What is MusicBrainzScrobbler?
MusicBrainzScrobbler is a scrobbler for last.fm. You are able to scrobble tracks you have listened to in the past.
Not for every device is an online last.fm scrobbler available. For example, if you listen to
- long-playing records (LPs, [Vinyl])
- extented-playing records (EPs)
- short-playing records (Singles)
- audio cassettes (MCs)
- compact discs (CDs)
- others (Bootlegs, etc.)
there is a good chance that you can't scrobble these tracks. And that's the point where MusicBrainzScrobbler helps you out.
What is MusicBrainz? (http://musicbrainz.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MusicBrainz)
MusicBrainz is a community music metadatabase that attempts to create a comprehensive music information site. You can use the MusicBrainz data either by browsing the MusicBrainz web site, or you can access the data from a client program (eg. MusicBrainzScrobbler.pl). MusicBrainz captures information about artists, their recorded works, and the relationships between them. Recorded works entries capture at a minimum the album title, track titles, and the length of each track.These entries are maintained by volunteer editors who follow community written style guidelines. Recorded works can additionally store information about the release date and country,the CD disc ID, an acoustic fingerprint for each track and have an optional free-form text field or annotation attached to them.
The MusicBrainz database contained a huge amount of data (http://musicbrainz.org/show/stats/):
> 550.000 artists
> 820.000 releases (albums)
> 9.600.000 tracks
In other words, there is a very good chance to find exactly the release (album) you have listend to. Everything on MusicBrainz has an identifier ID. So what you have to do is to find the ID of your album.
Cook recipe - find a MusicBrainz release (album) ID:
- surf to the MusicBrainz start page (http://musicbrainz.org/)
- enter your artist (eg. "Def Leppard")- select your artist (you will see release details eg. albums, singles, ...)
- select your album (eg. "Hysteria", you will see details for all "Hystria" releases)
- select your release (eg. "Offical, 1987, Hysteria", you will the tracks on this release)
- click on "Details" (you will see the MusicBrainz ID (mbid) for this release)
- you have the important information (Title: Hysteria, MBID: b086901c-61f2-4e08-8291-3414cbd39f91)
Scrobble the release ("lastfmSK" in configuration file):
perl MusicBrainzScrobbler.pl -mbid="b086901c-61f2-4e08-8291-3414cbd39f91" -date="10/06/18" -time="18:45"
Usage:
-h | -? = show help (this)
-scrobble = scrobble tracks without user interaction
-mbid = MusicBrainz release id
-date = listening start date (YY/MM/DD, default = current date)
-time = listening start time (HH:MM)
-lastfmSK = your user specific last.fm session key
-logging = 0=OFF / 1=ON; logfile="MusicBrainzScrobbler.log"
Example:
perl MusicBrainzScrobbler.pl -mbid="b086901c-61f2-4e08-8291-3414cbd39f91" -time="18:45" -lastfmSK="4ec99fa897288a476f7146c53f24eb0d"
Example ("lastfmSK" in configuration file):
perl MusicBrainzScrobbler.pl -mbid="b086901c-61f2-4e08-8291-3414cbd39f91" -date="10/06/19" -time="22:05"
General information:
- You need a Perl interpreter to run MusicBrainzScrobbler.pl.
- Linux / OS X: Perl is already available
- Windows: You have to download Perl (Link to free ActivePerl: http://www.activestate.com/activeperl/)
- You typically use the utility from a command window (prompt).
- Windows: Start, Programs, Accessories, Command prompt.
- Linux / OS X: Start a terminal (console).
- Recommended terminal size setting is 132 x 43.
- Help informations: Start the utility without any parameters.
Technical notes:
- The utility comes with a configuration file (MusicBrainzScrobbler.cfg).
- You typically configure your "terminal encoding", "proxy setting" and "last.fm SessionKey".
- MusicBrainzScrobbler.pl has full unicode (utf8) support.
- You have to configure the terminal encoding according to your codepage setting.
- Windows: eg. "cp850" / use "mode con" to find out your codepage setting.
- Linux / OS X: eg. "utf8" / have a look at your terminal configuration.
- You need a session key for write access into your last.fm profile.
- The session key (similar to a password) will then be infinite valid.
- Keep the session key save and private - you need it again and again.
- Proxy support and configuration is possible.
- HTTP timeout configuration ist possible.
How to get a session key (sk)?
- Use the utility "fetch_lastfm_SessionKey.pl".
- Keep the session key save (similar to a password).
- Everybody who knows your session key has write access to your account.
- You can invalidate the session key by removing this application.
- Removing is done on the settings page of your last.fm profile.
Link to utility: MusicBrainzScrobbler-020.zip