@pencil-agent/nano-pencil 2.0.1 → 2.0.2

package/dist/extensions/builtin/browser/agent-workspace/domain-skills/musicbrainz/scraping.md

@@ -1,478 +1,478 @@
-# MusicBrainz — Data Extraction
-
-`https://musicbrainz.org` — open music encyclopedia with a fully free JSON API.
-No auth required for reads. No browser needed for any documented workflow.
-
-Field-tested against musicbrainz.org on 2026-04-18.
-
----
-
-## Do this first
-
-**The MusicBrainz Web Service API (ws/2) returns clean JSON for all entity types — no browser needed.**
-
-```python
-from helpers import http_get
-import json
-
-# REQUIRED: every request must include this header or you get HTTP 403
-UA = {"User-Agent": "browser-harness/1.0 (your@email.com)"}
-
-data = json.loads(http_get("https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/?query=queen&fmt=json&limit=5", headers=UA))
-for a in data['artists']:
-    print(a['id'], a['name'], a.get('type'), a.get('country'), a['score'])
-# 0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3  Queen  Group  GB  100
-# 79239441-bfd5-4981-a70c-55c3f15c1287  Madonna  Person  US  73
-```
-
-`User-Agent` is **mandatory** — omitting it returns HTTP 403 immediately. Format: `AppName/Version (contact@email.com)`.
-
----
-
-## Entity types
-
-| Entity | Endpoint | Key fields |
-|---|---|---|
-| `artist` | `/ws/2/artist/` | name, sort-name, type (Group/Person/Orchestra/Choir), country, life-span, tags, rating |
-| `release-group` | `/ws/2/release-group/` | title, primary-type (Album/Single/EP/Other), first-release-date |
-| `release` | `/ws/2/release/` | title, date, country, status (Official/Bootleg/Promotional), barcode, label-info, media |
-| `recording` | `/ws/2/recording/` | title, length (milliseconds), artist-credit, releases |
-| `label` | `/ws/2/label/` | name, type, country, area |
-| `work` | `/ws/2/work/` | title, type (Song/Aria/Soundtrack/etc.), relations |
-
-All entities share the same MBID (MusicBrainz ID) format: UUID v4, e.g. `0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3`.
-
----
-
-## Common workflows
-
-### Artist search
-
-```python
-from helpers import http_get
-import json
-
-UA = {"User-Agent": "browser-harness/1.0 (your@email.com)"}
-
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/?query=queen&fmt=json&limit=5",
-    headers=UA
-))
-# resp keys: count (total matches), offset, artists (list)
-for a in resp['artists']:
-    print(a['id'])           # MBID: 0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3
-    print(a['name'])         # Queen
-    print(a['sort-name'])    # Queen  (differs for persons: "Bowie, David")
-    print(a.get('type'))     # Group / Person / Orchestra / Choir
-    print(a.get('country'))  # GB
-    print(a.get('life-span'))# {'begin': '1970-06-27', 'end': None, 'ended': True}
-    print(a.get('disambiguation', ''))  # e.g. "English singer-songwriter"
-    print(a['score'])        # relevance 0-100
-```
-
-### Artist by MBID (with related data via `inc=`)
-
-```python
-# inc= parameters stack with + between them
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3"
-    "?inc=releases+tags+ratings+release-groups&fmt=json",
-    headers=UA
-))
-print(resp['name'])      # Queen
-print(resp['type'])      # Group
-print(resp['country'])   # GB
-print(resp['life-span']) # {'begin': '1970-06-27', 'end': None, 'ended': True}
-
-# Tags (community-voted genre labels, sorted by count)
-tags = sorted(resp.get('tags', []), key=lambda x: x['count'], reverse=True)
-print([t['name'] for t in tags[:5]])
-# ['rock', 'glam rock', 'hard rock', 'art rock', 'british']
-
-# Rating (community score, 0-5)
-print(resp.get('rating'))  # {'votes-count': 43, 'value': 4.7}
-
-# Direct releases (up to 25 per request — use browse for full list)
-for r in resp.get('releases', []):
-    print(r['id'], r['title'], r.get('date'))
-
-# Release groups (albums, singles, EPs — deduplicated by edition)
-for rg in resp.get('release-groups', []):
-    print(rg['id'], rg['title'], rg.get('primary-type'), rg.get('first-release-date'))
-# 6b47c9a0  A Night at the Opera  Album  1975-11-21
-# 002ed683  Sheer Heart Attack    Album  1974-11-01
-```
-
-### Browse releases by artist (full list)
-
-```python
-# Browse API: uses 'artist' param (not 'query') — response key is 'release-count' not 'count'
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/"
-    "?artist=0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3&fmt=json&limit=25&offset=0",
-    headers=UA
-))
-print(resp['release-count'])   # 1635 — total releases for this artist
-for r in resp['releases']:
