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Genius vs MusicBrainz

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

APIGeniusNEW—MusicBrainzNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthapiKeynone
CORSyesyes
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

Genius vs MusicBrainz: common questions

Which is more reliable, Genius or MusicBrainz?

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

Do Genius and MusicBrainz need an API key?

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

Can I call Genius and MusicBrainz from the browser?

Yes — both Genius and MusicBrainz send CORS headers over HTTPS, so front-end code can fetch either directly with no backend proxy. That makes them easy to swap in a client-side app while you compare responses.

Are Genius and MusicBrainz free for commercial use?

Genius 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.