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TheAudioDB

TheAudioDB is a community-driven music database that provides comprehensive artist information, high-quality artwork, and detailed metadata. It offers excellent coverage across all music genres and works with both artist name searches and MusicBrainz IDs for maximum flexibility.

What TheAudioDB Provides

Content Types:

  • Artist banners and promotional images
  • Detailed artist biographies and background information
  • Fan art and background images
  • Artist logos and graphics
  • Artist thumbnails and photos
  • Website links and social media information

Strengths:

  • Comprehensive artist coverage across all genres
  • Detailed biographies with rich background information
  • Fallback artist name search when MusicBrainz IDs aren't available
  • Good balance of mainstream and independent artist coverage
  • Multiple image types and variations per artist

Flexibility:

  • Works with MusicBrainz Artist IDs (preferred for accuracy)
  • Falls back to artist name search when IDs unavailable
  • Good coverage for both popular and lesser-known artists

Setup

TheAudioDB Settings

Note: TheAudioDB settings are located under Artist Data in the settings menu.

API Access

  1. Visit TheAudioDB API Guide
  2. Register for an account and request an API key
  3. Copy your API key once provided
  4. Paste it into the What's Now Playing TheAudioDB settings

Media Requirements

TheAudioDB works with minimal requirements:

  • Artist name (minimum requirement)

  • MusicBrainz Artist ID (preferred for better accuracy)

  • Album/title information (helps with disambiguation)

How TheAudioDB Works

Lookup Strategy

TheAudioDB uses a two-tier approach for maximum coverage:

  1. Primary lookup: If MusicBrainz Artist ID is available
  2. Direct lookup using the unique MusicBrainz ID
  3. Highest accuracy and reliability

  4. Preferred method when available

  5. Fallback lookup: When no MusicBrainz ID is present

  6. Text search using artist name
  7. Good coverage but may require disambiguation
  8. Still provides comprehensive results

Content Quality

  • Community-curated database with quality standards
  • Rich biographical information from multiple sources
  • High-resolution artwork suitable for streaming
  • Regular updates and community contributions

Configuration Options

Content Selection

  • Enable biographies: Download detailed artist background information

  • Enable images: Download banners, fan art, logos, and thumbnails

  • Enable websites: Include artist social media and official links

  • MusicBrainz preference: Prioritize MusicBrainz ID lookups over name search

Performance Settings

  • Timeout configuration: Adjustable API request timeouts

  • Caching: All responses cached to minimize API usage

  • Rate limiting: Automatic throttling to respect API limits

Best Practices

Improve Accuracy

  • Enable MusicBrainz recognition for automatic Artist ID population
  • Use well-tagged music files with complete artist information
  • Consider using AcoustID to populate MusicBrainz data automatically
  • Keep consistent artist naming in your music library

Optimize Coverage

  • TheAudioDB excels as a comprehensive fallback service
  • Works well for artists not covered by FanArt.TV
  • Good balance between quality and coverage
  • Effective for both mainstream and independent artists

Performance Optimization

  • Let MusicBrainz run first to populate Artist IDs when possible
  • Fallback name search still provides excellent results
  • Cache settings help reduce API calls during live performances

Troubleshooting

No Results Found

  • Check artist name spelling: Verify against TheAudioDB.com manually

  • Try name variations: Remove articles like "The", try alternate spellings

  • Enable MusicBrainz: Provides more accurate lookups

  • Verify API key: Ensure API key is valid and active

Duplicate or Wrong Artists

  • Common artist names: Names like "Madonna" may return multiple matches

  • Use MusicBrainz IDs: Eliminates ambiguity with unique identifiers

  • Add album context: Additional metadata helps disambiguation

  • Check TheAudioDB manually: Verify correct artist exists in database

Missing Content Types

  • Artist coverage varies: Not all artists have complete information

  • Biography availability: Depends on community contributions

  • Image availability: Some artists may have limited artwork

  • Recent artists: Very new artists may not be in database yet

API Issues

  • Rate limiting: TheAudioDB has usage limits for API access

  • Network timeouts: Adjust timeout settings if experiencing issues

  • API key problems: Verify key is active and has proper permissions

  • Service availability: Check TheAudioDB service status

Integration with Other Services

TheAudioDB works excellently alongside other Artist Extras services:

  • Complement FanArt.TV: TheAudioDB for coverage, FanArt.TV for curated quality

  • Work with Discogs: Different strengths and artist coverage

  • Enhance with MusicBrainz: Provides accurate Artist IDs for better matching

  • Fallback strategy: Excellent as primary or secondary service

Community and Database

  • Community-driven: Built and maintained by music enthusiasts

  • Open contributions: Community members can add and edit information

  • Quality focus: Balance between comprehensive coverage and quality

  • Regular updates: Database continuously updated with new artists and information

  • Genre diversity: Strong coverage across all music genres and eras