Tools
Descriptor/Genres
Returns descriptions of the genres recognized by Rovi Music and Rovi DVDs, plus optional lists of subgenres and musical styles.
Syntax
descriptor/genres?apikey=apikey&sig=sig [&genreids=genreids] [&include=include] [&format=format] [&country=country] [&language=language]
Request Example 1
- Request descriptions of all genres.
Request Example 2
- Request a description of the movie genre Language & Literature, plus a list of its subgenres.
Request Example 3
- Request a description of the Country music genre, plus a list of its subgenres and music styles, in an XML response.
Request Parameters
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| Parameter | Required | Description | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| apikey | Yes | Access code that authorizes your request for data from Rovi. | ||||
| sig | Yes | A calculated, 32-hex-digit authorization code. To perform the calculation, execute the MD5 function on the concatenation of the following three ASCII strings:
Express the alpha hex digits as lower case. Perform the calculation at the time of each request to be sure it's within a five-minute window of the server time. If you're testing the call in a browser, use our online signature generator to perform the calculation. | ||||
| country | No | Country the language parameter applies to. The current release of the API supports only US. | ||||
| format | No | Format of the returned data: json or xml. The default is JSON. | ||||
| genreids | No | Specific genre IDs you want information about. Replace any spaces in an ID with plus (+) or percent20 (%20) symbols. To specify multiple IDs, use a comma-separated list like this: genreids=MA0000002467,D+++646,D+++647.
If not specified, information about all genres is returned. | ||||
| include | No | Additional information you want to be included about each genre. The possible values are:
| ||||
| language | No | Language of the response data. This request supports only en (English). |
Response
Response Header
| Response | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| build | string | The software release level of the API. |
| code | integer | HTTP status code. See the status field for the text part of the code. |
| duration | integer | Server processing time in milliseconds. The difference between startTime and endTime. |
| endTime | string | When the server sent the response (UTC time). |
| messages | Message [ ] | Elements of a multiple HTTP response status message. |
| parameters | parameters | The parameters that were included in the request. |
| serverName | string | Name of the server that processed the request. |
| startTime | string | When the server received the request (UTC time). |
| status | string | Text part of the HTTP status code, which is shown in the code field. |
| view | view | Summary of items returned in a list of items. |
Response for Descriptor/Genres
| Response | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| genres | Genre [ ] | Genre descriptions and, if requested, a list of the subgenres of each genre. |
JSON Response Example
- Here's the response to Request Example 2, which asks for a description of the movie genre Language & Literature, plus a list of its subgenres. The response is formatted with extra spaces and carriage returns to make it easy to read.
- Requested with http://api.rovicorp.com/data/v1.1/descriptor/genres?apikey=apikey&sig=sig&genreids=D++1660&
include=subgenres.
{
"status":"ok",
"code":200,
"messages":null,
"build":"1.7.2.5",
"parameters":{
"apiKey":"4p1k3y",
"id":"D 1660",
"include":"subgenres"
},
"view":{
"total":1
},
"serverName":"tul1cssw4",
"startTime":"2011-10-07T23:17:16.7234645Z",
"endTime":"2011-10-07T23:17:16.8172139Z",
"duration":93,
"genres":[
{
"id":"D 1660",
"name":"Language & Literature [nf]",
"type":"Movie Genre",
"description":"This genre is applied to titles that explore various aspects of written and spoken language and literature. Topics may include literary criticism, language origins, foreign language study, sign language, journalism, poetry, fiction writing, nonfiction writing, publishing, author biographies, and religious texts. Collections of speeches by prominent figures would also be included in this genre.",
"subgenres":[
{
"id":"D 671",
"name":"Biography [nf]",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 2117",
"name":"Journalism [nf]",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 2118",
"name":"Linguistics [nf]",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 2119",
"name":"Literary Studies [nf]",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 1671",
"name":"Tortured Genius",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 1581",
"name":"Writer's Life",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
}
]
}
]
}
"status":"ok",
"code":200,
"messages":null,
"build":"1.7.2.5",
"parameters":{
"apiKey":"4p1k3y",
"id":"D 1660",
"include":"subgenres"
},
"view":{
"total":1
},
"serverName":"tul1cssw4",
"startTime":"2011-10-07T23:17:16.7234645Z",
"endTime":"2011-10-07T23:17:16.8172139Z",
"duration":93,
"genres":[
{
"id":"D 1660",
"name":"Language & Literature [nf]",
"type":"Movie Genre",
"description":"This genre is applied to titles that explore various aspects of written and spoken language and literature. Topics may include literary criticism, language origins, foreign language study, sign language, journalism, poetry, fiction writing, nonfiction writing, publishing, author biographies, and religious texts. Collections of speeches by prominent figures would also be included in this genre.",
"subgenres":[
{
"id":"D 671",
"name":"Biography [nf]",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 2117",
"name":"Journalism [nf]",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 2118",
"name":"Linguistics [nf]",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 2119",
"name":"Literary Studies [nf]",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 1671",
"name":"Tortured Genius",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
},
{
"id":"D 1581",
"name":"Writer's Life",
"type":"Movie SubGenre"
}
]
}
]
}
XML Response Example
- Here's the response to Request Example 3, which asks for a description of the Country music genre, plus a list of its subgenres and music styles, in an XML response. The response has been edited to reduce the length.
