MusicBrainz

API

Open music metadata API for artists, albums, and tracks

Overview

MusicBrainz provides RESTful endpoints to access open, community-curated music metadata including artists, releases (albums), recordings (tracks), works, and labels. It supports XML (default) and JSON response formats via the 'fmt' query parameter. Use cases include building music library organizers, integrating metadata into streaming apps, creating music discovery tools, or enriching content with accurate artist/album details. Endpoints allow searching by keyword, fetching entity details by ID, and browsing related entities like an artist’s discography.

Example Integration (JavaScript)

script.js JS


fetch('https://musicbrainz.org/doc/Development/XML_Web_Service/Version_2')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Key Features

RESTful API
XML/JSON support
Community-curated metadata
No mandatory API key
Search & browse endpoints

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is MusicBrainz free to use?

Yes, MusicBrainz is free for both non-commercial and commercial use, though commercial users should review the terms and consider contributing to the community project.

? Does it require an API Key?

No mandatory API key for basic use, but an optional user token helps avoid stricter rate limits and accesses some advanced features.

? What is the response format?

Defaults to XML, but JSON responses are available by adding the 'fmt=json' parameter to requests.

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Tool Info

Pricing Free

Category Music

Platform Public API

Pros

⊕ Free to use
⊕ Comprehensive music metadata
⊕ Open data license
⊕ Multiple response formats
⊕ Large community support

Cons

⊖ Rate-limited requests
⊖ XML default format
⊖ Complex query parameters for advanced use cases
⊖ No official SLA