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Bandcamp vs MusicBrainz

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APIBandcampHEALTHY97MusicBrainzHEALTHY82
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%90.2%
Uptime · 30d100%86.7%
P50 · ms274660
P95 · ms9774770
AuthapiKeynone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseUnverifiedCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
Free tierFree tier — API key requiredFree — no key required
Rate limitUnpublished~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent required
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Bandcamp vs MusicBrainz: common questions

Which is more reliable, Bandcamp or MusicBrainz?

On our scheduled checks, Bandcamp leads on measured uptime — Bandcamp at 100% versus MusicBrainz at 90.2% over 90 days. These are our own probe results, not provider claims; the uptime bars above show the day-by-day record for both.

Which is faster, Bandcamp or MusicBrainz?

Bandcamp has the lower median latency in our checks — Bandcamp responds in 274 ms versus MusicBrainz at 660 ms (P50). Tail latency (P95) is in the table above; for most workloads the median is the number that shapes how the API feels.

Do Bandcamp and MusicBrainz need an API key?

MusicBrainz needs no key, while Bandcamp requires a free API key. If you want to start calling without signup, reach for MusicBrainz first.

Can I call Bandcamp and MusicBrainz from the browser?

Only MusicBrainz is browser-friendly — it returns CORS headers over HTTPS. Bandcamp needs a server-side call or proxy, so factor that into which one fits a front-end project.

Are Bandcamp and MusicBrainz free for commercial use?

Bandcamp has unclear commercial terms, and MusicBrainz allows commercial use on its free tier. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.