# Songkick Alternative MCP > Songkick Alternative connects your AI agent to a massive live music database. You can search for concerts, track artist tours, or check venue schedules across any metro area—all by talking to your agent. ## Overview - **Category:** audio-music - **Price:** Free - **Tags:** concerts, live-music, tour-dates, artist-tracking, event-discovery ## Description You've got your AI agent connected up with this server; it lets you tap into a massive live music database that tracks concerts everywhere. You don't have to scroll through endless websites or fill out complicated forms—you just talk to your agent, and it gets the data you need. **Finding Artists and Venues** If you start by needing an artist's unique Songkick ID for any reason, your agent uses `search_artists` to find them by name. That ID is key because it lets you pull everything related to that musician later on. You can also use `search_venues` to pinpoint specific music spots just by naming 'em; this function finds the venue and gives you its unique Songkick ID, letting you check out their entire performance schedule. **Mapping Out Local Scenes** Want to see what's going on in a whole city? You don't have to guess. Your agent uses `search_locations` to find metro areas and pulls their specific Songkick IDs. Knowing that ID means you can run searches across entire regions, helping you map out the local music scene for an entire area. **Searching for Events** You need to know what's happening on a certain weekend? You can use `search_events` to run broad searches for upcoming concerts. This tool lets you narrow down results using detailed criteria like specific date ranges or city names, so you get a general overview of everything playing. When you want to dive deep into one act, your agent uses `get_artist_calendar`. Just give it the artist's name (or better yet, their ID), and it pulls up every single upcoming concert date for that specific musician. Similarly, if you know which venue you wanna check out, running `get_venue_calendar` retrieves the full schedule of events for that single music spot. **Putting It All Together** The power here is in how these tools connect. Say your agent uses `search_locations` to find the ID for Chicago. Then, you can use `search_events` with a date range and that city ID to see what's happening generally. If you spot an artist you like in those results, you don't need to restart—you run `search_artists` to get their unique ID. That ID lets your agent immediately jump into `get_artist_calendar`, showing you the whole tour schedule for that musician without any more steps. Need to know what a specific venue is doing? After finding the location, you use `search_venues` to locate the spot and pull its ID. Then, running `get_venue_calendar` gives you every gig scheduled there. It's all about precision. You can find an artist by name using `search_artists`, then check their tour dates with `get_artist_calendar`. If you're focused on a place, you use `search_venues` and then pull the schedule with `get_venue_calendar`. If you're just browsing a city, `search_locations` gives you the big picture ID so you can run massive searches using `search_events`, or if you want to see what's going on in that whole region, you use those IDs again. You never get stuck figuring out where to look next; your agent handles the connection between finding the location, identifying the artist, and pulling the final schedule data. ## Tools ### get_artist_calendar Pulls all upcoming concert dates for one specific artist. ### search_artists Finds an artist by name and gets their unique Songkick ID. ### search_events Searches for upcoming events using detailed criteria like date range or city. ### search_locations Finds metro areas and gives you their unique Songkick ID for location-based searches. ### search_venues Locates specific music venues by name and provides their unique Songkick ID. ### get_venue_calendar Retrieves the full schedule of events for a single music venue. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Search for upcoming Radiohead concerts in London. ``` **Response:** ``` I've searched for Radiohead events in London. I found an upcoming performance at the O2 Arena on October 15th. Would you like more details on this event? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Find the Songkick ID for the artist 'Daft Punk'. ``` **Response:** ``` I found the artist 'Daft Punk' with Songkick ID: 549607. You can use this ID to check their full tour calendar. ``` **Prompt:** ``` Get the upcoming events for venue ID 1234. ``` **Response:** ``` Retrieving the calendar for venue ID 1234... There are 3 upcoming events: 'The Jazz Trio' on Friday, 'Rock Night' on Saturday, and 'Indie Showcase' next Tuesday. ``` ## Capabilities ### Track Artist Tours Retrieve a specific artist's complete calendar of upcoming concerts and events. ### Find Specific Venues Search for music venues by name, giving you their unique ID and full performance schedule. ### Discover General Events Run a broad search for upcoming events using criteria like dates or locations. ### Map Local Music Scenes Find metro areas and their IDs to check what live music is happening across a whole