-    print(r['id'], r['title'], r.get('date'), r.get('country'), r.get('status'))
-    # Also has: cover-art-archive.artwork (bool), cover-art-archive.front (bool)
-    caa = r.get('cover-art-archive', {})
-    print(caa.get('artwork'), caa.get('front'), caa.get('count'))
-
-# Paginate: increment offset by limit
-```
-
-### Release search and lookup
-
-```python
-# Search by title
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/?query=dark+side+of+the+moon&fmt=json&limit=5",
-    headers=UA
-))
-# resp keys: count, offset, releases
-
-# Full release with track list, artists, and labels
-release = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/b84ee12a-09ef-421b-82de-0441a926375b"
-    "?inc=artists+recordings+labels+release-groups&fmt=json",
-    headers=UA
-))
-print(release['title'])   # The Dark Side of the Moon
-print(release['date'])    # 1973-03-24
-print(release['status'])  # Official
-print(release['country']) # GB
-
-# Release group (the "album concept", deduplicates editions)
-rg = release.get('release-group', {})
-print(rg['title'], rg.get('primary-type'), rg['id'])
-# The Dark Side of the Moon  Album  f5093c06-23e3-404f-aeaa-40f72885ee3a
-
-# Artist credit
-for ac in release.get('artist-credit', []):
-    if isinstance(ac, dict) and 'artist' in ac:
-        print(ac['artist']['name'], ac['artist']['id'])
-        # Pink Floyd  83d91898-7763-47d7-b03b-b92132375c47
-
-# Labels
-for li in release.get('label-info', []):
-    label = li.get('label', {})
-    print(label.get('name'), li.get('catalog-number'))
-    # Harvest  SHVL 804
-
-# Track list (from media[].tracks[])
-for disc in release.get('media', []):
-    for track in disc.get('tracks', []):
-        dur_s = track['length'] // 1000 if track.get('length') else None
-        rec = track.get('recording', {})
-        print(track['number'], track['title'], dur_s, rec.get('id'))
-        # A1  Speak to Me  68s  bef3fddb-5aca-49f5-b2fd-d56a23268d63
-        # A2  Breathe      168s ecbc7c9b-e79d-4ec8-ac77-44e4a7f7f1b8
-```
-
-### Recording (track) search
-
-```python
-# Use Lucene field syntax to filter by artist
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/recording/"
-    "?query=bohemian+rhapsody+AND+artist:queen&fmt=json&limit=5",
-    headers=UA
-))
-print(resp['count'])  # 419
-for r in resp['recordings']:
-    dur_s = r['length'] // 1000 if r.get('length') else None
-    artists = [ac['artist']['name'] for ac in r.get('artist-credit', []) if isinstance(ac, dict)]
-    releases = r.get('releases', [])
-    print(r['id'], r['title'], dur_s, artists, releases[0]['title'] if releases else None)
-# a4803b45  Bohemian Rhapsody  130s  ['Queen']  Rhapsody in Red
-# 40212eb6  Bohemian Rhapsody  338s  ['Queen']  1986-07: Wembley Stadium
-```
-
-### Release-group search (deduplicated albums)
-
-```python
-# Use release-group endpoint to avoid getting every regional edition
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release-group/"
-    "?query=release-group:\"A+Night+at+the+Opera\"+AND+artist:queen&fmt=json&limit=5",
-    headers=UA
-))
-# resp keys: count, release-groups
-for rg in resp.get('release-groups', []):
-    print(rg['id'], rg['title'], rg.get('primary-type'), rg.get('first-release-date'), rg['score'])
-# 6b47c9a0  A Night at the Opera  Album  1975-11-21  100
-
-# Browse release-groups for an artist
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release-group/"
-    "?artist=0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3&fmt=json&limit=25",
-    headers=UA
-))
-print(resp['release-group-count'])  # 412
-for rg in resp.get('release-groups', []):
-    print(rg['title'], rg.get('primary-type'), rg.get('first-release-date'))
-```
-
-### Label and work lookups
-
-```python
-# Label search
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/label/?query=EMI&fmt=json&limit=3",
-    headers=UA
-))
-for l in resp['labels']:
-    print(l['id'], l['name'], l.get('type'), l.get('country'), l['score'])
-# c029628b  EMI  Original Production  GB  100
-
-# Work (song composition — author-level, not performance-level)
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/work/?query=bohemian+rhapsody&fmt=json&limit=3",
-    headers=UA
-))
-for w in resp['works']:
-    print(w['id'], w['title'], w.get('type'), w['score'])
-# 41c94a08  Bohemian Rhapsody  Song  100
-```
-
-### Cover Art Archive
-
-```python
-# Get cover art for a release MBID
-# 404 if no artwork has been uploaded for that release
-def get_cover_art(release_mbid, size="500"):
-    """
-    size: '250', '500', '1200', or 'full' (original file)
-    Returns the front cover URL, or None if no artwork exists.
