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MusicBrainz vs Trakt

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

APIMusicBrainzNEW—TraktREACHABLE—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesno
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0Trakt terms — user-contributed data
Free tierFree — no key requiredFree OAuth application
Rate limit~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent required1,000 req every 5 min documented
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

MusicBrainz vs Trakt: common questions

Which is more reliable, MusicBrainz or Trakt?

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

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

Can I call MusicBrainz and Trakt from the browser?

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

Are MusicBrainz and Trakt free for commercial use?

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