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Imgur vs MusicBrainz

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

APIImgurNEW—MusicBrainzNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
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

Imgur vs MusicBrainz: common questions

Which is more reliable, Imgur or MusicBrainz?

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

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

Can I call Imgur and MusicBrainz from the browser?

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

Are Imgur and MusicBrainz free for commercial use?

Imgur 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.