-    """
-    try:
-        resp = json.loads(http_get(
-            f"https://coverartarchive.org/release/{release_mbid}",
-            headers=UA
-        ))
-    except Exception:
-        return None   # 404 = no art uploaded
-
-    images = resp.get('images', [])
-    # Prefer an image flagged as front=True
-    front = next((img for img in images if img.get('front')), None)
-    img = front or (images[0] if images else None)
-    if not img:
-        return None
-
-    if size == 'full':
-        return img['image']
-    return img['thumbnails'].get(size) or img['thumbnails'].get('large')
-
-# Thumbnail sizes confirmed: '250', '500', '1200', 'small' (=250), 'large' (=500)
-
-url = get_cover_art("b84ee12a-09ef-421b-82de-0441a926375b")
-# http://coverartarchive.org/release/b84ee12a.../1611507818-500.jpg
-
-# Full images response structure
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://coverartarchive.org/release/b84ee12a-09ef-421b-82de-0441a926375b",
-    headers=UA
-))
-for img in resp['images']:
-    print(img.get('types'))   # ['Front'], ['Back'], ['Liner'], ['Poster'], ['Medium'], ['Sticker'], ['Other']
-    print(img.get('front'))   # True only for front=True flagged images (not all 'Front' types)
-    print(img.get('approved'))# True/False
-    print(img['image'])       # full resolution URL
-    print(img['thumbnails'])  # {'small': '...-250.jpg', 'large': '...-500.jpg', '250': ..., '500': ..., '1200': ...}
-```
-
-### Lucene query syntax for search
-
-All search endpoints support Lucene field queries:
-
-```python
-# Field search: artist:, type:, country:, tag:, release:, date:
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/"
-    "?query=artist:queen+AND+type:group+AND+country:GB&fmt=json&limit=5",
-    headers=UA
-))
-# count: 23 (exact matches only)
-
-# Phrase search with quotes
-resp = json.loads(http_get(
-    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/"
-    '?query=release:"A+Night+at+the+Opera"+AND+artist:queen&fmt=json&limit=5',
-    headers=UA
-))
-```
-
-Common Lucene field names per entity:
-- artist: `artist:`, `type:`, `country:`, `tag:`, `begin:`, `end:`
-- release: `release:`, `artist:`, `date:`, `country:`, `status:`, `label:`, `barcode:`
-- recording: `recording:`, `artist:`, `release:`, `dur:` (milliseconds), `tnum:` (track number)
-- release-group: `release-group:`, `artist:`, `primarytype:`, `secondarytype:`
-
-### Parallel fetching
-
-```python
-from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
-
-UA = {"User-Agent": "browser-harness/1.0 (your@email.com)"}
-
-def fetch_artist(mbid):
-    resp = json.loads(http_get(
-        f"https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/{mbid}?inc=tags&fmt=json",
-        headers=UA
-    ))
-    tags = [t['name'] for t in sorted(resp.get('tags', []), key=lambda x: x['count'], reverse=True)[:3]]
-    return {"name": resp['name'], "type": resp.get('type'), "tags": tags}
-
-mbids = [
-    "0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3",  # Queen
-    "83d91898-7763-47d7-b03b-b92132375c47",  # Pink Floyd
-    "678d88b2-87b0-403b-b63d-5da7465aecc3",  # Led Zeppelin
-]
-
-with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=3) as ex:
-    results = list(ex.map(fetch_artist, mbids))
-# 3 artists fetched in ~0.79s total
-```
-
-Tested: 5-6 rapid sequential requests all succeed. Parallel requests at 3x concurrency succeed. Real 429s (rate-limit blocks) are only hit at very high burst rates; if you do get a 429, add `time.sleep(1)` between requests.
-
-### Pagination
-
-```python
-import time
-
-UA = {"User-Agent": "browser-harness/1.0 (your@email.com)"}
-
-def browse_all_releases(artist_mbid, page_size=25):
-    """Fetch all releases for an artist across multiple pages."""
-    offset = 0
-    total = None
-    releases = []
-    while total is None or offset < total:
-        resp = json.loads(http_get(
-            f"https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/"
-            f"?artist={artist_mbid}&fmt=json&limit={page_size}&offset={offset}",
-            headers=UA
-        ))
-        total = resp['release-count']
-        batch = resp['releases']
-        releases.extend(batch)
-        offset += len(batch)
-        if offset < total:
-            time.sleep(1)  # stay within 1 req/s for sequential pagination
-    return releases
-
-# Queen has 1635 releases — use release-groups (412) to get deduplicated albums
-```
-
----
-
-## `inc=` parameter reference
-
-Stack multiple `inc=` values with `+` between them.
-
-**Artist lookup** (`/ws/2/artist/{mbid}`):
-- `releases` — list of releases (max ~25)
-- `release-groups` — list of release groups (max ~25)
-- `recordings` — list of recordings (max ~25)
-- `works` — list of works
-- `tags` — community genre tags (name + vote count)
-- `ratings` — community rating (value 0-5, votes-count)
-- `aliases` — alternative names and transliterations
-- `annotation` — free-text editorial note
-- `artist-rels`, `release-rels`, `recording-rels`, `work-rels` — relationship data
-
-**Release lookup** (`/ws/2/release/{mbid}`):
-- `artists` — full artist-credit objects
-- `recordings` — track list with recording links (populates `media[].tracks[].recording`)
-- `labels` — label-info with catalog numbers
-- `release-groups` — the release group this belongs to
-- `artist-credits` — expanded artist credit with joinphrase
-- `media` — disc/format info (always included in lookup, not needed in `inc=`)
-
----
-
-## Response shapes cheat sheet
-
-```
-# MBID format: standard UUID v4
-"0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3"
-
-# Search response (artist/recording/release/release-group/label/work)
-{
-  "count": 1612,          # total matches
-  "offset": 0,
-  "<entity-plural>": [...] # e.g. "artists", "releases", "recordings", "release-groups"
-}
-
-# Browse response (using ?artist=MBID or ?label=MBID style)
-{
-  "release-count": 1635,  # note: key name changes per entity
-  "release-offset": 0,    # e.g. "release-group-count", "recording-count"
-  "releases": [...]
