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IMDbOT vs MusicBrainz

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

APIIMDbOTDEAD0MusicBrainzHEALTHY82
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d25.5%90.2%
Uptime · 30d0.0%86.7%
P50 · ms1208660
P95 · ms17394770
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

IMDbOT vs MusicBrainz: common questions

Which is more reliable, IMDbOT or MusicBrainz?

On our scheduled checks, MusicBrainz leads on measured uptime — IMDbOT at 25.5% 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, IMDbOT or MusicBrainz?

MusicBrainz has the lower median latency in our checks — IMDbOT responds in 1208 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 IMDbOT and MusicBrainz need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — IMDbOT 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 IMDbOT and MusicBrainz from the browser?

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

Are IMDbOT and MusicBrainz free for commercial use?

IMDbOT 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.