How do I use ATEM MCP Server?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@ATEM MCP Server Set camera 2 on preview and dissolve to it" 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.

ATEM MCP Server

Control Blackmagic ATEM video switchers with AI assistants (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.) using the Model Context Protocol.

Talk to your switcher in plain English: "Put camera 2 on program and dissolve to it" or "Start streaming and recording" or "Run macro 3."

How It Works

You (natural language) │ ▼ Claude (Anthropic Cloud) │ translates to MCP tool calls ▼ ATEM MCP Server (your Mac/PC) │ uses atem-connection library ▼ ATEM Switcher (network) │ executes commands ▼ ATEM Software Control / hardware │ reflects changes in real time

Supported ATEM Models

The underlying atem-connection library (by NRK/Sofie) supports every ATEM generation:

ATEM Mini, Mini Pro, Mini Pro ISO, Mini Extreme, Mini Extreme ISO
ATEM Television Studio HD, HD8, HD8 ISO
ATEM 1 M/E, 2 M/E, 4 M/E Production Studio / Constellation
ATEM SDI, SDI Pro ISO, SDI Extreme ISO
And all other Blackmagic ATEM models

Quick Start

1. Install

cd atem-mcp-server npm install npm run build

2. Configure Claude Desktop

Edit your Claude Desktop config file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{ "mcpServers": { "atem": { "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/node", "args": ["/path/to/atem-mcp-server/dist/index.js"], "env": { "ATEM_HOST": "192.168.1.100" } } } }

Note: Replace /opt/homebrew/bin/node with your full Node.js path (run which node to find it). Replace the IP with your ATEM's address.

3. Restart Claude Desktop

Quit and relaunch Claude Desktop. You should see the hammer (🔨) icon indicating MCP tools are available.

4. Start Talking to Your Switcher

"Connect to my ATEM at 192.168.1.100"
"Show me the current switcher status"
"Put camera 3 on preview and dissolve to it"
"Fade to black"

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
`ATEM_HOST`	ATEM IP address (enables auto-connect)	—
`ATEM_PORT`	ATEM port	`9910`

If ATEM_HOST is set, the server auto-connects on startup. Otherwise, use atem_connect to connect manually.

Available Tools (30 tools)

Connection

Tool	Description
`atem_connect`	Connect to an ATEM switcher by IP
`atem_disconnect`	Disconnect from the ATEM
`atem_get_status`	Get model, inputs, program/preview state

Switching

Tool	Description
`atem_set_program`	Set program (live) input
`atem_set_preview`	Set preview (next) input
`atem_cut`	Hard cut transition
`atem_auto_transition`	Auto transition (dissolve/wipe/etc.)
`atem_fade_to_black`	Toggle Fade to Black
`atem_preview_and_auto`	Set preview + auto transition in one call

Transitions

Tool	Description
`atem_set_transition_style`	Set mix, dip, wipe, DVE, or stinger
`atem_set_transition_rate`	Set transition duration in frames
`atem_set_transition_position`	Manual T-bar position (0.0–1.0)
`atem_get_transition_state`	Get current transition settings

Routing & Keyers

Tool	Description
`atem_set_aux_source`	Route input to aux output
`atem_get_aux_source`	Get current aux routing
`atem_set_dsk_on_air`	Downstream keyer on/off air
`atem_auto_dsk`	Auto transition for DSK
`atem_set_dsk_sources`	Set DSK fill and key sources
`atem_set_usk_on_air`	Upstream keyer on/off air
`atem_set_usk_sources`	Set USK fill and cut sources

Macros

Tool	Description
`atem_macro_run`	Run a macro by index
`atem_macro_stop`	Stop running macro
`atem_macro_continue`	Continue paused macro
`atem_list_macros`	List all defined macros

Recording & Streaming

Tool	Description
`atem_start_recording`	Start recording
`atem_stop_recording`	Stop recording
`atem_start_streaming`	Start streaming
`atem_stop_streaming`	Stop streaming
`atem_get_recording_status`	Get recording/streaming status

Audio Mixer

Tool	Description
`atem_set_audio_mixer_input`	Set input gain, balance, mix mode
`atem_set_audio_master_output`	Set master output gain
`atem_get_audio_state`	Get full audio mixer state

Common Input IDs

ID	Source
1–20	Physical SDI/HDMI inputs
1000	Color Bars
2001	Color Generator 1
2002	Color Generator 2
3010	Media Player 1
3011	Media Player 1 Key
3020	Media Player 2
3021	Media Player 2 Key
6000	Super Source
10010	Black
10011	Clean Feed 1 (Program)
10012	Clean Feed 2

Example Conversations

Basic switching:

"Put camera 1 on program"
"Set preview to camera 3 and do a 2-second dissolve"
"Cut to color bars"

Show setup:

"Set transition style to mix with a 45-frame rate"
"Route camera 1 to aux 1 for the confidence monitor"
"Put DSK1 on air for the lower third graphic"

Streaming/Recording:

"Start streaming and recording"
"What's the recording status?"
"Stop streaming but keep recording"

Audio:

"Set camera 1 audio to audio-follow-video mode at 0dB"
"Mute audio on input 3"
"Set master output to -3dB"

Architecture

This server uses the atem-connection library (by NRK/Sofie TV Automation) which implements Blackmagic's proprietary ATEM protocol over UDP. It's the same protocol that ATEM Software Control uses, so all changes are reflected in real time across all connected clients.

The MCP server wraps atem-connection methods as MCP tools that Claude (or any MCP-compatible AI) can call. Each tool maps to one or more ATEM commands.

Troubleshooting

Hammer icon not showing in Claude Desktop:

Make sure you're using the full path to node (run which node)
Check logs: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
Restart Claude Desktop completely (quit, not just close window)

Can't connect to ATEM:

Verify the ATEM is on the same network
Try pinging the ATEM IP from terminal
Default ATEM port is 9910 (UDP)
Make sure ATEM Software Control isn't blocking the connection

Commands not working:

Some features require specific ATEM models (e.g., streaming/recording on Mini Pro+)
Check atem_get_status to verify connection

Credits

Guy Cochran (Office Hours Global) — Creator and project lead
Claude by Anthropic — AI pair-programming partner

atem-connection by NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) — the ATEM protocol library
MCP TypeScript SDK by Anthropic

License

MIT

Install Server

A

security – no known vulnerabilities

A

license - permissive license

A

quality - confirmed to work

How are these scores calculated?

Resources

GitHub Repository

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How It Works

Supported ATEM Models

Quick Start

1. Install

2. Configure Claude Desktop

3. Restart Claude Desktop

4. Start Talking to Your Switcher

Environment Variables

Available Tools (30 tools)

Connection

Switching

Transitions

Routing & Keyers

Macros

Recording & Streaming

Audio Mixer

Common Input IDs

Example Conversations

Architecture

Troubleshooting

Credits

License

Resources

Tools

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