Music Metadata & Discography Lookup •
Explore music metadata, MusicBrainz MBIDs, artist discographies, album tracklists, release dates, and live MusicBrainz database lookup.
🎧 Curated Artist Discographies
Explore foundational artists across genres with official MusicBrainz release group records.
The Beatles
b10bbbfc-cf9e-42e0-be17-e2c3e1d2600dWidely regarded as the most influential band of all time, integral to the 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form.
- Abbey Road (1969) • 17 tracks
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) • 13 tracks
Miles Davis
561d854a-6a28-4aa7-8c99-323e6ce46c2aAmerican jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer who spearheaded virtually every major post-WWII development in jazz music.
- Kind of Blue (1959) • 5 tracks
- Bitches Brew (1970) • 6 tracks
Daft Punk
056e4f3e-d505-4dad-8ec1-d04f521cbb56Legendary French electronic music duo formed by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, pioneering modern electronic dance music and synth-pop.
- Discovery (2001) • 14 tracks
- Random Access Memories (2013) • 13 tracks
Pink Floyd
83d91898-7763-47d7-b03b-b92132375c47English rock band famed for their philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, extended compositions, and elaborate live performances.
- The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) • 10 tracks
- Wish You Were Here (1975) • 5 tracks
David Bowie
5441c29d-3602-48f6-8977-1f11f29ac555Leading figure in popular music for over five decades, celebrated for his innovative musical reinvention, theatrical personae, and visual presentation.
- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972) • 11 tracks
- Heroes (1977) • 10 tracks
Radiohead
a74b1b7f-71a5-4011-9441-d0b5e4122711Renowned English art rock band praised for their experimental approach to song structure, electronic instrumentation, and evocative lyrical themes.
- OK Computer (1997) • 12 tracks
- Kid A (2000) • 10 tracks
🌐 Live MusicBrainz Web API Query
Query the official MusicBrainz open database to retrieve live artist records, MBID UUIDs, and disambiguation notes.
💾 Digital Audio Metadata & Tagging Standards
What is a MusicBrainz Identifier (MBID)?
An MBID is a permanently assigned 36-character UUID (universally unique identifier) that uniquely distinguishes an entity (artist, release, recording, work, or label) from homonyms and alias variations.
ID3v2 & Vorbis Comment Tags
MP3 files use ID3v2 metadata chunks, while FLAC and Ogg files utilize Vorbis Comments. Media managers (like Picard, foobar2000, and Roon) embed MBIDs into standard tag frames (e.g. TXXX:MusicBrainz Artist Id).
ISRC vs. UPC/EAN Barcode
An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) tracks an individual recorded audio track across international digital broadcasts. A UPC/EAN barcode identifies the physical or digital album package as a commercial retail product.
AcoustID Acoustic Fingerprinting
AcoustID computes an algorithmic acoustic fingerprint from the raw audio waveform, allowing audio players to identify unknown tracks even when file tags and filenames are completely missing.
About this tool
How to use it
- Browse the Curated Discographies tab to view landmark artist chronologies, release group metadata, and verified MusicBrainz UUIDs.
- Click 'View Full Discography' on any artist to open an album table detailing release years, track counts, and record labels.
- Switch to Live MusicBrainz Search to query the live MusicBrainz API for any contemporary or historical artist globally.
- Refer to the Audio Tagging Guide to understand how MBIDs, ISRCs, and Vorbis/ID3v2 tags interact in media library software.
Why it matters
Music streaming and physical record collecting depend on accurate, disambiguated metadata to track song releases, producer credits, and album masterings. MusicBrainz is the world's preeminent open music encyclopedia, providing standardized UUID identifiers (MBIDs) that solve catalog collisions.
When to use it
Use this tool when organizing a digital music collection, tagging FLAC or MP3 files, looking up artist release dates, or cross-referencing album metadata.
Common questions
What is a MusicBrainz Identifier (MBID)?
An MBID is a 36-character hexadecimal UUID permanently assigned to distinct artists, releases, and recordings in the MusicBrainz database to prevent naming confusion between artists sharing identical names.
What is the difference between a Release Group and a Release?
In MusicBrainz taxonomy, a Release Group represents the abstract album concept (e.g. 'Abbey Road'), while a Release represents a specific physical or digital edition (e.g. 1969 UK vinyl vs 2009 remastered CD).
What is an ISRC code?
The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is a 12-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies an individual audio or video recording for copyright and royalty accounting.
How can I automatically tag audio files using MBIDs?
You can use open-source tagging software such as MusicBrainz Picard, which reads audio fingerprints via AcoustID and embeds standardized MBID tags into file headers.