Genius Annotations API

openapi: 3.0.3
info:
  title: Genius Account Annotations API
  description: 'The Genius API exposes the Genius/Rap Genius crowdsourced music knowledge

    base — songs, artists, albums, annotations, and referents. Responses are

    JSON. The API does NOT serve raw lyric text directly (those must be scraped

    from the public song page); it returns rich song, artist, album, annotation

    metadata, scoring, and the URLs needed to locate lyrics on genius.com.

    '
  version: 1.0.0
  termsOfService: https://genius.com/static/terms
  contact:
    name: Genius API Support
    url: https://docs.genius.com/
  license:
    name: Genius API Terms of Use
    url: https://genius.com/static/terms
  x-generated-from: documentation
  x-last-validated: '2026-05-29'
servers:
- url: https://api.genius.com
  description: Production Genius API
tags:
- name: Annotations
  description: Community annotations attached to lyric fragments.
paths:
  /annotations/{id}:
    get:
      tags:
      - Annotations
      operationId: getAnnotation
      summary: Get Annotation
      description: Returns the full content of an annotation along with its referent.
      security:
      - GeniusOAuth2: []
      - ClientAccessToken: []
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/AnnotationId'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/TextFormat'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Annotation details
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/AnnotationResponse'
        '404':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/NotFound'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
    delete:
      tags:
      - Annotations
      operationId: deleteAnnotation
      summary: Delete Annotation
      description: Deletes an annotation owned by the authenticated user. Requires the `manage_annotation` scope.
      security:
      - GeniusOAuth2:
        - manage_annotation
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/AnnotationId'
      responses:
        '204':
          description: Annotation deleted
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
        '404':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/NotFound'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
  /annotations:
    post:
      tags:
      - Annotations
      operationId: createAnnotation
      summary: Create Annotation
      description: Creates a new annotation attached to a referent (or a fragment of a web page). Requires the `create_annotation` scope.
      security:
      - GeniusOAuth2:
        - create_annotation
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/CreateAnnotationRequest'
      responses:
        '201':
          description: Annotation created
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/AnnotationResponse'
        '400':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/BadRequest'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
  /annotations/{id}/edits:
    get:
      tags:
      - Annotations
      operationId: getAnnotationEdits
      summary: Get Annotation Edits
      description: Returns the version history of an annotation.
      security:
      - GeniusOAuth2: []
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/AnnotationId'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Annotation versions
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/AnnotationEditListResponse'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
  /annotations/{id}/comments:
    get:
      tags:
      - Annotations
      operationId: getAnnotationComments
      summary: Get Annotation Comments
      description: Returns comments left on an annotation.
      security:
      - GeniusOAuth2: []
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/AnnotationId'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/PerPage'
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/Page'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Annotation comments
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/CommentListResponse'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
  /annotations/{id}/vote:
    put:
      tags:
      - Annotations
      operationId: upvoteAnnotation
      summary: Upvote Annotation
      description: Upvotes an annotation as the authenticated user. Requires the `vote` scope.
      security:
      - GeniusOAuth2:
        - vote
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/AnnotationId'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Vote recorded
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/VoteResponse'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
    delete:
      tags:
      - Annotations
      operationId: removeAnnotationVote
      summary: Remove Annotation Vote
      description: Removes the authenticated user's vote from the annotation. Requires the `vote` scope.
      security:
      - GeniusOAuth2:
        - vote
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/AnnotationId'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Vote removed
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/VoteResponse'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
  /annotations/{id}/downvote:
    put:
      tags:
      - Annotations
      operationId: downvoteAnnotation
      summary: Downvote Annotation
      description: Downvotes an annotation as the authenticated user. Requires the `vote` scope.
      security:
      - GeniusOAuth2:
        - vote
      parameters:
      - $ref: '#/components/parameters/AnnotationId'
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Vote recorded
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/VoteResponse'
        '401':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
components:
  schemas:
    RichText:
      type: object
      description: 'Genius represents textual content in multiple formats. Which key is

        present depends on the `text_format` query parameter.

