# MusicBrainz API: Get artist by name > Looks up an artist or band on MusicBrainz by name, optionally narrowed by country, and returns reference details, recorded members, aliases, genres and official links. Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by MusicBrainz. - Page: https://fous.com/methods/musicbrainz.org/get-artist - Method: `musicbrainz.org/get_artist`, version 1 - Website: musicbrainz.org - Returns: name, type, country, home area, dates, members, aliases, genres, official links, MusicBrainz and ISNI/IPI ids - Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing) - Sign-in: none needed - Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free - Verified: Nov 2, 2026 ## Inputs | Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `artist` | string | yes | `"Nirvana"` | Artist or band name, for example Nirvana. | | `country` | string | no | | Two-letter country code to distinguish artists with the same name, for example US. Default "". | ## Output From a run on Oct 23, 2026, shortened. Its input: ```json { "artist": "Nirvana" } ``` Its output: ```json { "name": "Nirvana", "type": "Group", "gender": null, "genres": [ "acoustic rock", "alternative metal", "alternative pop" ], "aliases": [ "Nirvana", "Nirvana US", "ニルヴァーナ" ], "country": "US", "members": [ { "link": "https://musicbrainz.org/artist/86d3f2c7-2a19-4249-ad7c-6feec74118d7", "name": "Aaron Burckhard", "years": "1987–1987", "instruments": [ "drums (drum set)" ] }, { "link": "https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e2f28104-72bb-4c8f-b0f9-78d4eaf492fd", "name": "Chad Channing", "years": "1988–1990", "instruments": [ "drums (drum set)" ] }, { "link": "https://musicbrainz.org/artist/9b93a71b-1484-4bea-b096-f660c1161f8a", "name": "Dale Crover", "years": "1987–1990", "instruments": [ "drums (drum set)" ] } ], "end_date": "1994-04-05", "home_area": "Aberdeen", "ipi_codes": [], "begin_date": "1987", "isni_codes": [ "0000000123486830" ], "official_links": [ { "link": "https://music.amazon.com/artists/B001DTD5NQ", "label": "Amazon Music" }, { "link": "https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/112018", "label": "Apple Music" }, { "link": "https://music.apple.com/us/artist/112018", "label": "Apple Music" } ], "musicbrainz_link": "https://musicbrainz.org/artist/5b11f4ce-a62d-471e-81fc-a69a8278c7da", "musicbrainz_artist_id": "5b11f4ce-a62d-471e-81fc-a69a8278c7da" } ``` ## Run it From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output: ```bash curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"method":"musicbrainz.org/get_artist","input":{"artist":"Nirvana"}}' ``` From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`. ## Ask your agent - Find the band Radiohead and list their members, genres and official website - Who is the American artist named Jordan Mills? Show me their aliases and origin dates - Look up the Swedish group ABBA with country code SE and give their MusicBrainz id and ISNI - What genres and official links does the musicbrainz.org entry for Nirvana include? - Get the reference details, type and home area for the French singer Clara Luciani ## Input schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "artist" ], "properties": { "artist": { "type": "string", "description": "Artist or band name, for example Nirvana." }, "country": { "type": "string", "default": "", "examples": [ "US" ], "description": "Two-letter country code to distinguish artists with the same name, for example US." } }, "additionalProperties": false } ``` ## Output schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "name", "type", "country", "home_area", "begin_date", "end_date", "gender", "members", "aliases", "genres", "official_links", "musicbrainz_link", "musicbrainz_artist_id", "isni_codes", "ipi_codes" ], "properties": { "name": { "type": "string" }, "type": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "gender": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "genres": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "aliases": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "country": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "members": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "name", "years", "instruments", "link" ], "properties": { "link": { "type": "string" }, "name": { "type": "string" }, "years": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "instruments": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" } } }, "additionalProperties": false } }, "end_date": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "home_area": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "ipi_codes": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "x-fous-developer": true }, "begin_date": { "type": [ "string", "null" ] }, "isni_codes": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "x-fous-developer": true }, "official_links": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "label", "link" ], "properties": { "link": { "type": "string" }, "label": { "type": "string" } }, "additionalProperties": false } }, "musicbrainz_link": { "type": "string" }, "musicbrainz_artist_id": { "type": "string", "x-fous-developer": true } }, "additionalProperties": false } ``` ## See more - [MusicBrainz API: Get song identifiers](https://fous.com/methods/musicbrainz.org/get-song-identifiers.md): Finds the best-matching studio recording on MusicBrainz for a song title and artist. Returns its ISRCs, first release date and up to 25 of its earliest releases. - [Apple API: Get artist](https://fous.com/methods/music.apple.com/get-artist.md): Gets an Apple Music artist profile by name or artist link. The profile includes the latest release, top songs and albums. - [Last.fm API: Get artist](https://fous.com/methods/last.fm/get-artist.md): Looks up a Last.fm artist by name and returns listening statistics, profile, top tracks and albums, similar artists, and upcoming events. - [Last.fm API: List similar artists](https://fous.com/methods/last.fm/list-similar-artists.md): Finds artists similar to a named artist on Last.fm, ordered by similarity. Similarity percentages are null because public pages do not show them. - [Songkick API: Get artist tour dates](https://fous.com/methods/songkick.com/get-artist-tour-dates.md): Gets an artist's upcoming concerts and tour dates on Songkick, optionally filtered by country, with ticket links and start times when listed. - [Spotify API: Get artist](https://fous.com/methods/open.spotify.com/get-artist.md): Gets a Spotify artist's public profile from their name, artist link or ID: listeners, followers, world rank, top cities, popular tracks, latest release and release counts. - [Apple API: Get album](https://fous.com/methods/music.apple.com/get-album.md): Finds an Apple Music album by title and optional artist, or by album link, and returns its matched release, purchase details and tracks in order. - [Deezer API: Get album](https://fous.com/methods/deezer.com/get-album.md): Looks up a Deezer album by name, album link, or ID, optionally matching an artist, and returns its details and ordered tracklist. - [All MusicBrainz methods](https://fous.com/methods/musicbrainz.org.md)