Last.fm api invalid method

Question

I am trying to write a python script to do a query to Last.fm, but I keep getting an invalid method error returned.

I don't want links to pre-written last.fm python libraries, I am trying to do this as a "test what I know" kind of project. Thanks in advance!

import urllib
import httplib

params = urllib.urlencode({'method' : 'artist.getsimilar',
               'artist' : 'band',
               'limit' : '5',
               'api_key' : #API key goes here})

header = {"user-agent" : "myapp/1.0"}

lastfm = httplib.HTTPConnection("ws.audioscrobbler.com")

lastfm.request("POST","/2.0/?",params,header)

response = lastfm.getresponse()
print response.read()

Answer 1

You lack Content-type for your request: "application/x-www-form-urlencoded". This works:

import urllib
import httplib

params = urllib.urlencode({'method' : 'artist.getsimilar',
               'artist' : 'band',
               'limit' : '5',
               'api_key' : '#API key goes here'})

header = {"user-agent" : "myapp/1.0",
          "Content-type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"}

lastfm = httplib.HTTPConnection("ws.audioscrobbler.com")

lastfm.request("POST","/2.0/?",params,header)

response = lastfm.getresponse()
print response.read()

Answer 2

the Last.fm artist.getSimilar API method does not require POST, it can be done with a GET.

Only API methods that change data require the POST method.