Abstract: An automatic search apparatus for a record/play system of a record medium having a plurality of recorded programs, and a controlling method thereof. The apparatus discriminates the presence of recorded programs on the record medium by picking-up signals from the medium, converting them to binary signals and comparing them with reference to some prescribed terms, thus discriminating the end of a program or recorded region, then finds the start position of it. In a preferred form, the search process includes appropriate stepwise acceleration/deceleration of advancing speed of the record medium. The invention results in a simple and inexpensive construction of an automatic search apparatus for various application fields.