city. ### Identify Artists by Name Look up artists in the database and get their unique Songkick ID for later use. ## Use Cases ### Checking a Friend's Trip A friend is going to Chicago next week. Instead of asking them to check three different sites, you ask your agent: 'What live music is happening in Chicago between the 15th and the 20th?' The agent runs `search_events` using location data and date filters, giving you a single list of options. ### Tracking a Band's Movements You want to see if an artist is playing near your city. First, run `search_artists` for the band name. Then, use their unique ID with `get_artist_calendar`. This immediately shows you all nearby dates and locations without leaving your chat. ### Building a Venue Guide You're researching concert spots in Miami. You run `search_locations` to get the metro ID, then use it with `search_venues` to list all potential venues. Finally, you call `get_venue_calendar` for each one to build an activity report. ### Finding a Specific Festival You know a big festival is happening but can't remember the exact name or date range. You ask your agent to run a broad `search_events`. The agent uses location and type filtering (`concert vs. festival`) to find exactly what you need. ## Benefits - Get the full tour list instantly. Use `get_artist_calendar` to pull an artist's entire upcoming schedule without visiting their official website. - Plan around venues, not just artists. Run `get_venue_calendar` to see everything happening at a specific spot, like the O2 Arena, regardless of who is playing. - Search by area, not just name. Use `search_locations` and then `search_events` to find all live music in an entire metro region. - No need for manual lookups. Running `search_artists` first gives you the unique ID needed before you can check their calendar with any other tool. - Pinpoint specific shows fast. `search_events` lets you filter results by event type (festival vs. concert) and date range, making searches accurate. ## How It Works The bottom line is: it makes your AI client act like a personal concert concierge, keeping track of every show without you having to check multiple websites. 1. Subscribe to the server and input your API Key. 2. Tell your AI agent what you're looking for (e.g., 'Radiohead in London next month'). 3. Your agent calls the necessary tool(s) and returns structured event data, letting you know exactly where the shows are. ## Frequently Asked Questions **How do I find an artist's tour dates using the `get_artist_calendar` tool?** You must first run `search_artists` to get the unique Songkick ID for that band. Then, pass that specific ID into the `get_artist_calendar` tool, and it returns their full schedule. **Can I search for events across a whole city using `search_events`?** Yes, but you should combine it with `search_locations`. First, use `search_locations` to get the metro area ID. Then, pass that ID and your date range into `search_events` for comprehensive results. **What if I only know a venue's name but not its ID? Should I use `get_venue_calendar`?** No. You must first run `search_venues` to locate the venue and retrieve its unique Songkick ID. Only then can you reliably call `get_venue_calendar`. **Is there a way to check general events if I don't know the artist or venue?** Yes, use `search_events`. This tool accepts broad criteria like date ranges and location IDs, allowing you to cast a wide net for any live music activity. **When using any tool like `get_artist_calendar`, how is authentication handled?** You must provide a valid Songkick API Key. The server requires this key during the initial connection process to authorize all calls. If your key expires or changes, the tools will return an authorization failure error. **If I need to find events near coordinates, should I use `search_locations` first?** Yes. Use `search_locations` with latitude and longitude. This function returns a specific Metro Area ID, which you then input into `search_events` to narrow down the concert results. **If I run `search_events` and get zero results, what does that mean?** Zero results simply means no events matched all your criteria. Don't assume data is missing; instead, try broadening your search by removing filters or expanding the date range. **To use `get_artist_calendar`, do I need to run `search_artists` first for the unique Songkick ID?** Absolutely. The tools rely on specific identifiers. You must first call `search_artists` to get the unique Songkick ID, and then pass that ID into `get_artist_calendar` to retrieve the dates. **How do I find the unique Songkick ID for an artist?** Use the `search_artists` tool with the artist's name. The agent will return a list of matching artists along with their unique Songkick IDs, which you can then use for calendar lookups. **Can I see the schedule for a specific concert hall or venue?** Yes! First, find the venue's ID using `search_venues`. Once you have the ID, use the `get_venue_calendar` tool to retrieve all upcoming events scheduled at that location. **Is it possible to filter events by date or type?** Absolutely. The `search_events` tool allows you to specify `min_date`, `max_date`, and `type` (concert or festival) to refine your search results.