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ColorMagic vs MusicBrainz

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

APIColorMagicDYING82MusicBrainzHEALTHY81
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d83.9%85.0%
Uptime · 30d51.7%96.7%
P50 · ms267463
P95 · ms30704770
Authnonenone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseUnverifiedCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
Free tierFree — limits not publishedFree — no key required
Rate limitUnpublished~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent required
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

ColorMagic vs MusicBrainz: common questions

Which is more reliable, ColorMagic or MusicBrainz?

On our scheduled checks, MusicBrainz leads on measured uptime — ColorMagic at 83.9% versus MusicBrainz at 85.0% 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, ColorMagic or MusicBrainz?

ColorMagic has the lower median latency in our checks — ColorMagic responds in 267 ms versus MusicBrainz at 463 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 ColorMagic and MusicBrainz need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — ColorMagic is callable with no signup, and MusicBrainz is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call ColorMagic and MusicBrainz from the browser?

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

Are ColorMagic and MusicBrainz free for commercial use?

ColorMagic 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.