What Is a Music API – Everything You Should Know

Music has continued to transform over the years in the digital space. This evolution has led to more music services popping up on the internet. Software developers continue to create applications that you can use to keep up with music. Some of those applications are the music APIs. Music API is an application programming interface that you can use to combine music and music data. There are many music APIs out there today, and they offer different types of services. A music API provides some services: album data, lyrics, song streaming, concert details, artists, labels, and much more. With the many music platforms out there today and it can be hard to figure out the best. If you want to enhance your music applications, check out this list of music APIs below.

Last.FM API

One of the top music APIs out there is the Last.FM API. It is a music API that offers users a vast music collection. As a user of this website, you can create a profile, track music, access music charts, check out music recommendations, and so much more. You even have the opportunity to interact with other music lovers on the platform. You can easily access the platform on your various devices. There are different available methods you can access the music data resources available on the platform. The best part is that Last.FM API offers its services for free to users. However, there are extra features you will have to pay for. If you also don’t like ads, you can pay the $3 monthly subscription for all the features.

Last.FM API has hundreds of thousands of listeners on its platform. It is pretty popular because of its easy-to-use interface and simple navigation. It comes with an all-inclusive toolset that allows you to integrate the services you offer into the app—the documentation of Last.FM API is comprehensive. It comes with sample codes you will find helpful.

Spotify Music API

Another music API you want to explore as a developer is Spotify API. This platform provides you with access to millions of songs across different genres. You can play these songs on your PC, smartphone, or any device you prefer. Music lovers and musicians alike have many features they can explore on the platform. You can check out the audio elements of your favorite songs. You can also explore different attributes of the music, like valence and its danceability. As a developer, you can add Spotify to your application to provide your users with recommendations. Users can also search for artists, tracks, playlists, and tracks on this music API.

Spotify has two subscriptions to offer its users. The free subscription allows listeners to listen to some songs for free and access some of its features. However, the paid subscription of $9.99 monthly comes with no ads, offline music, and so much more. Spotify is famous because of its unique features. It boasts of over 180 million listeners on the platform, and it is available in several countries. This music API makes the list of best music APIs because of its excellent documentation. There’s also a community of developers on the API who don’t mind helping each other make the most of the service.

iTunes Music API

iTunes is owned by Apple and is a media management platform. People use this music platform to play and manage audio and music video. You can use this music platform on Windows and your Apple devices. Some of these music API features include a search feature. It allows you to search for your favorite artists and songs on the application. iTunes will enable participants to join the Affiliate Program. This program requires participants to put promotional content of the music API on their website. This promotional content could include clips of songs, album arts, music videos, and more. The affiliate program participants earn a commission whenever a user clicks the promotional content and purchases on the store.

iTunes music API is free for every listener, but you can make music and album purchase on the platform. It is, however, not compulsory, and you can use it without subscribing. iTunes is quite popular and has millions of paying subscribers to boast of. There is a developer community on the platform that is ready to support each other. There is also detailed documentation on the platform. Therefore, you’re assured of everything being in place on the platform.

Deezer Music API

Deezer is a music streaming platform where you can find a vast collection of music. Users can play their favorite music on different devices conveniently. This music API is highly functional. You can easily access the data on the platform. Some available information you can check out on the platform includes radio, comments, playlists, albums, track users, and much more. You can use this music API for free. Alternatively, you can opt for premium services, which are about $4.99 every month.

This platform is quite popular worldwide as people use it to meet their online music needs. It boasts of millions of users in over 200 countries. This platform allows you to integrate this music service into your application to access their favorite music. Using Deezer documentation for your API, SDKs, plugins is relatively easy. Integrating this music API into your website is seamless, which makes it a top music API choice.

SoundCloud Music API

A top digital music streaming service that makes the list of top music APIs is SoundCloud. It allows you to gain access to its vast library of songs both on mobile devices and the website. As a user of SoundCloud, you can upload music on the platform, share, and promote music items. SoundCloud boasts of users from around the world. Therefore, location is not a barrier for its users. Some of these music API features include applications that allow you to increase sounds on the web to great heights. It offers you endpoints when you complete different tasks on the platform.