-}
-
-# Recording length is always milliseconds
-recording['length'] // 1000  # => seconds
-
-# Artist life-span
-life_span = artist['life-span']
-# {'begin': '1970-06-27', 'end': None, 'ended': True}
-# 'ended': True with 'end': None means end date unknown but band is inactive
-
-# Artist credit joinphrase (for multi-artist tracks)
-# [{"name": "Simon", "artist": {...}, "joinphrase": " & "}, {"name": "Garfunkel", ...}]
-```
-
----
-
-## URL patterns
-
-| Resource | URL |
-|---|---|
-| Artist search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
-| Artist by MBID | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/{mbid}?inc=tags+ratings&fmt=json` |
-| Browse releases by artist | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/?artist={mbid}&fmt=json&limit=25&offset=0` |
-| Release search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
-| Release by MBID | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/{mbid}?inc=artists+recordings+labels&fmt=json` |
-| Release-group browse | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release-group/?artist={mbid}&fmt=json&limit=25` |
-| Recording search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/recording/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
-| Label search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/label/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
-| Work search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/work/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
-| Cover art | `https://coverartarchive.org/release/{release-mbid}` |
-
-MusicBrainz entity browser URL (human-readable): `https://musicbrainz.org/artist/{mbid}` (replace `artist` with `release`, `recording`, etc.)
-
----
-
-## Gotchas
-
-- **`User-Agent` is mandatory** — without it you get HTTP 403 instantly. The header must include contact info, e.g. `browser-harness/1.0 (you@example.com)`. The default `http_get` UA (`Mozilla/5.0`) also gets 403.
-
-- **Browse vs search response keys differ** — Search responses use `count` and `offset`; Browse responses (with `?artist=MBID`) use `release-count` / `release-offset` (or `release-group-count` etc.). Accessing `data['count']` on a browse response throws `KeyError`.
-
-- **`releases` include in artist lookup caps at ~25** — Use the browse endpoint (`?artist=MBID`) with pagination for complete lists. Queen has 1,635 releases total; the `inc=releases` on the artist endpoint only returns ~25.
-
-- **Use release-groups to avoid edition explosion** — A popular album can have hundreds of release entries (every country's pressing, every remaster, every format). Use `/ws/2/release-group/` to get one entry per "album concept". Queen's "A Night at the Opera" has 75+ release entries but 1 release-group.
-
-- **Recording length is milliseconds** — `recording['length']` is in milliseconds, not seconds. Divide by 1000.
-
-- **Sort-name differs from display name for persons** — Artists have both `name` (display: "David Bowie") and `sort-name` (alphabetical: "Bowie, David"). Groups usually have identical values.
-
-- **Disambiguation in parentheses** — When multiple entities share a name, MusicBrainz adds a `disambiguation` field to distinguish them (e.g. `"English singer-songwriter"` vs a different David Bowie). Always check `a.get('disambiguation', '')` when resolving artist identity.
-
-- **Score 100 does not mean unique** — Search returns `score: 100` for multiple results when several equally match the query. "dark side of the moon" returns 6 results all scored 100 — they're different regional pressings. Filter by `date`, `country`, or `status` to narrow down.
-
-- **Recording search: plain query matches titles AND artists broadly** — `?query=bohemian+rhapsody+queen` matches *cover versions* first because "queen" appears in the artist or title of other recordings. Use `AND artist:queen` Lucene syntax to restrict to Queen performances.
-
-- **Cover Art Archive returns 404 for releases with no uploaded art** — Check `release['cover-art-archive']['artwork']` (boolean) from any release browse/search response before hitting the CAA endpoint. Saves an extra HTTP round-trip.
-
-- **Cover art `front=True` flag vs `types=['Front']`** — A release can have multiple images typed as 'Front' but only one (or none) flagged `front: true`. Always filter on `img.get('front') == True` for the canonical cover, not on `img.get('types') == ['Front']`.
-
-- **CAA thumbnail key names** — Both string keys `'small'` (250px) and `'large'` (500px) exist as aliases alongside numeric string keys `'250'`, `'500'`, `'1200'`. Access as `img['thumbnails']['500']` or `img['thumbnails']['large']` — both work.
-
-- **Rate limit: 1 req/s unauthenticated** — In practice, bursts of 5-6 sequential requests succeed without throttling. True 429s appear at higher rates. For sequential pagination loops, add `time.sleep(1)` between pages. For parallel fetching, limit concurrency to 3-5 workers.
-
-- **`fmt=json` required** — Omitting it returns XML instead of JSON. Always append `&fmt=json` to every request.
