The purpose of this work is to elaborate an excitation theory of spin waves (SW) in anisotropic ferromagnetic films (FF). The theory takes into account both dipole–dipole and exchange interactions and also crystallographic anisotropy of a FF. An arbitrary value and type of anisotropy are considered in terms based on effective demagnetizing factors of anisotropy. Two cases of exchange boundary conditions, namely pinned and unpinned surface spins, are analyzed. Using earlier elaborated normal mode technique1spin‐wave Green functions described linear response of spin‐system of a anisotropic FF to the inhomogeneous microwave magnetic field are obtained. Owing to the explicit Green functions these forms are convenient for use in various problems of radiation and scattering of SW. As an example, we use these Green functions to calculate radiation resistance (RR) of a microstrip transducer. Analysis shows that ‘‘anisotropic’’ features of RR are connected with the peculiarities of dipole‐exchange SW spectrum of anisotropic films. Normal uniaxial and cubic anisotropy in perpendicularly magnetized films [for (111)and (100)‐oriented films] causes the shift of RR frequency dependences only. In all other cases dependence of RR on propagation direction of SW takes place. Normal uniaxial and cubic anisotropy in the tangentially magnetized films [e.g., for (111)and (100)‐oriented films] causes unusual behavior of RR as frequency function owing to the new ‘‘anisotropic’’ branches of SW spectrum. It should be noted that expressions obtained for RR are convenient for practical calculations of characteristics of magnetostatic wave devices based on FF with large anisotropy.