SoundCloud has a free version. However, you will have to sign up to enjoy some of its best features. The pro account is available at €8.25 monthly. With over 175 million users of SoundCloud, it’s safe to say this music API is popular. Therefore, you can use it to enhance your application seamlessly.

Apple Music API

Just like iTunes, this is another of Apple’s music APIs. This music streaming platform allows users to stream music videos and audios online and offline. It integrates with the iTunes library to provide a personalized music collection for users. It is one music streaming platform that allows developers to incorporate music into their websites and apps. Although it is for iOS only, it also allows you to enjoy its services on the webs. Whatever information you want about music like artists, playlists, albums, and more, you can access it. It also allows you to enjoy playback. Once a user grants you access, you’re allowed to retrieve and amend the user’s data.

This music API is subscription-free. However, you can join the site’s Affiliate Program. You get to earn a commission whenever Apple music sells. This streaming service is quite popular in the iOS world, with over 60 million subscribers. Developers will find it easy to use due to the detailed documentation on how to utilize the API. Also, you can join the developer’s community to learn and help others with their Apple products.

Musixmatch API

If you love lyrics, Musixmatch is the music service for you. Users can search for their favorite lyrics, access over fifty language translations, and share the lyrics on various platforms. It is one of the best music APIs, and it allows you to integrate lyrics into your application. This API can carry out extra tasks like providing you with a list of top artists in every country. It could also get you a list of top songs in any country you want. It’s easy to get details about songs and search for your preferred song on the platform. The best part is that it supports other streaming platforms like iTunes and Spotify.

With over 15 million lyrics on the platform and over 40 million users, this platform is no stranger to the world. You can access some of Musixmatch’s services for free, but to enjoy all the lyrics you want, you need to subscribe at a $1.5 cost per impression every month. It offers developers API documentation to guide you through the process. Also, you can access the API playground where developers test their API’s functionality.

Shoutcast API

Shoutcast isn’t necessarily a music service. It is an online site where broadcasters can stream their radio content to any mobile device they want. It offers developers a directory of radio stations to access and include in your application. You could also integrate this music API into your website and other platforms. All users have to do is search for their favorite station and check what is playing on the station. You can sort the stations by popularity or alphabetically. There are several tasks on the platform you can perform to earn endpoints.

Shoutcast is entirely free for Shoutcast partners to explore. It covers more than 50,000 radio stations worldwide, so it would be difficult to miss a popular radio station. You can conveniently listen and vibe to music on your favorite radio station. There’s a wiki page for developers who want to implement the Shoutcast API on their application or website. You will learn different methods that might seem tricky to you at first.

Mixcloud API

One of the best Music APIs that allows users to browse and stream music is Mixcloud. It allows users to upload different content on the platform, including radio shows, podcasts, and even DJ mixes. Users can also include their social networking widgets on the platform to efficiently share content across the internet. This API allows you to develop an application that can easily access its database. Some activities on the platform include user’s display info, music collection, uploading, and editing shows. In addition, this API is entirely free and has more than 16 million users every month on the platform. It is a leading choice for music lovers and developers because of its simple design and easy usability. If you want to integrate this API on your website or app, Mixcloud offers enough documentation to get started.

Chartmetric API

We love this music API because it offers analytical data of music and artists to people. It collects its metrics from different sources and allows users to track and measure artists’ data and playlists. With this information, artists can be more informed on their success and make better decisions. Registered users have access to album statistics, curator chat, fan metric, and more. It has a free plan, but you need to sign up for a paid plan for advanced features. This music service continues to grow in popularity and offers users over 1 million playlists. There are also 1.3 million artists on the platform, so it will be hard to miss your favorite artist.

Final thoughts

We’ve reviewed the list of 9+ music APIs. Developers are continually looking for the best music APIs, and this article covers the best you can find. These music services are easy to integrate into your application, and most of them come with documentation to make the process seamless for you today. Scroll through and find the best API to keep visitors on your platform entertained.

#explore...

#rockstar

MORE ARTICLES FROM OUR BLOG