+# MusicBrainz — Data Extraction
+
+`https://musicbrainz.org` — open music encyclopedia with a fully free JSON API.
+No auth required for reads. No browser needed for any documented workflow.
+
+Field-tested against musicbrainz.org on 2026-04-18.
+
+---
+
+## Do this first
+
+**The MusicBrainz Web Service API (ws/2) returns clean JSON for all entity types — no browser needed.**
+
+```python
+from helpers import http_get
+import json
+
+# REQUIRED: every request must include this header or you get HTTP 403
+UA = {"User-Agent": "browser-harness/1.0 (your@email.com)"}
+
+data = json.loads(http_get("https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/?query=queen&fmt=json&limit=5", headers=UA))
+for a in data['artists']:
+    print(a['id'], a['name'], a.get('type'), a.get('country'), a['score'])
+# 0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3  Queen  Group  GB  100
+# 79239441-bfd5-4981-a70c-55c3f15c1287  Madonna  Person  US  73
+```
+
+`User-Agent` is **mandatory** — omitting it returns HTTP 403 immediately. Format: `AppName/Version (contact@email.com)`.
+
+---
+
+## Entity types
+
+| Entity | Endpoint | Key fields |
+|---|---|---|
+| `artist` | `/ws/2/artist/` | name, sort-name, type (Group/Person/Orchestra/Choir), country, life-span, tags, rating |
+| `release-group` | `/ws/2/release-group/` | title, primary-type (Album/Single/EP/Other), first-release-date |
+| `release` | `/ws/2/release/` | title, date, country, status (Official/Bootleg/Promotional), barcode, label-info, media |
+| `recording` | `/ws/2/recording/` | title, length (milliseconds), artist-credit, releases |
+| `label` | `/ws/2/label/` | name, type, country, area |
+| `work` | `/ws/2/work/` | title, type (Song/Aria/Soundtrack/etc.), relations |
+
+All entities share the same MBID (MusicBrainz ID) format: UUID v4, e.g. `0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3`.
+
+---
+
+## Common workflows
+
+### Artist search
+
+```python
+from helpers import http_get
+import json
+
+UA = {"User-Agent": "browser-harness/1.0 (your@email.com)"}
+
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/?query=queen&fmt=json&limit=5",
+    headers=UA
+))
+# resp keys: count (total matches), offset, artists (list)
+for a in resp['artists']:
+    print(a['id'])           # MBID: 0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3
+    print(a['name'])         # Queen
+    print(a['sort-name'])    # Queen  (differs for persons: "Bowie, David")
+    print(a.get('type'))     # Group / Person / Orchestra / Choir
+    print(a.get('country'))  # GB
+    print(a.get('life-span'))# {'begin': '1970-06-27', 'end': None, 'ended': True}
+    print(a.get('disambiguation', ''))  # e.g. "English singer-songwriter"
+    print(a['score'])        # relevance 0-100
+```
+
+### Artist by MBID (with related data via `inc=`)
+
+```python
+# inc= parameters stack with + between them
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3"
+    "?inc=releases+tags+ratings+release-groups&fmt=json",
+    headers=UA
+))
+print(resp['name'])      # Queen
+print(resp['type'])      # Group
+print(resp['country'])   # GB
+print(resp['life-span']) # {'begin': '1970-06-27', 'end': None, 'ended': True}
+
+# Tags (community-voted genre labels, sorted by count)
+tags = sorted(resp.get('tags', []), key=lambda x: x['count'], reverse=True)
+print([t['name'] for t in tags[:5]])
+# ['rock', 'glam rock', 'hard rock', 'art rock', 'british']
+
+# Rating (community score, 0-5)
+print(resp.get('rating'))  # {'votes-count': 43, 'value': 4.7}
+
+# Direct releases (up to 25 per request — use browse for full list)
+for r in resp.get('releases', []):
+    print(r['id'], r['title'], r.get('date'))
+
+# Release groups (albums, singles, EPs — deduplicated by edition)
+for rg in resp.get('release-groups', []):
+    print(rg['id'], rg['title'], rg.get('primary-type'), rg.get('first-release-date'))
+# 6b47c9a0  A Night at the Opera  Album  1975-11-21
+# 002ed683  Sheer Heart Attack    Album  1974-11-01
+```
+
+### Browse releases by artist (full list)
+
+```python
+# Browse API: uses 'artist' param (not 'query') — response key is 'release-count' not 'count'
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/"
+    "?artist=0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3&fmt=json&limit=25&offset=0",
+    headers=UA
+))
+print(resp['release-count'])   # 1635 — total releases for this artist
+for r in resp['releases']:
+    print(r['id'], r['title'], r.get('date'), r.get('country'), r.get('status'))