- Requested with http://api.rovicorp.com/data/v1.1/descriptor/genres?apikey=apikey&sig=sig&
genreids=MA0000002532&include=all.
<Genres xmlns="com.rovicorp.metadataservice" xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<status>ok</status>
<code>200</code>
<messages i:nil="true"/>
<build>1.7.2.5</build>
<parameters>
<apiKey>4p1k3y</apiKey>
<id>MA0000002532</id>
<include>all</include>
<format>xml</format>
</parameters>
<view>
<total>1</total>
</view>
<serverName>tul1cssw4</serverName>
<startTime>2011-10-07T23:16:35.2237301Z</startTime>
<endTime>2011-10-07T23:16:35.2393550Z</endTime>
<duration>15</duration>
<genres>
<Genre>
<id>MA0000002532</id>
<name>Country</name>
<type>Music Genre</type>
<description>Country music is about tradition, yet its simple form lends itself to endless variations on similar themes. Like blues -- the two genres often shared themes, melodies and songs -- country is a simple music at its core. Most of its songs are built around three chords and a plain melody, but these forms are so basic, they allow for many different styles, from the gritty sounds of honky tonk to the jazzy improvisations of Western Swing. Country music grew out of American Southern folk music, both Appalachian and blues, and old-time country was simple and folky, with just guitars and fiddles. As the genre progressed, old time music evolved into the rhythmic guitar-and-fiddle driven traditional country that became the foundation of modern country music, from honky tonk and Western Swing to the pop-oriented Countrypolitan and rock-inflected Bakersfield Sound.</description>
<subgenres>
<subgenre>
<id>MA0000004415</id>
<name>Americana</name>
<type>Music SubGenre</type>
</subgenre>
<subgenre>
<id>MA0000002443</id>
<name>Bakersfield Sound</name>
<type>Music SubGenre</type>
</subgenre>
<subgenre>
<id>MA0000002466</id>
<name>Bluegrass</name>
<type>Music SubGenre</type>
<styles>
<style>
<id>MA0000011818</id>
<name>Contemporary Bluegrass</name>
<type>Music Style</type>
</style>
<style>
<id>MA0000012360</id>
<name>Progressive Bluegrass</name>
<type>Music Style</type>
</style>
<style>
<id>MA0000011963</id>
<name>Traditional Bluegrass</name>
<type>Music Style</type>
</style>
</styles>
</subgenre>
<subgenre>
<id>MA0000012138</id>
<name>Close Harmony</name>
<type>Music SubGenre</type>
</subgenre>
</Genre>
</genres>
</Genres>
<status>ok</status>
<code>200</code>
<messages i:nil="true"/>
<build>1.7.2.5</build>
<parameters>
<apiKey>4p1k3y</apiKey>
<id>MA0000002532</id>
<include>all</include>
<format>xml</format>
</parameters>
<view>
<total>1</total>
</view>
<serverName>tul1cssw4</serverName>
<startTime>2011-10-07T23:16:35.2237301Z</startTime>
<endTime>2011-10-07T23:16:35.2393550Z</endTime>
<duration>15</duration>
<genres>
<Genre>
<id>MA0000002532</id>
<name>Country</name>
<type>Music Genre</type>
<description>Country music is about tradition, yet its simple form lends itself to endless variations on similar themes. Like blues -- the two genres often shared themes, melodies and songs -- country is a simple music at its core. Most of its songs are built around three chords and a plain melody, but these forms are so basic, they allow for many different styles, from the gritty sounds of honky tonk to the jazzy improvisations of Western Swing. Country music grew out of American Southern folk music, both Appalachian and blues, and old-time country was simple and folky, with just guitars and fiddles. As the genre progressed, old time music evolved into the rhythmic guitar-and-fiddle driven traditional country that became the foundation of modern country music, from honky tonk and Western Swing to the pop-oriented Countrypolitan and rock-inflected Bakersfield Sound.</description>
<subgenres>
<subgenre>
<id>MA0000004415</id>
<name>Americana</name>
<type>Music SubGenre</type>
</subgenre>
<subgenre>
<id>MA0000002443</id>
<name>Bakersfield Sound</name>
<type>Music SubGenre</type>
</subgenre>
<subgenre>
<id>MA0000002466</id>
<name>Bluegrass</name>
<type>Music SubGenre</type>
<styles>
<style>
<id>MA0000011818</id>
<name>Contemporary Bluegrass</name>
<type>Music Style</type>
</style>
<style>
<id>MA0000012360</id>
<name>Progressive Bluegrass</name>
<type>Music Style</type>
</style>
<style>
<id>MA0000011963</id>
<name>Traditional Bluegrass</name>
<type>Music Style</type>
</style>
</styles>
</subgenre>
<subgenre>
<id>MA0000012138</id>
<name>Close Harmony</name>
<type>Music SubGenre</type>
</subgenre>
</Genre>
</genres>
</Genres>