MusicBrainz Explorer

Explore releases. Play your own library.

About

MusicBrainz Explorer is a release and discography browser built around MusicBrainz metadata, detailed credits and clear navigation.

It can match and play MusicBrainz-tagged music from a local folder or Navidrome. Playback is optional; the Explorer remains fully usable without a library.

System requirements

MusicBrainz Explorer runs in a modern browser with JavaScript enabled. Local-folder playback requires supported tagged files; Navidrome playback requires an accessible OpenSubsonic server.

Web app

Open MusicBrainz Explorer

Setup and playback

Select the pulsing logo on the start page to open search help and playback setup.

• Source: choose a local music folder or connect Navidrome.
• For local playback, create or load library.json. Albums are identified from embedded MusicBrainz IDs, never folder names.
• MusicBrainz compatibility: review which albums are correctly identified and which need better tags.
• Output: system audio is supported; UPnP network-renderer output is under development and coming soon.
• Play symbols mark matched releases and tracks; the floating player stays available while you browse.

Navidrome

Open Setup → Source → Navidrome → Connect or configure, then enter the server URL, username and password. Remote servers must use HTTPS.

• No library.json is needed: the Explorer reads the Navidrome catalogue through OpenSubsonic.
• Albums need release MBIDs; tracks need recording MBIDs plus accurate disc and track numbers.
• The compatibility report lists identified albums and albums that still need MusicBrainz tags.
• Matching server releases appear in search and stream through the browser player using system audio.
• The selected source and server connection are restored across sessions using a saved salted login token; the original password is not stored.

Audio playback

With system audio, local files use the browser's native audio pipeline; Navidrome playback requests the raw stream without a bitrate limit. The Explorer does not deliberately request transcoding.

Because the browser, operating-system mixer and chosen audio device remain part of the playback chain, bit-perfect output cannot be guaranteed.

Support

Questions, suggestions and feedback are always welcome.

Send a support message

Privacy Policy

• MusicBrainz Explorer has no application backend or user accounts.
• Your music files and library.json are not uploaded by the app.
• Browser indexing and playback happen locally on your device.
• Supported browsers remember the selected local-folder handle, but may ask you to approve access again.
• Navidrome requests go directly from your browser to the server you configure.
• The saved Navidrome connection contains a reusable salted login token, not the original password.
• Music metadata and cover art are requested from MusicBrainz and the Cover Art Archive.

Attribution

Music metadata is provided by MusicBrainz under the CC0 license. Cover art is provided by the Cover Art Archive.