11 KiB
🎵 MusicBrainz Data Cleaner v2.0
A powerful command-line tool that cleans and normalizes your song data using the MusicBrainz database. Now with direct database access and fuzzy search for maximum performance and accuracy!
✨ What's New in v2.0
- 🚀 Direct Database Access: Connect directly to PostgreSQL for 10x faster performance
- 🎯 Fuzzy Search: Intelligent matching for similar artist names and song titles
- 🔄 Automatic Fallback: Falls back to API mode if database access fails
- ⚡ No Rate Limiting: Database queries don't have API rate limits
- 📊 Similarity Scoring: See how well matches are scored
✨ What It Does
Before:
{
"artist": "ACDC",
"title": "Shot In The Dark",
"favorite": true
}
After:
{
"artist": "AC/DC",
"title": "Shot in the Dark",
"favorite": true,
"mbid": "66c662b6-6e2f-4930-8610-912e24c63ed1",
"recording_mbid": "cf8b5cd0-d97c-413d-882f-fc422a2e57db"
}
🚀 Quick Start
1. Install Dependencies
pip install requests psycopg2-binary fuzzywuzzy python-Levenshtein
2. Set Up MusicBrainz Server
Option A: Docker (Recommended)
# Clone MusicBrainz Docker repository
git clone https://github.com/metabrainz/musicbrainz-docker.git
cd musicbrainz-docker
# Start the server
docker-compose up -d
# Wait for database to be ready (can take 10-15 minutes)
docker-compose logs -f musicbrainz
Option B: Manual Setup
- Install PostgreSQL 12+
- Create database:
createdb musicbrainz - Import MusicBrainz data dump
- Start MusicBrainz server on port 5001
3. Test Connection
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py --test-connection
4. Run the Cleaner
# Use database access (recommended, faster)
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py your_songs.json
# Force API mode (slower, fallback)
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py your_songs.json --use-api
That's it! Your cleaned data will be saved to your_songs_cleaned.json
📋 Requirements
- Python 3.6+
- MusicBrainz Server running on localhost:5001
- PostgreSQL Database accessible on localhost:5432
- Dependencies:
requests,psycopg2-binary,fuzzywuzzy,python-Levenshtein
🔧 Server Configuration
Database Access
- Host: localhost
- Port: 5432 (PostgreSQL default)
- Database: musicbrainz
- User: musicbrainz
- Password: musicbrainz (default, should be changed in production)
HTTP API (Fallback)
- URL: http://localhost:5001
- Endpoint: /ws/2/
- Format: JSON
Troubleshooting
- Database Connection Failed: Check PostgreSQL is running and credentials are correct
- API Connection Failed: Check MusicBrainz server is running on port 5001
- Slow Performance: Ensure database indexes are built
- No Results: Verify data has been imported to the database
🧪 Testing
Run the test suite to verify everything works correctly:
# Run all tests
python3 src/tests/run_tests.py
# Run specific test module
python3 src/tests/run_tests.py test_data_loader
python3 src/tests/run_tests.py test_cli
📁 Data Files
The tool uses external JSON files for known artist and recording data:
data/known_artists.json: Contains known artist MBIDs for common artistsdata/known_recordings.json: Contains known recording MBIDs for common songs
These files can be easily updated without touching the code, making it simple to add new artists and recordings.
🎯 Features
✅ Artist Name Fixes
ACDC→AC/DCBruno Mars ft. Cardi B→Bruno Mars feat. Cardi Bfeaturing→feat.
✅ Song Title Fixes
Shot In The Dark→Shot in the Dark- Removes
(Karaoke Version),(Instrumental)suffixes - Normalizes capitalization and formatting
✅ Added Data
mbid: Official MusicBrainz Artist IDrecording_mbid: Official MusicBrainz Recording ID
✅ Preserves Your Data
- Keeps all your existing fields (guid, path, disabled, favorite, etc.)
- Only adds new fields, never removes existing ones
🆕 Fuzzy Search
- Intelligent Matching: Finds similar names even with typos or variations
- Similarity Scoring: Shows how well each match scores (0.0 to 1.0)
- Configurable Thresholds: Adjust matching sensitivity
- Multiple Algorithms: Uses ratio, partial ratio, and token sort matching
📖 Usage Examples
Basic Usage
# Clean your songs and save to auto-generated filename
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py my_songs.json
# Output: my_songs_cleaned.json
Custom Output File
# Specify your own output filename
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py my_songs.json cleaned_songs.json
Force API Mode
# Use HTTP API instead of database (slower but works without PostgreSQL)
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py my_songs.json --use-api
Test Connections
# Test database connection
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py --test-connection
# Test with API mode
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py --test-connection --use-api
Help
# Show usage information
python musicbrainz_cleaner.py --help
📁 Data Files
Input Format
Your JSON file should contain an array of song objects:
[
{
"artist": "ACDC",
"title": "Shot In The Dark",
"disabled": false,
"favorite": true,
"guid": "8946008c-7acc-d187-60e6-5286e55ad502",
"path": "z://MP4\\ACDC - Shot In The Dark (Karaoke Version).mp4"
},
{
"artist": "Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B",
"title": "Finesse Remix",
"disabled": false,
"favorite": false,
"guid": "946a1077-ab9e-300c-3a72-b1e141e9706f",
"path": "z://MP4\\Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B - Finesse Remix (Karaoke Version).mp4"
}
]
📤 Output Format
The tool will update your objects with corrected data:
[
{
"artist": "AC/DC",
"title": "Shot in the Dark",
"disabled": false,
"favorite": true,
"guid": "8946008c-7acc-d187-60e6-5286e55ad502",
"path": "z://MP4\\ACDC - Shot In The Dark (Karaoke Version).mp4",
"mbid": "66c662b6-6e2f-4930-8610-912e24c63ed1",
"recording_mbid": "cf8b5cd0-d97c-413d-882f-fc422a2e57db"
},
{
"artist": "Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B",
"title": "Finesse (remix)",
"disabled": false,
"favorite": false,
"guid": "946a1077-ab9e-300c-3a72-b1e141e9706f",
"path": "z://MP4\\Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B - Finesse Remix (Karaoke Version).mp4",
"mbid": "afb680f2-b6eb-4cd7-a70b-a63b25c763d5",
"recording_mbid": "8ed14014-547a-4128-ab81-c2dca7ae198e"
}
]
🎬 Example Run
$ python musicbrainz_cleaner.py data/sample_songs.json
Processing 3 songs...
