Genius MCP Server

What is Genius MCP Server?

An MCP server that brings the power of Genius into your AI assistant. It lets AI clients query songs, artists, lyrics annotations, album artwork annotations, song relationships, credits, and editorial knowledge through a clean set of tools and prompts.

How to use Genius MCP Server?

Obtain a Genius API Client Access Token from https://genius.com/api-clients, set it as GENIUS_ACCESS_TOKEN in .env, and choose a transport mode (STREAMABLE_HTTP for HTTP or stdio for desktop). Run with Python 3.11+ or Docker. Connect via claude mcp add for Claude Code or add a mcpServers entry in claude_desktop_config.json for Claude Desktop.

Key features of Genius MCP Server

• Search songs and artists by name
• Fetch full song metadata and editorial descriptions
• Retrieve artist profiles and discography
• Read lyric annotations with trust levels
• Explore song relationships and credits
• Run pre-built analysis prompts (analyze-song, artist-deep-dive)

Use cases of Genius MCP Server

• Analyze the meaning and cultural context of a specific song
• Deep‑dive into an artist’s biography, style, and discography
• Research song credits, samples, and interpolations
• Study album cover art annotations and symbolism
• Integrate Genius music knowledge into AI‑powered writing or research tools

FAQ from Genius MCP Server

How do I get a Genius API token?

Go to https://genius.com/api-clients, sign in, create a new API client, and copy the Client Access Token.

What transport modes are supported?

The server supports Streamable HTTP (default, for remote clients) and stdio (for local desktop tools like Claude Desktop). Set STREAMABLE_HTTP in .env to true or false.

Which parts of the API are stable?

Tools labeled “Official API” use the documented api.genius.com endpoint. Tools using lyricsgenius (e.g., get_song_questions_and_answers, get_artist_albums, search_album, get_cover_art_annotations) access an undocumented public API and may change without notice.

What do annotation trust levels mean?

artist_verified (confirmed by the artist), accepted (reviewed by Genius editorial staff), and unreviewed (community‑submitted, not yet reviewed). The get_song_annotations tool can filter by trust level.

Can I run the server with Docker?

Yes. For Streamable HTTP use docker compose up --build. For stdio set STREAMABLE_HTTP=false and run docker run --rm -i --env-file .env $(docker build -q .).