        '
      properties:
        dom:
          type: object
          additionalProperties: true
        html:
          type: string
        markdown:
          type: string
        plain:
          type: string
    AnnotationVersion:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: integer
        body:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/RichText'
        major:
          type: boolean
        created_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        user:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/User'
    Meta:
      type: object
      description: Wrapper metadata included on every response.
      properties:
        status:
          type: integer
          description: HTTP status code echoed in the payload.
          example: 200
        message:
          type: string
          description: Optional human-readable status message.
      required:
      - status
    AnnotationResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        meta:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta'
        response:
          type: object
          properties:
            annotation:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/Annotation'
            referent:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/Referent'
    CommentListResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        meta:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta'
        response:
          type: object
          properties:
            comments:
              type: array
              items:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Comment'
    ErrorResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        meta:
          allOf:
          - $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta'
          - type: object
            properties:
              error:
                type: string
                description: Short machine error code.
                example: not_found
              error_description:
                type: string
                description: Human-readable error description.
      required:
      - meta
    CreateAnnotationRequest:
      type: object
      required:
      - annotation
      - referent
      - web_page
      properties:
        annotation:
          type: object
          required:
          - body
          properties:
            body:
              type: object
              required:
              - markdown
              properties:
                markdown:
                  type: string
                  description: Annotation body in Markdown.
        referent:
          type: object
          required:
          - raw_annotatable_url
          - fragment
          properties:
            raw_annotatable_url:
              type: string
              format: uri
              description: URL of the page the annotation lives on.
            fragment:
              type: string
              description: The exact text fragment being annotated.
            before_html:
              type: string
              description: HTML context that precedes the fragment.
            after_html:
              type: string
              description: HTML context that follows the fragment.
        web_page:
          type: object
          properties:
            canonical_url:
              type: string
              format: uri
            og_url:
              type: string
              format: uri
            title:
              type: string
    AnnotationEditListResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        meta:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta'
        response:
          type: object
          properties:
            annotation_versions:
              type: array
              items:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/AnnotationVersion'
    Comment:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: integer
        body:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/RichText'
        user:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/User'
        created_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        votes_total:
          type: integer
        has_voters:
          type: boolean
    VoteResponse:
      type: object
      properties:
        meta:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta'
        response:
          type: object
          properties:
            referent:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/Referent'
            annotation:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/Annotation'
    Annotation:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: integer
        api_path:
          type: string
        body:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/RichText'
        comment_count:
          type: integer
        community:
          type: boolean
          description: True if the annotation was authored by the community rather than an artist or editor.
        custom_preview:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        has_voters:
          type: boolean
        votes_total:
          type: integer
        verified:
          type: boolean
          description: True if the annotation has been verified by a trusted editor or artist.
        verified_by:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/User'
        state:
          type: string
          enum:
          - accepted
          - pending
          - deleted
          - needs_exegesis
        url:
          type: string
          format: uri
        share_url:
          type: string
          format: uri
        source:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        pinned:
          type: boolean
        cosigned_by:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/User'
        authors:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/AnnotationAuthor'
        created_at:
          type: string
          format: date-time
    Annotatable:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: integer
        type:
          type: string
          example: song
        title:
          type: string
        url:
          type: string
          format: uri
        api_path:
          type: string
        image_url:
          type: string
          format: uri
        context:
          type: string
    AnnotationAuthor:
      type: object
      properties:
        attribution:
          type: number
          format: float
        pinned_role:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        user:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/User'
    User:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: integer
        login:
          type: string
        name:
          type: string
        about_me_summary:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        avatar:
          type: object
          properties:
            tiny:
              type: object
              properties:
                url:
                  type: string
                  format: uri
            thumb:
              type: object
              properties:
                url:
                  type: string
                  format: uri
            small:
              type: object
              properties:
                url:
                  type: string
                  format: uri
            medium:
              type: object
              properties:
                url:
                  type: string
                  format: uri
        header_image_url:
          type: string
          format: uri
        human_readable_role_for_display:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        iq:
          type: integer
        identity_provider:
          type: string
          nullable: true
        roles_for_display:
          type: array
          items:
            type: string
        url:
          type: string
          format: uri
        api_path:
          type: string
    Referent:
      type: object
      description: A referent is a fragment of text on a page that one or more annotations are attached to.
      properties:
        id:
          type: integer
        annotator_id:
          type: integer
        annotator_login:
          type: string
        api_path:
          type: string
        classification:
          type: string
          example: accepted
        fragment:
          type: string
          description: The exact text being annotated.
        is_description:
          type: boolean
        path:
          type: string
        range:
          type: object
          additionalProperties: true
          description: DOM range describing the location of the fragment on the source page.
        song_id:
          type: integer
          nullable: true
        url:
          type: string
          format: uri
        verified_annotator_ids:
          type: array
          items:
            type: integer
        annotatable:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/Annotatable'
        annotations:
          type: array
          items:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Annotation'
  responses:
    Unauthorized:
      description: Missing or invalid access token.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
    NotFound:
      description: Resource not found.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
    BadRequest:
      description: Malformed request.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
  parameters:
    Page:
      name: page
      in: query
      description: Page index (1-indexed).
      schema:
        type: integer
        minimum: 1
        default: 1
    AnnotationId:
      name: id
      in: path
      required: true
      description: Genius numeric annotation ID.
      schema:
        type: integer
        example: 10225840
    TextFormat:
      name: text_format
      in: query
      description: Format for textual fields in the response.
      schema:
        type: string
        enum:
        - dom
        - html
        - markdown
        - plain
        default: dom
    PerPage:
      name: per_page
      in: query
      description: Number of results per page (max 50).
      schema:
        type: integer
        minimum: 1
        maximum: 50
        default: 20
  securitySchemes:
    GeniusOAuth2:
      type: oauth2
      description: 'Genius uses OAuth 2.0 with the authorization-code flow. Apps are

        registered at https://genius.com/api-clients.

        '
      flows:
        authorizationCode:
          authorizationUrl: https://api.genius.com/oauth/authorize
          tokenUrl: https://api.genius.com/oauth/token
          scopes:
            me: Access account profile of the authenticated user.
            create_annotation: Create new annotations.
            manage_annotation: Edit or delete the user's annotations.
            vote: Upvote, downvote, or remove a vote on annotations.
    ClientAccessToken:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      bearerFormat: client_access_token
      description: 'Client-only access token issued at app registration. Sufficient for

        read-only endpoints (search, songs, artists, albums, annotations,

        referents, web_pages/lookup).

        '
externalDocs:
  description: Official Genius API documentation
  url: https://docs.genius.com/