What genre is this artist? Methodology and a sample report

The question people actually ask

“What genre is this artist?” sounds simple. In practice it means:

• What do I tell a playlist editor?
• What do I put in a press one-sheet?
• What interests do I target in ads?
• Where does this sit next to acts I already know?

Identify Genre answers that with a datasheet, not a single word.

Methodology in plain language

1. Resolve the Spotify URL to an artist (track URLs resolve to the primary artist).

2. Pull identity (name, images, links).

3. Classify through a cascade: Spotify fields when present → Last.fm tags → MusicBrainz / Every Noise context → inference from similar-artist tags.

4. Compare similar artists with overlap-style scoring.

5. Act — ads targeting, playlist targets, geo market signals.

6. Export PDF or CSV when you need an artefact.

Details live on how it works.

What a sample report contains

A completed report typically includes:

• Artist hero (name, image, Spotify link)
• Primary genre + supporting tags with source context
• Similar artists table
• Targeting suggestions
• Playlist target ideas
• Listenership / market panel (inferred — Spotify does not expose third-party country charts)

Use the built-in sample path in the product when available, or analyse any public artist URL on the home page.

How to read disagreements

If Last.fm says “art pop” and Spotify-style language says “indie,” that is not a bug. Document both. For pitching, prefer the language your recipient already uses; for research, keep the full stack.

Honesty about geo data

Geographic listenership in third-party tools is inferred. Identify Genre may blend Last.fm reverse-geo style checks with genre-affinity models. Treat markets as prioritisation hints, not official Spotify for Artists screenshots.

Try it

Paste a Spotify artist URL into Identify Genre. Compare the output to your gut label — then keep the datasheet for the next pitch.