# MusicBrainz Scraper - Music Metadata Database (`lulzasaur/musicbrainz-scraper`) Actor Search MusicBrainz open music database. Get artists, releases, recordings, works, and labels with full metadata. 50M+ recordings, 3M+ artists. No auth required. Respects 1 req/sec rate limit. - **URL**: https://apify.com/lulzasaur/musicbrainz-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [lulz bot](https://apify.com/lulzasaur) (community) - **Categories:** E-commerce - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $10.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## MusicBrainz Scraper Scrape the MusicBrainz open music database for artist discographies. Search by artist name and get full release lists with dates, labels, formats, barcodes, and optional track listings. ### What does MusicBrainz Scraper do? This scraper uses the free MusicBrainz JSON API to find artists and extract their complete release catalogs. For each artist query, it: 1. Searches MusicBrainz for the best matching artist 2. Browses all releases (albums, singles, EPs, compilations) by that artist 3. Optionally fetches detailed track listings for each release ### Features - Search multiple artists in a single run - Full pagination — fetch up to 1,000 releases per artist - Automatic rate limiting — respects MusicBrainz 1 request/second policy - 503 backoff handling — graceful retry on rate limit responses - Optional track listings with per-track duration and disc number - Rich metadata: labels, catalog numbers, barcodes, formats, release status ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | `searchQueries` | string[] | `["Radiohead"]` | Artist names to search | | `maxResults` | integer | `50` | Max releases per artist (1-1000) | | `includeRecordings` | boolean | `false` | Include track listings (slower) | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | — | Optional proxy configuration | ### Output Example ```json { "artistName": "Radiohead", "artistMbid": "a74b1b7f-71a5-4011-9441-d0b5e4122711", "releaseName": "OK Computer", "releaseMbid": "a1c35a51-f9c2-4d3a-8cfc-3b0c37899fb0", "releaseDate": "1997-06-16", "country": "GB", "status": "Official", "barcode": "724385522925", "label": "Parlophone", "catalogNumber": "CDNODATA 02", "format": "CD", "trackCount": 12, "disambiguation": "", "sourceUrl": "https://musicbrainz.org/release/a1c35a51-f9c2-4d3a-8cfc-3b0c37899fb0", "scrapedAt": "2026-04-26T00:00:00.000Z", "recordings": [ { "position": 1, "disc": 1, "title": "Airbag", "length": 284066, "lengthFormatted": "4:44", "recordingMbid": "b3015bab-1540-4d4b-9b84-a0f1e8b9a989" } ] } ```` The `recordings` array is only included when `includeRecordings` is set to `true`. ### How much does it cost? MusicBrainz Scraper uses pay-per-event pricing at **$0.50 per 1,000 results**. | Results | Estimated Cost | |---------|---------------| | 50 | ~$0.025 | | 200 | ~$0.10 | | 500 | ~$0.25 | | 1,000 | ~$0.50 | ### Rate Limiting MusicBrainz requires a maximum of 1 request per second. This scraper enforces a 1.1-second delay between all API calls and handles 503 responses with a 5-second backoff. When `includeRecordings` is enabled, each release requires an additional API call, so runs take longer. ### Tips - Start with `maxResults: 10` and `includeRecordings: true` to explore an artist's catalog - Use `includeRecordings: false` for large runs to avoid the per-release detail call - Popular artists like "Radiohead" or "The Beatles" may have 200+ releases including regional editions - The `status` field distinguishes Official releases from Bootleg, Promotional, etc. - MusicBrainz data is community-maintained and highly accurate for most major artists # Actor input Schema ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Artist names to search for in MusicBrainz. Each query will find the top matching artist and scrape their releases. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of releases to return per artist. ## `includeRecordings` (type: `boolean`): If enabled, fetches full track listings for each release. This is slower because it requires an extra API call per release. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Optional proxy to use for requests. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "Radiohead" ], "maxResults": 50, "includeRecordings": false } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "searchQueries": [ "Radiohead" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("lulzasaur/musicbrainz-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "searchQueries": ["Radiohead"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("lulzasaur/musicbrainz-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "searchQueries": [ "Radiohead" ] }' | apify call lulzasaur/musicbrainz-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=lulzasaur/musicbrainz-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "MusicBrainz Scraper - Music Metadata Database", "description": "Search MusicBrainz open music database. Get artists, releases, recordings, works, and labels with full metadata. 50M+ recordings, 3M+ artists. No auth required. Respects 1 req/sec rate limit.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "gFCKFEKSa3oWpm7EF" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/lulzasaur~musicbrainz-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-lulzasaur-musicbrainz-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/lulzasaur~musicbrainz-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-lulzasaur-musicbrainz-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/lulzasaur~musicbrainz-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-lulzasaur-musicbrainz-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "searchQueries": { "title": "Search Queries", "type": "array", "description": "Artist names to search for in MusicBrainz. Each query will find the top matching artist and scrape their releases.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results Per Artist", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of releases to return per artist.", "default": 50 }, "includeRecordings": { "title": "Include Recordings (Track Listings)", "type": "boolean", "description": "If enabled, fetches full track listings for each release. This is slower because it requires an extra API call per release.", "default": false }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Optional proxy to use for requests." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```