Why does Go error when trying to marshal this JSON? -

i'm trying rather simple example of trying decode json file structs using golang. however, when attempting error that

json: cannot unmarshal object go value of type []main.track

which don't understand. here's code in question, , json can found here.

package main  import (     "encoding/json"     "fmt"     "net/http"     "os" )  // tracks group of track types type tracks struct {     tracks []track }  // track represents singular track type track struct {     name   string     url    string     artist artist }  // artist represents single artist type artist struct {     name string     mbid string     url  string }  func main() {     url := "http://ws.audioscrobbler.com/2.0/?method=geo.gettoptracks&api_key=c1572082105bd40d247836b5c1819623&format=json&country=netherlands"     response, err := http.get(url)      if err != nil {         fmt.printf("%s\n", err)         os.exit(1)     }      defer response.body.close()      var tracks tracks     decodeerr := json.newdecoder(response.body).decode(&tracks)      if decodeerr != nil {         fmt.printf("%s\n", decodeerr)         os.exit(1)     }      _, track := range tracks.tracks {         fmt.printf("%s: %s\n", track.artist.name, track.name)     } } 

my initial thought maybe need categorize every single json value structs, didn't do, upon reading this article says:

there 2 answers this. easy option, when know data like, parse json struct you’ve defined. any field doesn’t fit in struct ignored. we’ll cover option first.

which leads me believe isn't that.

what doing wrong in scenario?

if @ json structure of response query you'll see single object tracks property returned.

{     "tracks": {         "track": [ {...} ]     } } 

if compare to given structs can see structure not align. given tracks struct has field slice of tracks. if cast json represented following.

{      "tracks": [ { ... } ] } 

this root of error. json decoder expecting tracks field of root json object array. returned object contains tracks property values json object contains track property is array of tracks. update structures reflect schema follows.

// response object api type response struct {     tracks tracks }  // tracks group of track types type tracks struct {     track []track }  // track represents singular track type track struct {     name   string     url    string     artist artist }