In one embodiment, file attributes of a desired file are sent along with the URL to the storing server and the attributes are used for subsequent retrieval of the file. Attributes, such as the text or title of the file, the language of the file, the creator of the file, etc, can all be added to the file in the form of metadata. Files that are recorded without metadata can have metadata attached thereto and can be retrieved using the metadata. The URL initially carries the metadata to the server and the server then both uses the metadata for indexing purposes and, if desired, adds the metadata to the file for storage with the file. In one embodiment, the files are media files used in an IVR system.