Ableton Producer MCP

An MCP server that lets Claude (or any MCP client) produce music in Ableton Live: build tracks, write MIDI, load and tweak devices, arrange sections and draw real automation, all from a chat.

It is a fork of ahujasid/ableton-mcp (MIT) extended for full-track production work. The fork adds arrangement editing, device-parameter control and clip and arrangement automation.

What this fork adds

Related MCP server: ableton-mcp-extended

Requirements

• Ableton Live 11 or 12. Developed on Live 12. insert_device needs Live 12.1.5 or newer.

• Python 3.10+

• uv (brew install uv on macOS)

• An MCP client: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor or similar.

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/kovtun-oleksii/ableton-producer-mcp.git

2. Install the Remote Script into Live

The MCP server talks to Live through a MIDI Remote Script (a control surface) that runs inside Live. Install it with:

uv --directory /absolute/path/to/ableton-producer-mcp run ableton-mcp-install-script

The script is copied to <User Library>/Remote Scripts/AbletonMCP/, the folder Live 10.1.13+ scans for third-party control surfaces. Useful options:

3. Enable the control surface in Live

1. Restart Live.

2. Open Settings → Link, Tempo & MIDI. In Live 11 this is Preferences → Link Tempo MIDI.

3. Under Control Surface, pick AbletonMCP.

4. Set Input and Output to None.

The script listens on localhost:9877.

4. Connect your MCP client

Claude Code

claude mcp add AbletonMCP -- uv --directory /absolute/path/to/ableton-producer-mcp run ableton-mcp

Claude Desktop. Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "AbletonMCP": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["--directory", "/absolute/path/to/ableton-producer-mcp", "run", "ableton-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor and other clients: use the same command, uv --directory /absolute/path/to/ableton-producer-mcp run ableton-mcp.

Run only one MCP client against Live at a time, because they share the same socket.

5. Check the connection

With Live open, ask your assistant "What's in my Live set?". It should call get_session_info and report the tempo and tracks.

You can also query the Remote Script directly, bypassing the MCP server. Run this from the repository folder:

python3 scripts/live_call.py get_script_info

The reply should report Remote Script version 1.8.3. If the server warns about a version mismatch, run step 2 again and restart Live.

Updating

git -C /absolute/path/to/ableton-producer-mcp pull

If the Remote Script changed, run the installer from step 2 again. Then restart Live, or re-select AbletonMCP under Control Surface.

Tools

Each tool also takes an optional user_prompt argument.

Session and transport get_session_info, get_remote_script_info, get_session_snapshot, set_tempo, start_playback, stop_playback, switch_to_arrangement_view, set_arrangement_time

Tracks get_track_info, create_midi_track, create_audio_track, set_track_name

Clips and notes (Session view) create_clip, add_notes_to_clip, get_clip_notes, clear_notes_from_clip, set_clip_name, delete_clip, fire_clip, stop_clip, create_audio_clip

Arrangement duplicate_to_arrangement, get_arrangement_clips, set_arrangement_clip_name, create_locator

Devices and browser get_device_parameters, set_device_parameter, insert_device, load_instrument_or_effect, load_drum_kit, get_browser_tree, get_browser_items_at_path

Automation get_clip_automation, set_clip_automation, clear_clip_automation, set_arrangement_automation, clear_arrangement_automation

Feedback and dataset (opt-in, see Telemetry and data) set_dataset_consent, submit_intent, rate_last_action, prefer_candidate, reject_last_action, record_audition

Units and conventions

• Time is in beats (quarter notes). In 4/4, bar N starts at beat (N − 1) × 4. Notes look like {"pitch": 60, "start_time": 0.0, "duration": 0.5, "velocity": 96}. Middle C is 60 (C3 in Live).

• Parameter values use each parameter's own min..max range. Call get_device_parameters first to find the index, range and current display value.

• Indices shift when tracks or devices are added or removed. Look things up by name right before each change, especially if you are editing the set at the same time.

Automation

Clip envelopes: set_clip_automation writes a curve into one clip, with times relative to the clip start:

{"track_index": 2, "clip_index": 0, "device_index": 1, "parameter_index": 4,
 "points": [{"time": 0, "value": 0.2}, {"time": 16, "value": 0.8}]}

Points ramp linearly. Add "step": true to a point to hold its value until the next point, which gives a jump.

Arrangement automation: Live's API cannot create envelopes inside Arrangement clips. set_arrangement_automation works around this:

1. Each Arrangement clip in the curve's span is rebuilt in a spare Session slot, with the same notes plus the envelope.

2. The rebuilt clip is copied back onto the timeline.

3. Live converts the envelope into real track automation.

Times are absolute Arrangement beats. Things to know:

• The track needs one empty Session slot and MIDI clips covering the span. Audio clips, and clips looped or trimmed in the Arrangement, are skipped and reported.

• Rebuilding a clip can reset that span for other automated parameters on the same track. Put all curves for the same span into one call (or one plan job, see below), then read the values back.

• Group tracks and audio tracks that monitor an input can't be automated through the API.

For batch jobs, scripts/arrangement_automation.py plan.json runs the same technique from the command line. The plan format is described at the top of the script.

Tips and limits

• Session overrides Arrangement. After firing Session clips, press Back to Arrangement in Live or the timeline stays muted.

• Read parameter values with the transport stopped. During playback, readings lag about one beat.

• Loading a device arms the track. Loading a device or sample selects that track and arms it; disarm it afterwards.

• get_session_snapshot can be very large. Pass include_notes=false and include_params=false when you only need the structure.

• Not possible through this server: deleting or muting tracks, moving devices within a chain, choosing a sidechain source ("Audio From"). Do these by hand in Live.

Configuration

Telemetry and data

A fresh clone sends nothing. Telemetry and dataset recording need credentials in MCP_Server/config.py. That file is not part of this repository and is ignored by git.

The feedback and dataset tools record only after the user explicitly agrees via set_dataset_consent. The kill-switch variables above override any consent.

Development

python3 -m unittest discover -s tests

• scripts/live_call.py sends one raw command to the Remote Script and prints the reply. Use it to smoke-test script changes in a running Live.

• scripts/live_names.py holds name-based track and device helpers, setters that take display values (such as dB), and a peak meter.

• scripts/arrangement_automation.py writes Arrangement automation from a JSON plan.

• MCP_Server/bundled_ableton_remote_script/AbletonMCP_init.py is the Remote Script that ships with the package. After editing it, run the installer again and reload the control surface in Live.

Credits and license

MIT, see LICENSE. Based on ableton-mcp by Siddharth Ahuja. This is a third-party project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ableton.