External APIs

Baander enriches your media library by querying external metadata services during library scans. No API key is strictly required -- the application works without them -- but metadata quality depends on which services are configured.

Supported APIs

API	Role	Env Vars	What It Provides
MusicBrainz	Primary (required)	`MUSICBRAINZ_APP_NAME`, `MUSICBRAINZ_VERSION`, `MUSICBRAINZ_CONTACT`	Artist names, MBIDs, release groups, recordings, tags
Discogs	Fallback	`DISCOGS_TOKEN`	Release info, genres, styles, cover art URLs
Last.fm	Optional	`LASTFM_API_KEY`, `LASTFM_API_SECRET`	Artist bios, similar artists, tags, top tracks
Spotify	Integrated, unused	`SPOTIFY_CLIENT_ID`, `SPOTIFY_CLIENT_SECRET`	Not currently consumed by any service
TasteDive	Integrated, unused	`TASTE_DIVE_API_KEY`	Not currently consumed by any service

For full environment variable details including defaults, see Configuration.

Degradation Matrix

The table below shows what each API contributes and what you lose when its credentials are missing.

Missing API	Impact
MusicBrainz	No artist or release matching. This is the primary enrichment source -- without it, most metadata fields remain empty and fallback to Discogs is limited.
Discogs	No fallback release info, genres, styles, or cover art when MusicBrainz returns no results.
Last.fm	No artist biographies, similar-artist suggestions, or top-track lists. Music and release metadata are unaffected.
Spotify	No impact. The adapter is wired but no service currently queries it.
TasteDive	No impact. The adapter is wired but no service currently queries it.

How Enrichment Works

Metadata enrichment runs as part of the library scan pipeline. When Baander processes a media file during a scan, it queries external services in this order:

MusicBrainz is queried first. It provides structured identifiers (MBIDs), release groups, and canonical artist/release data. This is the authoritative source for music metadata.
Discogs acts as a fallback. If MusicBrainz returns no match or incomplete data, Baander queries Discogs for release information, genre/style tags, and cover art URLs.
Last.fm supplements the results. When its API key is configured, Baander fetches artist biographies, similar artists, tags, and top tracks from Last.fm regardless of whether MusicBrainz or Discogs returned results.

Enrichment results are stored in the database and served to clients on subsequent requests. Re-scanning a library refreshes metadata from all configured services.

For details on how scans are triggered, see Library Management.

Configuration

Set the environment variables listed above in your .env file or deployment configuration. MusicBrainz requires an app name, version, and contact email (these identify your Baander instance to the MusicBrainz API per their terms of service). The rest are standard API keys.

See Configuration for the full variable reference with defaults.

Getting API Keys

Each service requires registration on its own platform:

MusicBrainz -- Create an account at musicbrainz.org, then set MUSICBRAINZ_APP_NAME to your instance name, MUSICBRAINZ_VERSION to your Baander version, and MUSICBRAINZ_CONTACT to an email address where MusicBrainz can reach you.
Discogs -- Generate a personal access token at discogs.com/settings/developers.
Last.fm -- Register an API application at last.fm/api/account/create. You will receive both an API key and a shared secret.
Spotify -- Create an app in the Spotify Developer Dashboard. Not needed unless a future release activates the Spotify adapter.
TasteDive -- Request an API key at tastedive.com/read_api. Not needed unless a future release activates the TasteDive adapter.