Enables programmatic control over MIDI data, allowing for the creation and management of MIDI tracks, clips, and individual notes in real time.
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@ableton-mcpcreate a new MIDI track named 'Synth Lead' and set the tempo to 128 BPM"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
ableton-mcp
An MCP server that lets Claude control Ableton Live. Talk to Claude about your session and it can play, stop, create tracks, write MIDI, tweak the mixer, and adjust device parameters — all in real time.
How It Works
This server speaks MCP over stdio to Claude, and OSC over UDP to Ableton. The bridge on the Ableton side is AbletonOSC, a free Remote Script that exposes Ableton's full API over the network.
Prerequisites
Node.js 18+
Ableton Live 11 or later
Setup
1. Install AbletonOSC
Clone or download AbletonOSC
Copy the folder to your Ableton User Library:
Windows:
Documents\Ableton\User Library\Remote Scripts\AbletonOSC\macOS:
~/Music/Ableton/User Library/Remote Scripts/AbletonOSC/
Open Ableton Live
Go to Preferences > Link, Tempo & MIDI
Under Control Surface, select AbletonOSC
The status bar should show: AbletonOSC: Listening for OSC on port 11000
2. Build the server
3. Register with Claude Code
Restart Claude Code. The Ableton tools will appear automatically.
What Can It Do?
Transport
Play, stop, and resume playback. Set tempo, time signature, and metronome. Jump to any position in the song. Undo and redo.
Tracks
List all tracks, get detailed track info. Create MIDI or audio tracks, rename, duplicate, and delete them.
Clips
Fire and stop clips or entire scenes. Create MIDI clips, read and write individual MIDI notes, rename and delete clips.
Mixer
Set volume, pan, mute, solo, and arm per track. Adjust send levels to return tracks.
Devices
List all devices on a track, inspect every parameter with its name, value, and range, and set any parameter by index.
Resources
Claude can read a snapshot of your session state (tempo, track count, time signature) and per-track details at any time without calling a tool.
WSL Note
If you're running Claude Code in WSL while Ableton runs on Windows, the server auto-detects the Windows host IP so OSC packets reach Ableton. No extra configuration needed.