musicbrainz-mcp-server

musicbrainz-mcp-server: get recording

musicbrainz_get_recording

Read-onlyIdempotent

Recording (a specific performance, distinct from the abstract work) by MBID: length, artist credits, ISRCs, release appearances, work relationships, and performer/production credits with attributes and dates. Relationships are not capped. Browse release appearances with musicbrainz_browse_entities (target_type=release, link.recording). Browse recording by work enumerates recording entities; this tool supplies their work relationship details.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`mbid`	Yes	Recording MBID (hyphenated hexadecimal UUID; surrounding whitespace and uppercase accepted).
`inc_relationships`	No	Include performance/production relationships (performers, producers, engineers) and work-rels.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`mbid`	No	Recording MBID.
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`isrcs`	No	ISRCs assigned to this recording (may be empty).
`title`	No	Recording title.
`length`	No	Recording length as m:ss. Omitted when unknown.
`releases`	No	Releases this recording appears on (may be empty).
`artistCredit`	No	Credited artists (may be empty).
`externalLinks`	No	External resource links (url-rels) (may be empty).
`relationships`	No	Performance/production relationships and work-rels (may be empty).
`disambiguation`	No	Short qualifier. Omitted when absent.
`firstReleaseDate`	No	Earliest release date for this recording. Omitted when absent.
`artistCreditString`	No	Display string of the artist credit with join phrases.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedOct 13, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / mbid / description

Previous value: -"Recording MBID (36-character UUID)."New value: +"Recording MBID (hyphenated hexadecimal UUID; surrounding whitespace and uppercase accepted)."

addedInput schema / properties / mbid / pattern

Added value: +"^\\s*[0-9A-Fa-f]{8}-[0-9A-Fa-f]{4}-[0-9A-Fa-f]{4}-[0-9A-Fa-f]{4}-[0-9A-Fa-f]{12}\\s*$"

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description

Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `invalid_mbid`: The MBID is malformed or the all-zeros sentinel (MusicBrainz returns HTTP 400). `entity_not_found`: The MBID is well-formed but no recording exists with it (MusicBrainz returns HTTP 404). Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `invalid_mbid`: The MBID is malformed or the all-zeros sentinel (rejected before fetch), or MusicBrainz rejects it with HTTP 400. `entity_not_found`: The MBID is well-formed but no recording exists with it (MusicBrainz returns HTTP 404). Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 21, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "mbid",
+      "title",
+      "artistCredit",
+      "artistCreditString",
+      "isrcs",
+      "releases",
+      "relationships",
+      "externalLinks"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `invalid_mbid`: The MBID is malformed or the all-zeros sentinel (MusicBrainz returns HTTP 400). `entity_not_found`: The MBID is well-formed but no recording exists with it (MusicBrainz returns HTTP 404). Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "invalid_mbid",
+            "entity_not_found"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "mbid",
-  "title",
-  "artistCredit",
-  "artistCreditString",
-  "isrcs",
-  "releases",
-  "relationships",
-  "externalLinks"
-]

First observedJun 16, 2026

TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint and openWorldHint, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds a genuinely non-obvious behavioral trait: 'Relationships are not capped,' warning that the response payload can grow unbounded when inc_relationships is on. It still omits any mention of MusicBrainz rate limits or what happens on an unknown MBID.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the entity definition and disambiguation, then field list, then routing guidance - a sensible priority order with no filler. The sentences are long and clause-heavy, but each carries distinct information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, the description need not explain return values, and it correctly focuses on scope, entity disambiguation and routing to siblings. Remaining gaps are minor: no error behavior for invalid MBIDs and no note on request rate constraints for this open-world API.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%: the mbid format/whitespace behavior and what inc_relationships includes are already fully documented in the schema. The description's echo of 'performer/production credits' and its 'not capped' note are the only additions, so the baseline 3 for a schema-driven parameter set is appropriate.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Names a specific verb and resource (get a recording by MBID) and immediately disambiguates it from the abstract work entity, which is the most likely confusion among siblings like musicbrainz_get_work. It then enumerates the payload (length, artist credits, ISRCs, release appearances, work relationships, credits), so an agent knows exactly what it gets back.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly routes two related needs to the right tools: release appearances to musicbrainz_browse_entities (with target_type=release, link.recording) and work-enumeration to the browse-recording-by-work path, positioning this tool as the source of work-relationship detail. It never states when NOT to call this tool (e.g. when only a search hit is needed), so it falls short of the full when/when-not/alternatives rubric.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All musicbrainz-mcp-server tools Inspect

Try in Browser

One endpoint for every MCP toolRayrun runs every MCP server behind one URL and holds the credentials. Each call is decided per client, tool, and argument, then recorded.ray.runAd

Glama MCP Gateway

Add one secure layer between your agents and this server.