---
title: "Artist search"
method: GET
path: "/v1/artists/search"
tags: ["Artists"]
---

# Artist search

`GET /v1/artists/search`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.sonovault.now`
- URL: `https://api.sonovault.now/v1/artists/search`
- Auth: API key in header `x-api-key`

Search for artists by name. Returns each artist with country, formation year (and full formation date when day-level precision is known), social links, and Wikidata ID where available.

## Query parameters

- `name` string, required
- `limit` integer
- `cursor` string

## Response `200`

Successful response

- object
  - `results` Artist[], required: Matching artists, best match first.
    - `id` integer, required: Artist ID.
    - `name` string, required: Artist name.
    - `country` string, nullable, required: Country of origin, in English. `null` when unknown.
    - `formation_year` integer, nullable, required: Year the artist or group started, or the birth year for a solo act. `null` when unknown.
    - `formation_date` string, nullable, required: Full formation date, `YYYY-MM-DD`, present only when day-level precision is known. `null` otherwise.
    - `social_links` object, nullable, required: Platform to handle or URL. Which keys appear varies by artist: `website`, `twitter`, `instagram`, `facebook` and others. `null` when we hold none.
    - `wikidata_id` string, nullable, required: Wikidata entity ID (e.g. `Q185828`), for joining against external datasets. `null` when unmapped.
    - `musicbrainz_id` string, nullable, required: MusicBrainz artist MBID, for joining against MusicBrainz and the wider linked-data ecosystem. `null` when unmapped. Where an artist carries more than one MBID, one is chosen deterministically so the value is stable between requests.
    - `release_count` integer: Number of releases. On `GET /v1/artists/:id` this counts every release; on `GET /v1/labels/:id/artists` it counts only releases on that label. Absent from artist search results.
  - `next_cursor` string, nullable, required: Pass back as the `cursor` param for the next page. `null` on the last page.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/sonovault/apis/sonovault-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/sonovault/apis/sonovault-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/sonovault/apis/sonovault-api/revisions/0152fff23f2c?raw)