genius-mcp-server

What is genius-mcp-server?

genius-mcp-server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets MCP clients (e.g., Claude for Desktop, VS Code GitHub Copilot) search lyrics, artists, and retrieve song/artist details from Genius.com via the Genius API.

How to use genius-mcp-server?

Requires Node.js 16+ and a Genius Client Access Token. Set the GENIUS_CLIENT_ACCESS_TOKEN or GENIUS_ACCESS_TOKEN environment variable to your token. Run with npx -y genius-mcp-server. Configure your MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop) to launch the server using npx and pass the token in the env block of the JSON config.

Key features of genius-mcp-server

• genius-search tool: search songs, artists, or web pages.
• genius-list-artist-songs tool: list songs by artist ID.
• genius-song resource: get song details by ID (genius://songs/{id}).
• genius-artist resource: get artist details by ID (genius://artists/{id}).
• genius-search-prompt prompt: a reusable template for initiating Genius searches.

Use cases of genius-mcp-server

• Ask an LLM to find songs by a specific artist on Genius.
• Retrieve detailed information about a song or artist using their numeric ID.
• Automate music research workflows in AI chatbots or coding assistants.

FAQ from genius-mcp-server

How do I get a Genius API key?

Visit the Genius API Client management page, create a new client, and generate a Client Access Token. This token provides read-only access to public endpoints.

What are the system requirements?

Node.js version 16 or higher and npm (or uv) are required.

How do I run the server with npx?

Set the environment variable GENIUS_CLIENT_ACCESS_TOKEN to your token, then run npx -y genius-mcp-server. The server will start on stdio.

How do I configure it with Claude for Desktop?

Edit claude_desktop_config.json (located in ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ on macOS/Linux or %APPDATA%\Claude on Windows) and add an entry under mcpServers with command: "npx", args: ["-y", "genius-mcp-server"], and env: { "GENIUS_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_token" }.

What is the authentication model?

The server uses a Client Access Token passed as an environment variable. It only provides read access to public Genius API endpoints. For advanced user-specific features, OAuth would be needed.