iTunes Search API

Free Apple iTunes Search API with no key: search songs, albums, artists, apps, podcasts and books with artwork and preview URLs. Tested curl example.

No API key requiredCORS enabledHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 19 Aug 2026

What is the iTunes Search API?

The iTunes Search API is a free Apple API requiring no key. It searches the entire iTunes catalogue — music, apps, podcasts, films and books — returning metadata, high-resolution artwork and 30-second audio previews.

This is a first-party Apple API that has been free and key-free for well over a decade, which makes it unusually dependable among free music APIs. It covers far more than music: apps, podcasts, films, TV and books are all searchable through the same endpoint.

Two details make it especially useful. Every result includes a 30-second preview URL you can play directly, and artwork URLs follow a size convention you can edit — swapping `100x100` for `600x600` in the URL returns the larger image without another request.

Quick facts

Base URL: https://itunes.apple.com
Authentication: No key required.
Rate limit: Approximately 20 requests per minute per IP.
Pricing: Free. Intended for use in connection with Apple's affiliate and partner programmes.
CORS: Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript
Official docs: Read the docs

How to use the iTunes Search API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 19 Aug 2026, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Search the iTunes catalogue

GET https://itunes.apple.com/search?term=beatles&limit=1

curl

curl 'https://itunes.apple.com/search?term=beatles&limit=1'

JavaScript (fetch)

const res = await fetch("https://itunes.apple.com/search?term=beatles&limit=1");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);

Python (requests)

import requests

res = requests.get("https://itunes.apple.com/search?term=beatles&limit=1", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())

Response — HTTP 200 (truncated)

{
  "resultCount": 1,
  "results": [
    {
      "wrapperType": "audiobook",
      "artistId": 2037074,
      "collectionId": 1646008816,
      "artistName": "Hunter Davies",
      "collectionName": "The Beatles",
      "collectionCensoredName": "The Beatles",
      "artistViewUrl": "https://books.apple.com/us/author/hunter-davies/id2037074?uo=4",
      "collectionViewUrl": "https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/the-beatles/id1646008816?uo=4",
      "artworkUrl60": "https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music122/v4/a9/d4/1d/a9d41dc7-12e1-c377-71fe-019d4d5116d2/2350-square.jpg/60x60bb.jpg",
      "artworkUrl100": "https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music122/v4/a9/d4/1d/a9d41dc7-12e1-c377-71fe-019d4d5116d2/2350-square.jpg/100x100bb.jpg",
      "collectionPrice": 19.99,
      "collectionExplicitness": "cleaned",
      "trackCount": 1,
      "copyright": "© 1998 by Blackstone Audio, Inc.",
      "country": "USA",
      "currency": "USD",
      "releaseDate": "2010-03-18T07:00:00Z",
      "primaryGenreName": "Biographies & Memoirs",
      "previewUrl": "https://audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com/itunes-assets/AudioPreview122/v4/cb/e1/0e/cbe10e4c-f201-18ef-55d5-069c6b4fcca1/mzaf_14191771216598309057.std.aac.p.m4a",
      "description": "This worldwide bestseller is the biography that defined a band—and an era.<br /><br />As the friend and only authorized biographer of the most famous musical group in history, Davies had full access to the Beatles—including their family, friends, and colleauges—as well as their help and encouragement in writing this biography. He spent eighteen mo

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`term`	string	Required	Search query. URL-encode spaces. `beatles`
`media`	string	Optional	music, movie, podcast, software, ebook or all. `music`
`entity`	string	Optional	Result type such as song, album, musicArtist or podcast. `song`
`limit`	integer	Optional	Number of results, 1 to 200. Defaults to 50. `10`
`country`	string	Optional	Two-letter store country code. `US`

Response fields

resultCountinteger: Number of results returned.
results[].trackName / artistNamestring: Track and artist names.
results[].collectionNamestring: Album or collection name.
results[].artworkUrl100string: 100x100 artwork — edit the size in the URL for larger versions.
results[].previewUrlstring: 30-second audio preview, directly playable.
results[].trackViewUrlstring: Link to the item in the iTunes store.

What you can build with the iTunes Search API

Build a music search interface with artwork and audio previews
Look up podcast metadata and RSS feed URLs
Fetch app metadata and icons for an app directory
Enrich a media library with official artwork

Common errors and how to fix them

403 or empty results

Rate limit of roughly 20 requests/minute exceeded.

Fix: Debounce search-as-you-type by at least 300ms and cache repeated queries.

Low-resolution artwork

artworkUrl100 is only 100x100.

Fix: Replace `100x100` with `600x600` in the URL string — larger sizes are served from the same path.

Missing previewUrl

Not every item has a preview.

Fix: Null-check before wiring up an audio player.

iTunes Search API — frequently asked questions

Does the iTunes Search API need an API key?

No. It is free and key-free, and has been for over a decade, making it one of the most dependable free music APIs available.

How do I get higher resolution album artwork?

Edit the artwork URL directly — replace `100x100` with `600x600` (or larger). Apple serves multiple sizes from the same path, so no extra request is needed.

Can I search podcasts and apps too?

Yes. Set `media` to podcast, software, movie, ebook or all. The same endpoint covers Apple's entire catalogue, not just music.

What is the rate limit?

Roughly 20 requests per minute per IP. Debounce search-as-you-type inputs and cache repeat queries to stay within it.

Tools that pair with this API

JSON Formatter

Format, beautify and minify JSON online with 2-space, 4-space or tab indentation. Sort keys alphabetically and catch syntax errors instantly — free and private.

URL Encoder

Percent-encode text for URLs instantly. Switch between encodeURIComponent and encodeURI modes, see live output and copy the result. Free URL encoder.

Alternatives to iTunes Search API

If iTunes Search does not fit, these music apis cover similar ground. Every one was called before publishing, and each links to its own reference page with a working curl command and the response it returned.

API	What it does	Auth	CORS	Last verified
Lyrics.ovh	Free song lyrics API with no key. Fetch full lyrics by artist and title with a single GET request. CORS enabled. Tested curl example and live response.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Deezer	Free Deezer API with no key for public data: artists, albums, tracks, charts and 30-second previews. Rich metadata and images. Tested curl example.	No key	No	19 Aug 2026
TheAudioDB	Free music metadata API with a public test key: artist biographies, album artwork, track listings, banners and logos for media libraries. Tested example.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Radio Browser	Free radio station API with no key: 50,000+ internet radio stations worldwide with stream URLs, tags, country, language, bitrate and logos. Tested example.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
ListenBrainz	Free open listening-data API with no key for reads: sitewide and per-user artist, release and recording charts linked to MusicBrainz identifiers. Tested example included.	No key	Yes	21 Aug 2026
LRCLIB	Free lyrics API with no key: plain and time-synced LRC lyrics for millions of tracks, searchable by title, artist or exact track signature. Tested example included.	No key	Yes	21 Aug 2026

All Music APIs

iTunes Search is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 19 Aug 2026; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.