Scanning a barcode
Use the barcode on the back of a sleeve, the spine of a jewel case, or the paper label of a cassette. Music Ledger reads UPC-A (12 digits), EAN-13 (13 digits), and EAN-8 (8 digits), including a code turned on its side. A leading zero is treated as the same code. If the live picture stays up and nothing locks on, fill the box with the barcode, turn on the light, or take a photo.
The camera needs a secure page, which localhost and an installed app both are. If permission is blocked, type the digits. Spaces and dashes are ignored.
You can also speak the search. Chrome listens in the browser. Other browsers record a short clip and transcribe it. Edit the words, then search. A song title is resolved to the album it is on. Lookup goes to a route on this app, which asks MusicBrainz at one request per second and sends a named User-Agent. Covers come from the Cover Art Archive. If MusicBrainz has no barcode, the iTunes Search API is the fallback. Neither call needs an API key. iTunes does not know vinyl from CD, so confirm the format before you save.
An exact barcode match says you already own it and shows the cover and the date you added it. The same artist and album on a different barcode or format is flagged as another pressing. You can still save that pressing.