What is the Last.fm API base URL?

The Last.fm API base URL is https://ws.audioscrobbler.com/2.0

Does Last.fm API have a free tier?

Yes. Unlimited requests (rate limits apply)

Last.fm API — Base URL, Auth & Endpoints

The Last.fm API provides rich music metadata from a 20+ year database of artist information, track metadata, album art, fan-curated tags, and music recommendations. Retrieve top tracks and albums for any artist, get personalized music stats (what users are listening to now), find similar artists, explore music recommendations by tag, and scrobble (record) user listening history. Loved by music apps, recommendation engines, and audio players.

Quick Reference

Base URL https://ws.audioscrobbler.com/2.0 Auth type API Key Header Auth header ?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&format=json Rate limit 5 requests/sec (unofficial fair-use limit) Pricing Free tier available Free quota Unlimited requests (rate limits apply) Documentation https://www.last.fm/api Endpoint status Server online — HTTP 400 — server is online but path returned an error (may require auth)627ms (checked Mar 29, 2026) Builder score B 73% builder-friendly

Pricing

Latency

Depth

Authentication

Pass your API key as the api_key query parameter. User-write operations require OAuth-style session tokens. Register at last.fm/api/account/create.

?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY&format=json

Pricing

Model freemium Starting price Free tier available Free quota Unlimited requests (rate limits apply)

The Last.fm API is free for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires a license agreement. Fair-use rate limits are enforced but not publicly published.

Key Endpoints

Method	Path	Description
GET	`?method=artist.getinfo`	Get artist biography, tags, and listener stats
GET	`?method=artist.getSimilar`	Get artists similar to a given artist
GET	`?method=artist.getTopTracks`	Get the most popular tracks for an artist
GET	`?method=chart.getTopArtists`	Get the top artists chart globally
GET	`?method=tag.getTopTracks`	Get top tracks for a genre tag
GET	`?method=user.getRecentTracks`	Get a user's scrobble history

Sample Request

curl "https://ws.audioscrobbler.com/2.0/?method=artist.getTopTracks&artist=Radiohead&api_key=$LASTFM_API_KEY&format=json&limit=5"

Sample Response

{
  "toptracks": {
    "track": [{
      "name": "Creep",
      "playcount": "71234567",
      "listeners": "3456789",
      "artist": { "name": "Radiohead" },
      "url": "https://www.last.fm/music/Radiohead/_/Creep"
    }]
  }
}