Lyrics.ovh API

⭐ Beginner's Pick Music / No Auth Required Beginner HTTPS
Free to Use Varies (check documentation)

Overview

Lyrics.ovh is a simple, no-authentication API that returns song lyrics given an artist name and song title. There are no API keys, rate limit documentation, or accounts needed—just make a GET request and get lyrics back. It is an ideal starting point for beginners who want to add lyrics to a music app.

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Beginner Tip

URL-encode the artist and title (replace spaces with %20 or use encodeURIComponent in JavaScript) to avoid errors with special characters. Always check for a "No lyrics found" error in the response before displaying lyrics to users.

Available Data

track name and artist
album metadata
audio preview URLs
popularity score
genre classification

Example Response

JSON Response
{
  "name": "Bohemian Rhapsody",
  "artist": "Queen",
  "album": "A Night at the Opera",
  "duration_ms": 354000,
  "popularity": 92,
  "preview_url": "https://p.scdn.co/mp3-preview/..."
}

Field Reference

lyrics Full lyrics text of the song, with newline characters separating lines and verses.
error Error message returned when no lyrics are found for the given artist and title (only present on failure).

Implementation Example

const url = "https://lyricsovh.docs.apiary.io/";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

{"error":"No lyrics found"} The artist or song title does not match any entry in the lyrics database.
Double-check the spelling and try alternate name formats (e.g., "The Beatles" vs "Beatles").
404 Not Found The URL path is malformed—artist or title segment is missing.
Use the format /v1/{artist}/{title} with both segments URL-encoded.
Request timeout The free API server can be slow during peak usage.
Set a generous timeout (10 or more seconds) in your HTTP client and retry on failure.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 0/30
⚡ Speed 2/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 15/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 9540ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Music
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-04

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