+    # Also has: cover-art-archive.artwork (bool), cover-art-archive.front (bool)
+    caa = r.get('cover-art-archive', {})
+    print(caa.get('artwork'), caa.get('front'), caa.get('count'))
+
+# Paginate: increment offset by limit
+```
+
+### Release search and lookup
+
+```python
+# Search by title
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/?query=dark+side+of+the+moon&fmt=json&limit=5",
+    headers=UA
+))
+# resp keys: count, offset, releases
+
+# Full release with track list, artists, and labels
+release = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/b84ee12a-09ef-421b-82de-0441a926375b"
+    "?inc=artists+recordings+labels+release-groups&fmt=json",
+    headers=UA
+))
+print(release['title'])   # The Dark Side of the Moon
+print(release['date'])    # 1973-03-24
+print(release['status'])  # Official
+print(release['country']) # GB
+
+# Release group (the "album concept", deduplicates editions)
+rg = release.get('release-group', {})
+print(rg['title'], rg.get('primary-type'), rg['id'])
+# The Dark Side of the Moon  Album  f5093c06-23e3-404f-aeaa-40f72885ee3a
+
+# Artist credit
+for ac in release.get('artist-credit', []):
+    if isinstance(ac, dict) and 'artist' in ac:
+        print(ac['artist']['name'], ac['artist']['id'])
+        # Pink Floyd  83d91898-7763-47d7-b03b-b92132375c47
+
+# Labels
+for li in release.get('label-info', []):
+    label = li.get('label', {})
+    print(label.get('name'), li.get('catalog-number'))
+    # Harvest  SHVL 804
+
+# Track list (from media[].tracks[])
+for disc in release.get('media', []):
+    for track in disc.get('tracks', []):
+        dur_s = track['length'] // 1000 if track.get('length') else None
+        rec = track.get('recording', {})
+        print(track['number'], track['title'], dur_s, rec.get('id'))
+        # A1  Speak to Me  68s  bef3fddb-5aca-49f5-b2fd-d56a23268d63
+        # A2  Breathe      168s ecbc7c9b-e79d-4ec8-ac77-44e4a7f7f1b8
+```
+
+### Recording (track) search
+
+```python
+# Use Lucene field syntax to filter by artist
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/recording/"
+    "?query=bohemian+rhapsody+AND+artist:queen&fmt=json&limit=5",
+    headers=UA
+))
+print(resp['count'])  # 419
+for r in resp['recordings']:
+    dur_s = r['length'] // 1000 if r.get('length') else None
+    artists = [ac['artist']['name'] for ac in r.get('artist-credit', []) if isinstance(ac, dict)]
+    releases = r.get('releases', [])
+    print(r['id'], r['title'], dur_s, artists, releases[0]['title'] if releases else None)
+# a4803b45  Bohemian Rhapsody  130s  ['Queen']  Rhapsody in Red
+# 40212eb6  Bohemian Rhapsody  338s  ['Queen']  1986-07: Wembley Stadium
+```
+
+### Release-group search (deduplicated albums)
+
+```python
+# Use release-group endpoint to avoid getting every regional edition
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release-group/"
+    "?query=release-group:\"A+Night+at+the+Opera\"+AND+artist:queen&fmt=json&limit=5",
+    headers=UA
+))
+# resp keys: count, release-groups
+for rg in resp.get('release-groups', []):
+    print(rg['id'], rg['title'], rg.get('primary-type'), rg.get('first-release-date'), rg['score'])
+# 6b47c9a0  A Night at the Opera  Album  1975-11-21  100
+
+# Browse release-groups for an artist
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release-group/"
+    "?artist=0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3&fmt=json&limit=25",
+    headers=UA
+))
+print(resp['release-group-count'])  # 412
+for rg in resp.get('release-groups', []):
+    print(rg['title'], rg.get('primary-type'), rg.get('first-release-date'))
+```
+
+### Label and work lookups
+
+```python
+# Label search
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/label/?query=EMI&fmt=json&limit=3",
+    headers=UA
+))
+for l in resp['labels']:
+    print(l['id'], l['name'], l.get('type'), l.get('country'), l['score'])
+# c029628b  EMI  Original Production  GB  100
+
+# Work (song composition — author-level, not performance-level)
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/work/?query=bohemian+rhapsody&fmt=json&limit=3",
+    headers=UA
+))
+for w in resp['works']:
+    print(w['id'], w['title'], w.get('type'), w['score'])
+# 41c94a08  Bohemian Rhapsody  Song  100
+```
+
+### Cover Art Archive
+
+```python
+# Get cover art for a release MBID
+# 404 if no artwork has been uploaded for that release
+def get_cover_art(release_mbid, size="500"):
+    """
+    size: '250', '500', '1200', or 'full' (original file)
+    Returns the front cover URL, or None if no artwork exists.
