Agent tools · Last verified 2026-10-15

Openverse API for Claude & AI agents

Search 5.2M+ openly licensed audio tracks and millions of images, with license data on every result. No key required.

What it does

Openverse is a search engine for openly licensed media run under the WordPress project. Its public API returns audio and images from sources such as Freesound, Jamendo and Wikimedia Commons, and every result includes the creator, the license (CC0, CC BY and so on) and a direct file URL. That makes it a good fit for an agent: you can ask for "a short whoosh for a title card, CC0 only" and get back files you are actually allowed to use.

Verified facts

PriceFree to use. [Verified 2026-10-15] source
API key / authNot required. Anonymous requests work; optional registration gives higher limits. [Verified 2026-10-15] source
Rate limit (anonymous)20 requests/min burst and 200 requests/day sustained, per the x-ratelimit headers returned on our test request. [Verified 2026-10-15] source
TermsUse of the API is subject to Openverse API terms; respect each result’s Creative Commons (or similar) license and credit creators when required. [Verified 2026-10-15] source
Audio catalog5,218,767 audio files across Jamendo, Wikimedia Commons and Freesound (sum of media_count from /v1/audio/stats/ on the check date). [Verified 2026-10-15] source
LicensingEach result carries its own license and license_url (e.g. CC0, CC BY). Filter with license=cc0 or license_type=commercial; credit the creator where the license requires it. [Verified 2026-10-15] source
EndpointGET https://api.openverse.org/v1/audio/?q=… (images: /v1/images/) [Verified 2026-10-15] source

Prompt to give your agent

Use the Openverse API (https://api.openverse.org/v1/audio/, no API key needed) to find sound effects for my video. For each cue I list, search with q=<keywords>&license=cc0&page_size=5, then give me the title, a direct file URL, the creator and the license. Prefer clips under 10 seconds. Stay under 20 requests per minute. Cues: whoosh for a title card, soft UI click, crowd cheer.

Agent / MCP-style tool snippet

// Agent tool definition (JSON Schema) — implement with HTTP GET
{
  "name": "openverse_audio_search",
  "description": "Search openly licensed audio on Openverse. No API key. Stay under 20 req/min.",
  "input_schema": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "q": { "type": "string", "description": "Search keywords" },
      "license": { "type": "string", "description": "e.g. cc0" },
      "page_size": { "type": "integer", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 20 }
    },
    "required": ["q"]
  }
}
// GET https://api.openverse.org/v1/audio/?q={q}&license={license}&page_size={page_size}

Working example (run 2026-10-15)

curl -sS "https://api.openverse.org/v1/audio/?q=whoosh&page_size=1"

Response (trimmed):

HTTP 200; x-ratelimit-limit-anon_burst: 20/min; x-ratelimit-limit-anon_sustained: 200/day
{"result_count":240,"results":[{"title":"Deep Whoosh #1",
  "url":"https://cdn.freesound.org/previews/351/351256_2247456-hq.mp3",
  "creator":"Kinoton","license":"cc0","provider":"freesound"}]}

When not to use it

  • Do not use the anonymous tier for high-volume production traffic — 200 requests/day is easy to burn; register for higher limits or cache results.
  • Do not assume every result is free for commercial use. Filter by license and read license_url; some licenses require attribution.
  • Do not treat Openverse as a stock library with exclusive rights — it aggregates third-party sources under their own licenses.

Use cases

  • Sound effects and music beds for video editing
  • Royalty-free images for blog posts and slides
  • Building attribution lists automatically from license fields
  • Giving a coding agent a media search tool for prototypes

FAQ

Does the Openverse API need an API key?

No. Anonymous requests are allowed, with lower rate limits (20/min burst, 200/day sustained on our check). Registering gives higher limits.

Can Claude use Openverse to find sound effects?

Yes. Any agent that can make HTTP requests (Claude with web fetch or code tools, ChatGPT, Cursor) can call /v1/audio/?q=... and read back file URLs and licenses.

Are Openverse sounds free for commercial use?

It depends on each file’s license. Filter with license=cc0 or license_type=commercial, and credit creators when the license requires it.

Alternatives

  • Wikipedia REST API — Free page summaries and entity facts when you need text, not media.
  • Open-Meteo API — Free weather for agents when the job is forecasts, not sounds or images.
  • Freesound API — Direct Freesound access (Openverse also indexes Freesound). Requires a Freesound API key.

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