what the members were doing way back when. We're projecting a strand of their work into the future and saying: if the Workshop was engaged with a similar process now, what would it sound like?"

And Dominic Walker, global business director for BBC Studios, said: "We are thrilled to be collaborating once again with Spitfire Audio in bringing the legendary sounds of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to a new generation of musicians and composers with this valuable online library."

Access to the library costs £149 at full price, although there as introductory offer of £119 that will run until 17th March – you can access it now.

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