Is there any benefit to using your own Last.fm API key?
from Deebster@programming.dev to navidrome@discuss.tchncs.de on 06 Nov 2023 04:19
https://programming.dev/post/5472729

I’ve made a Last.fm API key but at the point of adding it to Navidrome I wondered why I was bothering; is this option only there because of backwards compatibility or is there a tangible benefit?

#navidrome

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tempo@discuss.tchncs.de on 08 Nov 2023 04:28 next collapse

I’m not certain but it could be used for album art, album description info and for last.fm scrobbling, according to the documentation.

Deebster@programming.dev on 08 Nov 2023 05:30 collapse

Yes, that’s why there’s a Last.fm API key, but that and scrobbling work out of the box with the default key. So, is there any reason to replace it with a personal one?

tempo@discuss.tchncs.de on 09 Nov 2023 02:59 collapse

I’m just guessing so your scrobbling can be associated with you. I can’t think of any other reason right now.

Deebster@programming.dev on 09 Nov 2023 11:28 collapse

Scrobbling’s set up per-user using OAuth in the browser, which is better since different users can scrobble to different accounts.

I’m guessing it’s left in because why remove it since it’s working, and it would be useful if the default API key stopped working.

Undearius@lemmy.ca on 11 Nov 2023 16:51 collapse

I think it has something to do with fetching album art.

I just set up a server and while it was scanning my library, the logs showed a bunch of rate limits for last.fm with a link how to increase it.

It’s likely that Last.fm only allows so many requests using the default API and setting up a personal increases that limit.

Deebster@programming.dev on 08 Feb 2024 09:04 collapse

I just noticed the same errors myself:

error=“last.fm error(29): Rate Limit Exceeded - This application has made too many requests in a short period. If this is your API key, see www.last.fm/api/tos#4.4 for information about raising the limit.”

Edit: Oh, and now I see you need to have your own in the latest version anyway:

BREAKING CHANGE: This release removes the Last.fm shared API-key, as previously announced here. If you use any Last.fm functionality (scrobbling, biographies, album descriptions), please check the documentation on how to create your own API Key, it is free and should only take you a couple of minutes. NOTE: Remember to re-enable scrobbling after changing the API Key and restarting the server.