Is your band name taken?
One search across the places other artists already live: MusicBrainz, Apple Music, Wikipedia, our index of 120,000+ notable artists, and eight domains, plus one-tap links to Spotify, handles and trademark registers.
Runs in your browser · the name is sent only to the services listed · nothing stored
What "taken" really means
A name can be "taken" in three different ways, and they matter differently:
- Another artist uses it. The most common problem. Streaming services match releases to artist profiles by name, so two acts with the same name often end up merged on one page. MusicBrainz and Apple Music are the best signals here.
- Someone owns the trademark. The legal problem. A registered mark for music (class 9 recordings, class 41 live performance, class 25 merch) can stop you even if the owner is not well known. Search the official registers linked under each result.
- The handles and domain are gone. The practical problem. You can work around it (add "band", "music" or "the"), but it costs you clarity.
Our verdict only ever says "already in use" or "no exact matches found". We never say a name is available, because public databases can't see local bands, unreleased projects or unregistered rights.
Where the data comes from
- MusicBrainz API: open music encyclopedia (CC0 core data).
- iTunes Search API: artists with music on Apple's stores.
- Wikipedia search API: articles mentioning the name with music terms.
- Wikidata: our 120,000+ notable-artist index (CC0).
- RDAP: official domain registration data.
Checker questions
Can this tell me if my band name is legally available?
No tool can, including this one. We show whether other artists already appear under the name in large public databases, whether domains are registered, and where to search trademark registers. Legal availability depends on trademarks, where you perform, your genre, and prior use; ask a lawyer before you invest serious money.
Which databases does the checker search?
MusicBrainz (an open encyclopedia of 2M+ artists), Apple's iTunes Search API (artists with released music), English Wikipedia, our own index of 120,000+ notable artists built from Wikidata, and domain registries via RDAP. We also link to Spotify, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, YouTube, Discogs, Metal Archives, social handles and official trademark registers.
Why don't you check Spotify or Instagram automatically?
Those services don't offer open, permission-free lookups for this, and scraping them would break their terms. We link straight to the right search or profile URL instead, so the check takes one tap.
What if another band uses my name but they broke up years ago?
It may still cause problems: their releases stay on streaming services and your music can end up merged onto their artist profile. Some bands add a distinguishing word; others choose a new name. If they hold a trademark, it can stay in force even after a long gap, so check the registers.
Does the checker store the names I search?
We don't. The checks run in your browser and go straight to the services listed above, which receive the name you search (as with any search). Nothing is sent to a Band Name Finder server.