It is with profound sadness that the MetaBrainz Board of Directors announces the unexpected passing of our Founder and Executive Director, Robert Kaye.

Robert’s vision and leadership shaped MetaBrainz and left a lasting mark on the music industry and open source movement. His contributions were significant and his loss is deeply felt across our global community.

https://blog.metabrainz.org/2026/02/24/robert-kaye/

Robert Kaye – MetaBrainz Blog

@metabrainz oh no, this is really sad :((( what a loss, sending ♥️ and hugs.

r u a ok? no 😢

@legoktm He is very much enjoying that joke, from the beyond 😅
Thank you -a
@metabrainz if there is a memorial, can you please let us know where and when it will be?
@jonty We will do our best to keep everyone in the loop - all I can promise is that if I know about it you will know about it -a
@metabrainz this is such a loss. Robert is a legend and a true original. His work has set a standard for shared reference information.
@metabrainz This is so sad. He will be remembered fondly.
@metabrainz I only knew Robert from email lists, he was a very impressing presence there. I was on his side, and he was with us. Will miss him.