Our most recent list of top music APIs encompass a variety of services, including online song streaming, concert information, download stores, artist, label, song, and album data & metadata, free music, and touring bands. There are quite a few changes from our 2015 article about top music APIs, mainly due to shut down services, digital rights changes, and new services popping up.
Developers looking to enhance their music applications can start by checking out this list. The list of top APIs selected below is based on popularity according to followers data from ProgrammableWeb members.
1. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an audio platform that enables anyone to upload, record, promote and share their sounds across the web, and it is popular. A whopping 634 members of ProrammableWeb follow this API (that is, they have added it to their "tracked" API watchlist, which enables them to receive updates when there are changes to the API profile). The SoundCloud API makes most of the features from SoundCloud.com available to app developers. With the help of its SDKs it's easy to integrate functionality like audio sharing and recording directly into iOS, Android and web apps.
2. Last.fm
Coming in with 566 followers is the Last.fm API. This API has been in the directory since 2005, and it gives users the ability to build programs using Last.fm data, whether on the web, the desktop or mobile devices. The RESTful API allows for read and write access to the full slate of last.fm music data resources - albums, artists, playlists, events, users, and more. It allows users to call methods that respond in either XML or JSON.
3. Discogs
Discogs is another API that has been in the directory for many years, since 2007. Discogs is a giant comprehensive music database and marketplace. The Discogs API has been tracked by 201 members, and enables developers to build applications using the database of artists, releases, and labels. It also enables functions to manage user collections and wantlists, create marketplace listings, and more. Discogs is constantly growing as users submit releases to the database. Some Discogs data is made available under the CC0 No Rights Reserved license, and some is restricted data
4. Spotify
Spotify is a subscription music streaming service. The Spotify Web API allows developers to use their application to get data from the Spotify music catalog. The endpoints results in JSON format providing information such as artists, albums, and tracks directly from the Spotify catalog. Depending on user's authorization, the API can also provide developers access to user-related data i.e. playlists and musics saved in user's library. More than 180 members track this API.
5. Songkick
The Songkick API gives users access to the "biggest live music database in the world", including over 6 million upcoming and past concerts. The API features data about upcoming and past events, plus data about a user's tracked events. Responses are JSON or XML. It's another ProgrammableWeb member favorite with 159 followers.
6. Bandsintown
Bandsintown allows users to view local concerts and gives live music recommendations. The Bandsintown concert API allows apps to display event information, and is designed for enterprise partners with media applications that would like to list an artist's events and provide their users with the ability to buy tickets and RSVP to these events. In order to use the Bandsintown API, a developer must have written consent from Bandsintown Inc. More than 140 ProgrammableWeb users follow this API.
7. 7Digital
7Digital is an open music catalogue of tens of millions of songs fully licensed by all major labels and indies. The 7digital API enables partners to create or enhance applications with music downloads, radio or on-demand streaming, or even experiment with brand new type of music services. The API returns information about catalogues, artists, charts, releases, playlists, user management, subscriptions, purchasing, payments, and more. It has 116 followers.
8. Musixmatch
Musixmatch is the world's largest catalog of song lyrics and translations. The Musixmatch lyrics API is 100% legal, because it pays licensing fees. Search for songs by artist, title or lyrics. Receive the lyrics in return. The API also provides detailed metadata about the artists who performed it, the genre, influences, related artists and more. 99 members follow this API.
Get lyrics by artists, songs, or phrases with this API. Screenshot: Musixmatch
9. Bandcamp
Bandcamp is a music discovery website and marketplace where artists can provide tracks to stream or download and earn money from music sales. The Bandcamp API features a RESTful interface and returns data in the JSON format, and provides users with artist accounts, label accounts, or partnerships information. It also returns song sales information and allows management of merchandise orders and shipments. The API has 65 ProgrammableWeb members tracking it.
10. Internet Archive
Internet Archive is a non-profit that offers free online library and repository with free books, music, movies, software, and websites. The Internet Archive REST API allows developers to access and integrate the functionality and content from Internet Archive with other applications. Some example API methods include pulling a user's bookmarks, searching and retrieving search results, and accessing top level pages. It also returns metadata. It currently has 37 followers.
11. Blip.fm
Blip.fm is free online streaming radio platform. Users can listen to programs, or create their own station (Blip). The Blip.fm API enables users to retrieve data about stations (Blips), DJs, favorites, most recent Blips, users, playlists, manage preferences and more. This API is also tracked by 37 ProgrammableWeb members.
12. Apple Music
Apple Music is a music subscription service for paying Apple device users. The Apple Music API is the web services portion of MusicKit. Using the Apple Music API users can access information about albums, songs, artists, and playlists in the Apple Music catalog. The API currently is followed by 33 members.
If you didn't find the right API for your music application, have no fear. The ProgrammableWebMusic category has more than 300 APIs listed, as well as 320+ SDKs and more than 90 source code samples.