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MusicBrainz vs Openwhyd

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

APIMusicBrainzNEW—OpenwhydNEW—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
Authnonenone
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0Unverified
Free tierFree — no key requiredFree — no key required
Rate limit~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent requiredUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

MusicBrainz vs Openwhyd: common questions

Which is more reliable, MusicBrainz or Openwhyd?

On our scheduled checks, Openwhyd leads on measured uptime — MusicBrainz at —% versus Openwhyd 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 MusicBrainz and Openwhyd need an API key?

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

Can I call MusicBrainz and Openwhyd from the browser?

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

Are MusicBrainz and Openwhyd free for commercial use?

MusicBrainz allows commercial use on its free tier, and Openwhyd has unclear commercial terms. 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.