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MusicBrainz vs TVDB

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

APIMusicBrainzNEW—TVDBREACHABLE—
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d—%—%
Uptime · 30d—%—%
P50 · ms——
P95 · ms——
AuthnoneapiKey
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useyesunclear
Data licenseCore data CC0; some supplementary data CC BY-NC-SA 3.0TVDB terms — user-contributed data
Free tierFree — no key requiredFree personal API key
Rate limit~1 request/second per IP; descriptive User-Agent requiredUnpublished
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

MusicBrainz vs TVDB: common questions

Which is more reliable, MusicBrainz or TVDB?

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

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

Can I call MusicBrainz and TVDB from the browser?

Yes — both MusicBrainz and TVDB 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 TVDB free for commercial use?

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