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MusicBrainz vs Songlink / Odesli

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

APIMusicBrainzHEALTHY82Songlink / OdesliDYING12
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d90.2%17.6%
Uptime · 30d86.7%11.7%
P50 · ms6601338
P95 · ms47704665
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0Unverified
Free tierFree — no key requiredFree tier — key may be required
Rate limit~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent requiredUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

MusicBrainz vs Songlink / Odesli: common questions

Which is more reliable, MusicBrainz or Songlink / Odesli?

On our scheduled checks, MusicBrainz leads on measured uptime — MusicBrainz at 90.2% versus Songlink / Odesli at 17.6% 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, MusicBrainz or Songlink / Odesli?

MusicBrainz has the lower median latency in our checks — MusicBrainz responds in 660 ms versus Songlink / Odesli at 1338 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 MusicBrainz and Songlink / Odesli need an API key?

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

Can I call MusicBrainz and Songlink / Odesli from the browser?

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

Are MusicBrainz and Songlink / Odesli free for commercial use?

MusicBrainz allows commercial use on its free tier, and Songlink / Odesli 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.