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Ableton Live MCP Server

Provides an MCP API to control Ableton Live via OSC, enabling client-initiated actions and responses.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "simon-kansara-ableton-live-mcp-server": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/project/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/your/project/mcp_ableton_server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

You can run an MCP server that bridges MCP clients to Ableton Live using OSC messages. This enables you to control Ableton Live from MCP-compatible clients, orchestrate actions, and receive responses from Ableton in a structured, programmatic way.

How to use

You interact with the Ableton Live MCP Server by launching the local MCP interface and connecting your MCP client to the server. The server listens for connections from MCP clients on a dedicated port and forwards commands to Ableton Live via OSC. Ableton Live responses come back through the OSC channel and are relayed to your MCP client. You can orchestrate tasks such as preparing a session, routing audio, or querying Ableton state, all through MCP commands. To get started, run your MCP-enabled client and point it at the local MCP server address on port 65432. Then issue the MCP commands you need, and process the returned results as you would with any MCP endpoint.

How to install

Prerequisites include Python 3.8 or newer and a few Python packages used for MCP support and OSC communication.

Install the utility that manages Python packages and compiles native extensions if needed.

Install Python dependencies with your preferred installer.

Additional configuration and usage notes

The server uses an OSC daemon to relay commands to Ableton Live and handle responses. By default, it runs locally and exposes the MCP server on port 65432, Ableton OSC send port on 11000, and receive port on 11001.

The following configuration snippet shows how the MCP server can be wired to run from a Python virtual environment and the script that starts the server. This example assumes you already have a Python virtual environment set up for the project.

Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ableton_live": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/project/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["/path/to/your/project/mcp_ableton_server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop configuration example

To use this server with Claude Desktop, configure the MCP server entry in Claude's settings so the runtime uses your local Python environment and the MCP server script.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Ableton Live Controller": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/project/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["/path/to/your/project/mcp_ableton_server.py"]
    }
  }
}