Data sources & attribution
Where SonoVault's metadata comes from, how each source is accessed, and how it's attributed.
Last updated: June 12, 2026
SonoVault is a metadata aggregator. We don't produce the underlying catalog ourselves. We collect, normalize, and cross-reference factual track information (titles, artists, ISRCs, ISWCs, release dates, genre, identifiers) from a handful of upstream sources, and serve it through a single REST API. This page documents who those sources are, how the data is accessed, and how each one is attributed.
Every upstream source is accessed under its own terms: public data dumps, official developer APIs, or both. SonoVault does not scrape, bypass auth, or redistribute anything we're not permitted to.
Open and public catalog sources
MusicBrainz
What we use: Canonical recording, release, work, and artist identifiers (MBIDs); ISRCs; release dates; artist credits; relationships used to link the same recording across platforms.
How we access it: Official MusicBrainz database dumps and the Live Data Feed.
License: The MusicBrainz core data is in the public domain (CC0). The MusicBrainz Database is provided by the MetaBrainz Foundation; we credit MetaBrainz as required by their guidelines.
Attribution: musicbrainz.org / The MetaBrainz Foundation. See MusicBrainz data license.
Discogs
What we use: Releases, labels, original release dates, format and country information, and Discogs release/master IDs used for cross-referencing.
How we access it: The official monthly Discogs data dumps, which Discogs publishes for public use.
What we do not redistribute: Discogs images (release and artist artwork), user-submitted reviews, marketplace listings, or per-user contributions.
Attribution: discogs.com. Discogs and the Discogs logo are trademarks of Discogs.
Wikidata
What we use: Artist-level enrichment, covering biographical facts (country, formation/birth date), artist-level genre signals, official website and verified social handles, and cross-platform artist identifiers used to link the same artist across services.
How we access it: Official Wikidata JSON dumps published by the Wikimedia Foundation.
License: Wikidata is released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.
Attribution: wikidata.org / Wikimedia Foundation. See Wikidata licensing.
The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective)
What we use: ISWC work/composition codes and their titles, the recording-to-work links that map an ISRC (a recording) to the ISWC (the underlying musical composition) it embodies, and additional ISRCs.
How we access it: The MLC's publicly published bulk data feed (BWARM, Bulk Works and Recordings Metadata), which The MLC makes available for public use.
What we do not redistribute: Publisher and songwriter ownership shares, splits, payee information, or any administrative licensing data. We use only the factual ISRC↔ISWC identifier links and work titles.
Attribution: themlc.com / The Mechanical Licensing Collective.
Streaming and storefront platforms
For Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Beatport, SonoVault stores only the platform-specific track ID for each recording, the identifier needed to resolve a track to its equivalent on that platform. We do not store or redistribute catalog metadata, audio, audio previews, artwork, or any other content from these platforms. Track IDs are obtained through each platform's official developer or partner API under their respective developer terms.
Spotify
What we use: Spotify track IDs only.
How we access it: Spotify Web API, in accordance with the Spotify Developer Terms.
Attribution: Spotify and the Spotify logo are trademarks of Spotify AB.
Apple Music
What we use: Apple Music track IDs only.
How we access it: Apple Music API under the Apple Developer Program License Agreement and the Apple Music API terms.
Attribution: Apple Music and the Apple Music logo are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Tidal
What we use: Tidal track IDs only.
How we access it: The official Tidal developer API under Tidal's API terms.
Attribution: TIDAL is a trademark of TIDAL Music AS.
Beatport
What we use: Beatport track IDs only.
How we access it: The official Beatport developer / B2B API under Beatport's API terms.
Attribution: Beatport and the Beatport logo are trademarks of Beatport, LLC.
What SonoVault does not redistribute
- Artwork. Album, release, and artist images are not exposed by any API endpoint.
- Audio previews or full audio. No audio content of any kind is served by the API.
- Proprietary lyrics, reviews, or editorial content.
- User-contributed content from Discogs or any other community catalog.
How records are reconciled
ISRC is the primary key when available: two records with the same ISRC are treated as the same recording. Where ISRC is missing, normalized artist and title matching with confidence scoring links the same recording across platforms. Field-level conflicts between sources are resolved using a confidence-weighted preference per field, so the most reliable available value wins. ISWC links each recording to the musical work (composition) it embodies, sourced from The MLC, so a track resolves both to its sibling recordings and to the composition behind it.
Errors, removals, and rights inquiries
If you believe metadata served by SonoVault is incorrect, infringes a right you hold, or should be removed, contact support@sonovault.now with the relevant track or release identifier and we'll act on it. Trademark and rights holders mentioned on this page can request changes to attribution wording at the same address.
Changes to this page
We update this page when an upstream source is added, removed, or changes its terms in a way that affects what we store or how we attribute it. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the most recent revision.
Related: About SonoVault · Terms of Service · Privacy Policy.