<!-- mcp-name: io.github.wstierhout/ableton-live-mcp -->

Ableton Live MCP Server

Control Ableton Live from an AI assistant. This is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives Claude, Cursor, Codex, or any MCP client 130 tools for building tracks, editing MIDI, loading instruments and effects, mixing, and mastering inside a running Ableton Live set, plus offline tools that read and diff saved .als project files with Live closed.

A Remote Script runs inside Live and exposes the Live API over a local socket. The MCP server turns that into typed, validated tools that an AI can call correctly, with per-tool documentation, read-only and destructive hints, and workflow prompts.

Quickstart

You need Ableton Live 11 or 12, Python 3.10+, and uv (brew install uv).

1. Register the MCP server.

Claude Code:

claude mcp add AbletonMCP -s user -- uvx mcp-server-ableton-live

Claude Desktop or Cursor, in the mcpServers block of the config file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "AbletonMCP": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-ableton-live"]
    }
  }
}

(To run an unreleased revision instead, use uvx --from git+https://github.com/wstierhout/ableton-live-mcp ableton-live-mcp.)

2. Install the Remote Script. This copies the Live-side script into your User Library:

uvx mcp-server-ableton-live install

Then restart Live and set Settings > Link/Tempo/MIDI > Control Surface to AbletonMCP (Input and Output: None). You only do this once. See Ableton's guide to third-party Remote Scripts if the entry does not appear.

3. Check the setup.

uvx mcp-server-ableton-live doctor

4. Ask for music. For example: "Make a lofi beat at 80 BPM with a dusty drum kit, an upright bass, and Rhodes chords, then put a limiter on the master at -1 dB."

What it can do

Area	Tools
Session and transport	session info, one-call session snapshot, play/stop, tempo, tap tempo, time signature, loop, locators and cue navigation, scenes, undo/redo, capture MIDI, song scale, global groove and swing, Ableton Link
Tracks and mixer	create and delete MIDI, audio, and return tracks; delete devices; take lanes; volume, pan, mute, solo, arm, sends; input/output routing; meters
Clips and notes	create clips, write and edit MIDI notes (with probability), quantize with strength, Groove Pool swing, loop, gain, pitch, warp mode
Devices	browse and search by name, load instruments and effects onto any track including Master and Returns, read and set any device or rack-chain parameter, rack macro variations, Simpler sample slicing, per-pad drum control
Arrangement	place clips on the timeline, read and delete arrangement clips, write clip automation
Generators	drum patterns in 7 styles, euclidean rhythms, chord progressions, voice-led jazz voicings (rootless, quartal, shell), genre-aware progressions, voice-leading melodies, walking basslines, humanize, ASCII drum grids, one-call session setup
Batch	run many edits in one round trip and one undo step
Offline (no Live)	summarize, list tracks, extract MIDI, diff two versions, and lint a saved .als file for unfinished work
Analysis and recipes	scan the mix for problems, describe the toolset, and scaffold a genre starter (lofi, house) in one call

There are also two workflow prompts (make_a_beat, mix_and_master) and a set of server instructions that teach the model the conventions before its first call: 0-based indices, beats for time, 0.85 volume equals 0 dB, and native ranges for device parameters.

Notes

Every action is a specific tool with validated arguments; there is no arbitrary-code path. Some tools still make destructive edits (delete a track, replace a clip's notes, overwrite an arrangement region), so save your work before a big session.

Focusing the toolset

The server registers 130 tools. That is a lot for a model to choose from on a small task. Set ABLETON_TOOLSETS to load only the groups you need, for example ABLETON_TOOLSETS=session,tracks,clips,generators. Groups: session, tracks, clips, devices, browser, arrangement, generators, offline, analysis, recipes. Unset loads everything.

Conventions

• Indices are 0-based. Times and lengths are in beats. Volume uses Live's 0.0 to 1.0 fader range where 0.85 is 0 dB.
• Device parameters use each parameter's own range. Read get_device_parameters first and check min, max, and the display value before setting.
• add_notes_to_clip replaces the clip's notes. Use edit_notes to add or remove a few without touching the rest.
• Placing a session clip into the arrangement overwrites whatever is under it, which is also how you replace a section.
• Transport replies report the state before the command ran. Confirm with get_session_info.

Troubleshooting

• AbletonMCP is missing from the Control Surface list: the folder has to be named exactly AbletonMCP, and Live only scans scripts at startup, so restart it.
• Every command times out: a dialog is open in Live and it blocks the script. On the trial, that is the startup nag. Dismiss it and retry.
• Port 9877 is not listening: Live is not running, or the Control Surface is not set. If another program already uses 9877, set ABLETON_MCP_PORT in Live's launch environment and ABLETON_PORT for the server so both sides match.
• You cannot export or freeze from a tool: Live's API has no render or freeze function, so those stay manual. For rendered audio, export with the shortcut and analyse the file separately.

Security

The Remote Script listens on 127.0.0.1:9877 with no authentication. It is bound to loopback so only local processes can reach it. Do not forward that port or change the bind address to a public interface. See SECURITY.md.

Development

ableton_live_mcp/
  server.py        entrypoint: runs the MCP server or a setup subcommand
  app.py           FastMCP app, lifecycle, and server instructions
  connection.py    socket client to the Remote Script
  cli.py           install / uninstall / doctor subcommands
  tools/           session, tracks, clips, devices, browser, arrangement,
                   generators, prompts
  remote_script/
    __init__.py    the Live-side script and its command dispatch tables
tests/             protocol, dispatch-contract, and registration tests

uv run --extra dev pytest      # tests
uvx ruff check .               # lint

CI runs lint, a byte-compile of the Remote Script, and the tests on Python 3.10 and 3.12.

Credits and license

MIT licensed, maintained by Wouter Stierhout. See LICENSE. Not affiliated with Ableton.