Rateyourmusic Com

RateYourMusic Access Skill

This skill provides access to RateYourMusic (RYM), one of the most comprehensive community-driven music databases featuring ratings, reviews, credits, and tracklists for albums, singles, EPs, and more.

Features

• Release Information: Fetch detailed release data including:

  • Artist and title
  • Release type (album, single, EP, mixtape, compilation, etc.)
  • Release year
  • Community ratings (average and vote count)
  • Genres and descriptors
  • Track listings
  • Credits and personnel
  • JSON-LD structured data

• Multiple Access Methods:

  • curl_cffi with browser impersonation (Chrome, Safari, Edge)
  • Playwright browser automation with JavaScript challenge solving
  • aiohttp as fallback

Limitations

⚠️ Important: RateYourMusic uses heavy Cloudflare protection that actively blocks automated access. This skill attempts multiple strategies to bypass the protection but may frequently encounter blocking.

The skill is designed to:

1. Attempt access with multiple methods
2. Detect when blocked (Cloudflare challenge pages)
3. Return detailed attempt information
4. Provide helpful error messages and alternatives

Functions

get_release_info

Fetch information about a specific release.

Parameters:

• url: Direct URL to the release page
• artist: Artist name (used with title)
• title: Release title (used with artist)
• release_type: Type of release (album, single, ep, etc.)
• slug: Direct slug path

Example - Using URL:

{
  "function": "get_release_info",
  "url": "https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/radiohead/ok-computer/"
}

Example - Using artist/title:

{
  "function": "get_release_info",
  "artist": "Radiohead",
  "title": "OK Computer",
  "release_type": "album"
}

search

Search RateYourMusic for releases.

Note: Currently blocked by Cloudflare protection.

Parameters:

• query: Search query
• release_type: Filter by type (optional)
• limit: Maximum results (default: 10)

Example:

{
  "function": "search",
  "query": "Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon",
  "limit": 5
}

Return Structure

Success Response

{
  "success": true,
  "url": "https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/radiohead/ok-computer/",
  "data": {
    "title": "OK Computer",
    "artist": "Radiohead",
    "type": "album",
    "year": "1997",
    "rating": 4.21,
    "votes": 145000,
    "genres": ["Art Rock", "Alternative Rock"],
    "tracks": ["Airbag", "Paranoid Android", "..."],
    "json_ld": {...}
  },
  "attempts": [
    {
      "method": "curl_cffi",
      "status": 200,
      "blocked": false
    }
  ]
}

Error/Blocked Response

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "RateYourMusic is currently blocking automated access...",
  "attempts": [
    {
      "method": "curl_cffi",
      "status": 403,
      "blocked": true
    },
    {
      "method": "playwright",
      "status": 200,
      "blocked": true
    }
  ]
}

Why RateYourMusic?

RateYourMusic is valuable for:

• Accurate Ratings: Community-driven ratings from music enthusiasts
• Comprehensive Credits: Detailed personnel information (producers, engineers, musicians)
• Track Listings: Full track information with durations
• Release Variants: Multiple pressings, editions, and formats
• Genre Classification: Detailed subgenre tagging

Alternatives When Blocked

When RateYourMusic is blocking access, consider these alternatives:

• MusicBrainz API: Open music database with comprehensive metadata
• Discogs Marketplace: Release information and marketplace data
• Last.fm API: Music metadata and scrobbling data
• Spotify API: Official release information (requires auth)

Technical Notes

The skill uses several anti-detection techniques:

• Browser impersonation with curl_cffi
• Headless browser automation with Playwright
• JavaScript challenge detection and waiting
• TLS fingerprint spoofing
• Realistic user agent strings

However, Cloudflare's protection is sophisticated and frequently updated. Access success varies based on:

• IP reputation
• Current Cloudflare protection level
• Time of day and traffic patterns
• Previous access attempts from the same IP

Dependencies

• curl_cffi: For browser impersonation
• playwright: For browser automation
• aiohttp: For HTTP requests

These are optional - the skill will attempt all available methods.