+    """
+    try:
+        resp = json.loads(http_get(
+            f"https://coverartarchive.org/release/{release_mbid}",
+            headers=UA
+        ))
+    except Exception:
+        return None   # 404 = no art uploaded
+
+    images = resp.get('images', [])
+    # Prefer an image flagged as front=True
+    front = next((img for img in images if img.get('front')), None)
+    img = front or (images[0] if images else None)
+    if not img:
+        return None
+
+    if size == 'full':
+        return img['image']
+    return img['thumbnails'].get(size) or img['thumbnails'].get('large')
+
+# Thumbnail sizes confirmed: '250', '500', '1200', 'small' (=250), 'large' (=500)
+
+url = get_cover_art("b84ee12a-09ef-421b-82de-0441a926375b")
+# http://coverartarchive.org/release/b84ee12a.../1611507818-500.jpg
+
+# Full images response structure
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://coverartarchive.org/release/b84ee12a-09ef-421b-82de-0441a926375b",
+    headers=UA
+))
+for img in resp['images']:
+    print(img.get('types'))   # ['Front'], ['Back'], ['Liner'], ['Poster'], ['Medium'], ['Sticker'], ['Other']
+    print(img.get('front'))   # True only for front=True flagged images (not all 'Front' types)
+    print(img.get('approved'))# True/False
+    print(img['image'])       # full resolution URL
+    print(img['thumbnails'])  # {'small': '...-250.jpg', 'large': '...-500.jpg', '250': ..., '500': ..., '1200': ...}
+```
+
+### Lucene query syntax for search
+
+All search endpoints support Lucene field queries:
+
+```python
+# Field search: artist:, type:, country:, tag:, release:, date:
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/"
+    "?query=artist:queen+AND+type:group+AND+country:GB&fmt=json&limit=5",
+    headers=UA
+))
+# count: 23 (exact matches only)
+
+# Phrase search with quotes
+resp = json.loads(http_get(
+    "https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/"
+    '?query=release:"A+Night+at+the+Opera"+AND+artist:queen&fmt=json&limit=5',
+    headers=UA
+))
+```
+
+Common Lucene field names per entity:
+- artist: `artist:`, `type:`, `country:`, `tag:`, `begin:`, `end:`
+- release: `release:`, `artist:`, `date:`, `country:`, `status:`, `label:`, `barcode:`
+- recording: `recording:`, `artist:`, `release:`, `dur:` (milliseconds), `tnum:` (track number)
+- release-group: `release-group:`, `artist:`, `primarytype:`, `secondarytype:`
+
+### Parallel fetching
+
+```python
+from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
+
+UA = {"User-Agent": "browser-harness/1.0 (your@email.com)"}
+
+def fetch_artist(mbid):
+    resp = json.loads(http_get(
+        f"https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/{mbid}?inc=tags&fmt=json",
+        headers=UA
+    ))
+    tags = [t['name'] for t in sorted(resp.get('tags', []), key=lambda x: x['count'], reverse=True)[:3]]
+    return {"name": resp['name'], "type": resp.get('type'), "tags": tags}
+
+mbids = [
+    "0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3",  # Queen
+    "83d91898-7763-47d7-b03b-b92132375c47",  # Pink Floyd
+    "678d88b2-87b0-403b-b63d-5da7465aecc3",  # Led Zeppelin
+]
+
+with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=3) as ex:
+    results = list(ex.map(fetch_artist, mbids))
+# 3 artists fetched in ~0.79s total
+```
+
+Tested: 5-6 rapid sequential requests all succeed. Parallel requests at 3x concurrency succeed. Real 429s (rate-limit blocks) are only hit at very high burst rates; if you do get a 429, add `time.sleep(1)` between requests.
+
+### Pagination
+
+```python
+import time
+
+UA = {"User-Agent": "browser-harness/1.0 (your@email.com)"}
+
+def browse_all_releases(artist_mbid, page_size=25):
+    """Fetch all releases for an artist across multiple pages."""
+    offset = 0
+    total = None
+    releases = []
+    while total is None or offset < total:
+        resp = json.loads(http_get(
+            f"https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/"
+            f"?artist={artist_mbid}&fmt=json&limit={page_size}&offset={offset}",
+            headers=UA
+        ))
+        total = resp['release-count']
+        batch = resp['releases']
+        releases.extend(batch)
+        offset += len(batch)
+        if offset < total:
+            time.sleep(1)  # stay within 1 req/s for sequential pagination
+    return releases
+
+# Queen has 1635 releases — use release-groups (412) to get deduplicated albums
+```
+
+---
+
+## `inc=` parameter reference
+
+Stack multiple `inc=` values with `+` between them.
+
+**Artist lookup** (`/ws/2/artist/{mbid}`):
+- `releases` — list of releases (max ~25)
+- `release-groups` — list of release groups (max ~25)
+- `recordings` — list of recordings (max ~25)
+- `works` — list of works
+- `tags` — community genre tags (name + vote count)
+- `ratings` — community rating (value 0-5, votes-count)
+- `aliases` — alternative names and transliterations
+- `annotation` — free-text editorial note
+- `artist-rels`, `release-rels`, `recording-rels`, `work-rels` — relationship data
+
+**Release lookup** (`/ws/2/release/{mbid}`):
+- `artists` — full artist-credit objects
+- `recordings` — track list with recording links (populates `media[].tracks[].recording`)
+- `labels` — label-info with catalog numbers
+- `release-groups` — the release group this belongs to
+- `artist-credits` — expanded artist credit with joinphrase
+- `media` — disc/format info (always included in lookup, not needed in `inc=`)
+
+---
+
+## Response shapes cheat sheet
+
+```
+# MBID format: standard UUID v4
+"0383dadf-2a4e-4d10-a46a-e9e041da8eb3"
+
+# Search response (artist/recording/release/release-group/label/work)
+{
+  "count": 1612,          # total matches
+  "offset": 0,
+  "<entity-plural>": [...] # e.g. "artists", "releases", "recordings", "release-groups"
+}
+
+# Browse response (using ?artist=MBID or ?label=MBID style)
+{
+  "release-count": 1635,  # note: key name changes per entity
+  "release-offset": 0,    # e.g. "release-group-count", "recording-count"
+  "releases": [...]
