shipapis
StarSubmit an APISubmit API

IMDb-API vs MusicBrainz

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

APIIMDb-APIREACHABLE—MusicBrainzNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthapiKeynone
CORSnoyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial usenoyes
Data licenseThird-party scrape — not official IMDbCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
Free tierFree tier with daily capFree — no key required
Rate limitUnpublished~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent required
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

IMDb-API vs MusicBrainz: common questions

Which is more reliable, IMDb-API or MusicBrainz?

On our scheduled checks, MusicBrainz leads on measured uptime — IMDb-API 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 IMDb-API and MusicBrainz need an API key?

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

Can I call IMDb-API and MusicBrainz from the browser?

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

Are IMDb-API and MusicBrainz free for commercial use?

IMDb-API is personal/non-commercial only, 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.