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MusicBrainz vs TMDb

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

APIMusicBrainzHEALTHY82TMDbREACHABLE100
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d90.2%100%
Uptime · 30d86.7%100%
P50 · ms660352
P95 · ms47701528
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesno
Data licenseCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0TMDb terms — attribution required
Free tierFree — no key requiredFree personal API key
Rate limit~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent required~50 req/sec documented ceiling
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

MusicBrainz vs TMDb: common questions

Which is more reliable, MusicBrainz or TMDb?

On our scheduled checks, TMDb leads on measured uptime — MusicBrainz at 90.2% versus TMDb at 100% 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 TMDb?

TMDb has the lower median latency in our checks — MusicBrainz responds in 660 ms versus TMDb at 352 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 TMDb need an API key?

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

Can I call MusicBrainz and TMDb from the browser?

Yes — both MusicBrainz and TMDb send CORS headers over HTTPS, so front-end code can fetch either directly with no backend proxy. That makes them easy to swap in a client-side app while you compare responses.

Are MusicBrainz and TMDb free for commercial use?

MusicBrainz allows commercial use on its free tier, and TMDb is personal/non-commercial only. 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.