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MusicBrainz vs Screenshotlayer

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

APIMusicBrainzNEW—ScreenshotlayerNEW—
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 — limits not published
Rate limit~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent requiredUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

MusicBrainz vs Screenshotlayer: common questions

Which is more reliable, MusicBrainz or Screenshotlayer?

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

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

Can I call MusicBrainz and Screenshotlayer from the browser?

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

Are MusicBrainz and Screenshotlayer free for commercial use?

MusicBrainz allows commercial use on its free tier, and Screenshotlayer 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.