Binary Jazz — Free Music Genre Classification API (No Key)

TL;DR

Binary Jazz is a free music information retrieval API that analyzes audio features. Classify genres from song names and artists, detect tempo (BPM), analyze mood and energy levels, identify key and scale, and categorize musical eras. Each analysis returns genre tags with confidence scores, tempo, mood descriptors, and related musical characteristics. No audio file upload needed — just provide song metadata. JSON format, no API key. Perfect for music recommendation engines, playlist curators, and DJ tools.

Quick start: https://binaryjazz.us/genre-api/?name=Cantaloupe%20Island&artist=Herbie%20Hancock

No API key needed — just make a request!

How to Use This API

1. Classify a Song by Name and Artist

https://binaryjazz.us/genre-api/?name=Cantaloupe%20Island&artist=Herbie%20Hancock

2. Search by Era or Mood

https://binaryjazz.us/genre-api/?name=Superstition&artist=Stevie%20Wonder

3. JavaScript — Analyze Multiple Tracks

const tracks = [
  { name: 'So What', artist: 'Miles Davis' },
  { name: 'Take Five', artist: 'Dave Brubeck' }
];

Promise.all(tracks.map(t =>
  fetch(`https://binaryjazz.us/genre-api/?name=${encodeURIComponent(t.name)}&artist=${encodeURIComponent(t.artist)}`)
    .then(r => r.json())
)).then(results => {
  results.forEach((r, i) => {
    console.log(`${tracks[i].name}: ${r.genre} (conf: ${r.confidence})`);
  });
});

4. Python — Batch Genre Analysis

import requests

songs = [
    ('Watermelon Man', 'Herbie Hancock'),
    ('Spain', 'Chick Corea'),
    ('Maiden Voyage', 'Herbie Hancock'),
]
for name, artist in songs:
    data = requests.get(
        'https://binaryjazz.us/genre-api/',
        params={'name': name, 'artist': artist}
    ).json()
    print(f"{name} by {artist}: {data.get('genre', 'N/A')} " +
          f"(tempo: {data.get('tempo', '?')})")

Classify Cantaloupe Island: https://binaryjazz.us/genre-api/?name=Cantaloupe%20Island&artist=Herbie%20Hancock

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Frequently Asked Questions

What parameters does the API accept?: Required: name (song title). Optional: artist (for better accuracy). The API uses The Echo Nest / Spotify data sources.
What musical features are returned?: Genre classification (with confidence), tempo (BPM), energy level, danceability, mood (happy/sad/mellow/energetic), key, and musical era.
How accurate is the genre classification?: Accuracy depends on song popularity and how well the audio features match known genre patterns. Mainstream genres (jazz, rock, pop, hip-hop) typically have higher confidence.
Does it work with obscure tracks?: Lesser-known tracks may return lower confidence scores or fall back to broader genre categories. The API is best suited for commercially released music.
Can I use this for commercial applications?: Binary Jazz is a free API. Check the website for terms of service regarding commercial use of genre analysis data.
How fast are responses?: Typical responses complete in under one second. The API uses cached analysis data rather than real-time audio processing.

API Details

API URL: https://binaryjazz.us/genre-api/
Documentation: binaryjazz.us/genre-api-docs
Category: Music
Authentication: Not Required
Geographic Coverage: Global

What You Can Build

Music discovery app recommending similar songs by genre proximity
Playlist analyzer showing tempo curves and genre diversity stats
DJ tool that suggests BPM-matched tracks for smooth transitions
Music library tagger auto-categorizing your collection by genre
Mood-based music visualizer mapping energy and danceability