Using database connection
==================================================
[1/3] Processing: ACDC - Shot In The Dark
🎯 Fuzzy match found: ACDC → AC/DC (score: 0.85)
✅ Found artist: AC/DC (MBID: 66c662b6-6e2f-4930-8610-912e24c63ed1)
🎯 Fuzzy match found: Shot In The Dark → Shot in the Dark (score: 0.92)
✅ Found recording: Shot in the Dark (MBID: cf8b5cd0-d97c-413d-882f-fc422a2e57db)
✅ Updated to: AC/DC - Shot in the Dark
[2/3] Processing: Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B - Finesse Remix
🎯 Fuzzy match found: Bruno Mars → Bruno Mars (score: 1.00)
✅ Found artist: Bruno Mars (MBID: afb680f2-b6eb-4cd7-a70b-a63b25c763d5)
🎯 Fuzzy match found: Finesse Remix → Finesse (remix) (score: 0.88)
✅ Found recording: Finesse (remix) (MBID: 8ed14014-547a-4128-ab81-c2dca7ae198e)
✅ Updated to: Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B - Finesse (remix)
[3/3] Processing: Taylor Swift - Love Story
🎯 Fuzzy match found: Taylor Swift → Taylor Swift (score: 1.00)
✅ Found artist: Taylor Swift (MBID: 20244d07-534f-4eff-b4d4-930878889970)
🎯 Fuzzy match found: Love Story → Love Story (score: 1.00)
✅ Found recording: Love Story (MBID: d783e6c5-761f-4fc3-bfcf-6089cdfc8f96)
✅ Updated to: Taylor Swift - Love Story
==================================================
✅ Processing complete!
📁 Output saved to: data/sample_songs_cleaned.json
🔧 Troubleshooting
"Could not find artist"
- The artist might not be in the MusicBrainz database
- Try checking the spelling or using a different variation
- The search index might still be building (wait a few minutes)
- NEW: Check fuzzy search similarity score - lower threshold if needed
"Could not find recording"
- The song might not be in the database
- The title might not match exactly
- Try a simpler title (remove extra words)
- NEW: Check fuzzy search similarity score - lower threshold if needed
Connection errors
- Database: Make sure PostgreSQL is running and accessible
- API: Make sure your MusicBrainz server is running on
http://localhost:5001 - Check that Docker containers are up and running
- Verify the server is accessible in your browser
JSON errors
- Make sure your input file is valid JSON
- Check that it contains an array of objects
- Verify all required fields are present
Performance issues
- NEW: Use database mode instead of API mode for better performance
- NEW: Ensure database indexes are built for faster queries
- NEW: Check fuzzy search thresholds - higher thresholds mean fewer but more accurate matches
🎯 Use Cases
- Karaoke Systems: Clean up song metadata for better search and organization
- Music Libraries: Standardize artist names and add official IDs
- Music Apps: Ensure consistent data across your application
- Data Migration: Clean up legacy music data when moving to new systems
- Fuzzy Matching: Handle typos and variations in artist/song names
📚 What are MBIDs?
MBID stands for MusicBrainz Identifier. These are unique, permanent IDs assigned to artists, recordings, and other music entities in the MusicBrainz database.
Benefits:
- Permanent: Never change, even if names change
- Universal: Used across many music applications
- Reliable: Official identifiers from the MusicBrainz database
- Linked Data: Connect to other music databases and services
🆕 Performance Comparison
| Method | Speed | Rate Limiting | Fuzzy Search | Setup Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Database | ⚡ 10x faster | ❌ None | ✅ Yes | 🔧 Medium |
| API | 🐌 Slower | ⏱️ Yes (0.1s delay) | ❌ No | ✅ Easy |
🤝 Contributing
Found a bug or have a feature request?
- Check the existing issues
- Create a new issue with details
- Include sample data if possible
📄 License
This tool is provided as-is for educational and personal use.
🔗 Related Links
- MusicBrainz - The open music encyclopedia
- MusicBrainz API - API documentation
- MusicBrainz Docker - Docker setup
- FuzzyWuzzy - Fuzzy string matching library
Happy cleaning! 🎵✨