diff --git a/maloja/data_files/settings/default.ini b/maloja/data_files/settings/default.ini
index e6415d7..201ed03 100644
--- a/maloja/data_files/settings/default.ini
+++ b/maloja/data_files/settings/default.ini
@@ -9,11 +9,18 @@ HOST = "::" # You most likely want either :: for IPv6 or 0.0.0.0 for IPv4 here
 
 [Third Party Services]
 
+# whether to use metadata providers
+METADATA_LASTFM = true
+METADATA_SPOTIFY = true
+# whether to proxy scrobble to other services
+SCROBBLE_LASTFM = false
+
 LASTFM_API_KEY = "ASK"	# 'ASK' signifies that the user has not yet indicated to not use any key at all.
 LASTFM_API_SECRET = "ASK"
 FANARTTV_API_KEY = "ASK"
 SPOTIFY_API_ID = "ASK"
 SPOTIFY_API_SECRET = "ASK"
+
 CACHE_EXPIRE_NEGATIVE = 30	# after how many days negative results should be tried again
 CACHE_EXPIRE_POSITIVE = 300	# after how many days positive results should be refreshed
 THUMBOR_SERVER = None
diff --git a/maloja/thirdparty/__init__.py b/maloja/thirdparty/__init__.py
index 097a7a2..9ae25dc 100644
--- a/maloja/thirdparty/__init__.py
+++ b/maloja/thirdparty/__init__.py
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ def get_image_track_all(track):
 	for service in services["metadata"]:
 		res = service.get_image_track(track)
 		if res is not None: return res
+def get_image_artist_all(artist):
+	for service in services["metadata"]:
+		res = service.get_image_artist(artist)
+		if res is not None: return res
 
 
 
@@ -135,13 +139,33 @@ class MetadataInterface(GenericInterface,abstract=True):
 		responsedata = response.read()
 		if self.metadata["response_type"] == "json":
 			data = json.loads(responsedata)
-			return self.metadata_parse_response(data)
+			return self.metadata_parse_response_track(data)
+
+	def get_image_artist(self,artist):
+		artiststring = urllib.parse.quote(artist)
+		response = urllib.request.urlopen(
+			self.metadata["artisturl"].format(artist=artiststring,**self.settings)
+		)
+
+		responsedata = response.read()
+		if self.metadata["response_type"] == "json":
+			data = json.loads(responsedata)
+			return self.metadata_parse_response_artist(data)
 
 	# default function to parse response by descending down nodes
 	# override if more complicated
-	def metadata_parse_response(self,data):
+	def metadata_parse_response_artist(self,data):
 		res = data
-		for node in self.metadata["response_parse_tree"]:
+		for node in self.metadata["response_parse_tree_artist"]:
+			try:
+				res = res[node]
+			except:
+				return None
+		return res
+
+	def metadata_parse_response_track(self,data):
+		res = data
+		for node in self.metadata["response_parse_tree_track"]:
 			try:
 				res = res[node]
 			except:
diff --git a/maloja/thirdparty/lastfm.py b/maloja/thirdparty/lastfm.py
index 8b1975f..a189da8 100644
--- a/maloja/thirdparty/lastfm.py
+++ b/maloja/thirdparty/lastfm.py
@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@ class LastFM(MetadataInterface, ProxyScrobbleInterface):
 	metadata = {
 		"trackurl": "https://ws.audioscrobbler.com/2.0/?method=track.getinfo&track={title}&artist={artist}&api_key={apikey}&format=json",
 		"response_type":"json",
-		"response_parse_tree": ["track","album","image",3,"#text"],
+		"response_parse_tree_track": ["track","album","image",3,"#text"],
 		"required_settings": ["apikey"],
 		"activated_setting": "METADATA_LASTFM"
 	}
 
-
+	def get_image_artist(self,artist):
+		return None
+		# lastfm doesn't provide artist images
 
 	def proxyscrobble_parse_response(self,data):
 		return data.attrib.get("status") == "ok" and data.find("scrobbles").attrib.get("ignored") == "0"
diff --git a/maloja/thirdparty/spotify.py b/maloja/thirdparty/spotify.py
index 1c14e85..b099f30 100644
--- a/maloja/thirdparty/spotify.py
+++ b/maloja/thirdparty/spotify.py
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@ class Spotify(MetadataInterface):
 
 	metadata = {
 		"trackurl": "https://api.spotify.com/v1/search?q={artist}%20{title}&type=track&access_token={token}",
+		"artisturl": "https://api.spotify.com/v1/search?q={artist}&type=artist&access_token={token}",
 		"response_type":"json",
-		"response_parse_tree": ["tracks","items",0,"album","images",0,"url"],
+		"response_parse_tree_track": ["tracks","items",0,"album","images",0,"url"],
+		"response_parse_tree_artist": ["artists","items",0,"images",0,"url"],
 		"required_settings": ["apiid","secret"],
 		"activated_setting": "METADATA_SPOTIFY"
 	}
diff --git a/maloja/utilities.py b/maloja/utilities.py
index 936fd36..0118805 100644
--- a/maloja/utilities.py
+++ b/maloja/utilities.py
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ from doreah import caching
 from doreah.logging import log
 from doreah.regular import yearly, daily
 
-from .external import api_request_track, api_request_artist
-from .thirdparty import get_image_track_all
+#from .external import api_request_track, api_request_artist
+from .thirdparty import get_image_track_all, get_image_artist_all
 from .__pkginfo__ import version
 from . import globalconf
 from .globalconf import datadir
@@ -348,7 +348,8 @@ def getArtistImage(artist,fast=False):
 	if fast: return "/image?artist=" + urllib.parse.quote(artist)
 
 	# non-fast lookup (esentially only the resolver lookup)
-	result = api_request_artist(artist=artist)
+#	result = api_request_artist(artist=artist)
+	result = get_image_artist_all(artist)
 
 	# cache results (even negative ones)
 	#cachedArtists[artist] = result