Lyrics APIs
Lyrics APIs differ in licensing and timing data. LRCLIB is free, keyless and crowdsourced, returning plain or time-synced LRC lyrics matched by title, artist and duration. Genius pairs lyrics with community annotations but needs a paid license for commercial use, and Musixmatch adds subtitles and translations alongside catalog metadata on a freemium plan.
| API | Pricing | Auth | Format | Free tier | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GeniusSong lyrics, artist and community-annotation data from Genius; commercial use needs a paid license. Media & Entertainment › Music | Freemium | OAuth | JSON | — | Live |
LRCLIBCrowdsourced plain and time-synced (LRC) song lyrics, matched by track title, artist and duration. Media & Entertainment › Music | Free | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
MusixmatchSong lyrics, subtitles, translations and music catalog metadata (tracks, artists, albums, charts). Media & Entertainment › Music | Freemium | API key | JSON | — | Live |
GeniusFreemiumLive
Song lyrics, artist and community-annotation data from Genius; commercial use needs a paid license.
OAuth · JSON
—
no machine-readable spec
LRCLIBFreeLive
Crowdsourced plain and time-synced (LRC) song lyrics, matched by track title, artist and duration.
None · JSON
Unlimited
no machine-readable spec
MusixmatchFreemiumLive
Song lyrics, subtitles, translations and music catalog metadata (tracks, artists, albums, charts).
API key · JSON
—
OpenAPI spec
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Choosing a Lyrics API
Is there a free Lyrics API?
Yes. LRCLIB is free to use, and Musixmatch and Genius have a free tier alongside paid plans.
Which Lyrics APIs work without an API key?
LRCLIB needs no key or sign-up, so you can try it with a plain request.
Can I call a Lyrics API from front-end JavaScript?
LRCLIB allows cross-origin requests and needs no key, so it works straight from the browser. For the others, call them from your server so your key stays private.
Can I use Lyrics APIs in a commercial project?
Musixmatch and Genius restrict it, for example to non-commercial or attributed use, so read the terms first.
Which Lyrics APIs work with AI agents?
Musixmatch publishes an OpenAPI spec for generating clients and tools.
Broader: Music APIs · Media & Entertainment APIs