+}
+
+# Recording length is always milliseconds
+recording['length'] // 1000  # => seconds
+
+# Artist life-span
+life_span = artist['life-span']
+# {'begin': '1970-06-27', 'end': None, 'ended': True}
+# 'ended': True with 'end': None means end date unknown but band is inactive
+
+# Artist credit joinphrase (for multi-artist tracks)
+# [{"name": "Simon", "artist": {...}, "joinphrase": " & "}, {"name": "Garfunkel", ...}]
+```
+
+---
+
+## URL patterns
+
+| Resource | URL |
+|---|---|
+| Artist search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
+| Artist by MBID | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/artist/{mbid}?inc=tags+ratings&fmt=json` |
+| Browse releases by artist | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/?artist={mbid}&fmt=json&limit=25&offset=0` |
+| Release search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
+| Release by MBID | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release/{mbid}?inc=artists+recordings+labels&fmt=json` |
+| Release-group browse | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/release-group/?artist={mbid}&fmt=json&limit=25` |
+| Recording search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/recording/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
+| Label search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/label/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
+| Work search | `https://musicbrainz.org/ws/2/work/?query={q}&fmt=json&limit=5` |
+| Cover art | `https://coverartarchive.org/release/{release-mbid}` |
+
+MusicBrainz entity browser URL (human-readable): `https://musicbrainz.org/artist/{mbid}` (replace `artist` with `release`, `recording`, etc.)
+
+---
+
+## Gotchas
+
+- **`User-Agent` is mandatory** — without it you get HTTP 403 instantly. The header must include contact info, e.g. `browser-harness/1.0 (you@example.com)`. The default `http_get` UA (`Mozilla/5.0`) also gets 403.
+
+- **Browse vs search response keys differ** — Search responses use `count` and `offset`; Browse responses (with `?artist=MBID`) use `release-count` / `release-offset` (or `release-group-count` etc.). Accessing `data['count']` on a browse response throws `KeyError`.
+
+- **`releases` include in artist lookup caps at ~25** — Use the browse endpoint (`?artist=MBID`) with pagination for complete lists. Queen has 1,635 releases total; the `inc=releases` on the artist endpoint only returns ~25.
+
+- **Use release-groups to avoid edition explosion** — A popular album can have hundreds of release entries (every country's pressing, every remaster, every format). Use `/ws/2/release-group/` to get one entry per "album concept". Queen's "A Night at the Opera" has 75+ release entries but 1 release-group.
+
+- **Recording length is milliseconds** — `recording['length']` is in milliseconds, not seconds. Divide by 1000.
+
+- **Sort-name differs from display name for persons** — Artists have both `name` (display: "David Bowie") and `sort-name` (alphabetical: "Bowie, David"). Groups usually have identical values.
+
+- **Disambiguation in parentheses** — When multiple entities share a name, MusicBrainz adds a `disambiguation` field to distinguish them (e.g. `"English singer-songwriter"` vs a different David Bowie). Always check `a.get('disambiguation', '')` when resolving artist identity.
+
+- **Score 100 does not mean unique** — Search returns `score: 100` for multiple results when several equally match the query. "dark side of the moon" returns 6 results all scored 100 — they're different regional pressings. Filter by `date`, `country`, or `status` to narrow down.
+
+- **Recording search: plain query matches titles AND artists broadly** — `?query=bohemian+rhapsody+queen` matches *cover versions* first because "queen" appears in the artist or title of other recordings. Use `AND artist:queen` Lucene syntax to restrict to Queen performances.
+
+- **Cover Art Archive returns 404 for releases with no uploaded art** — Check `release['cover-art-archive']['artwork']` (boolean) from any release browse/search response before hitting the CAA endpoint. Saves an extra HTTP round-trip.
+
+- **Cover art `front=True` flag vs `types=['Front']`** — A release can have multiple images typed as 'Front' but only one (or none) flagged `front: true`. Always filter on `img.get('front') == True` for the canonical cover, not on `img.get('types') == ['Front']`.
+
+- **CAA thumbnail key names** — Both string keys `'small'` (250px) and `'large'` (500px) exist as aliases alongside numeric string keys `'250'`, `'500'`, `'1200'`. Access as `img['thumbnails']['500']` or `img['thumbnails']['large']` — both work.
+
+- **Rate limit: 1 req/s unauthenticated** — In practice, bursts of 5-6 sequential requests succeed without throttling. True 429s appear at higher rates. For sequential pagination loops, add `time.sleep(1)` between pages. For parallel fetching, limit concurrency to 3-5 workers.
+
+- **`fmt=json` required** — Omitting it returns XML instead of JSON. Always append `&fmt=json` to every request.