Content
# Ableton Live MCP Server
## 📌 Overview
The **Ableton Live MCP Server** is a server implementing the
[Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) to facilitate
communication between LLMs and **Ableton Live**. It uses **OSC (Open Sound
Control)** to send and receive messages to/from Ableton Live. It is based on
[AbletonOSC](https://github.com/ideoforms/AbletonOSC) implementation and
exhaustively maps available OSC adresses to
[**tools**](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/concepts/tools) accessible to
MCP clients.
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12MzsQ3V7cs)
This project consists of two main components:
- `mcp_ableton_server.py`: The MCP server handling the communication between
clients and the OSC daemon.
- `osc_daemon.py`: The OSC daemon responsible for relaying commands to Ableton
Live and processing responses.
## ✨ Features
- Provides an MCP-compatible API for controlling Ableton Live from MCP clients.
- Uses **python-osc** for sending and receiving OSC messages.
- Based on the OSC implementation from
[AbletonOSC](https://github.com/ideoforms/AbletonOSC).
- Implements request-response handling for Ableton Live commands.
## ⚡ Installation
### Requirements
- Python 3.8+
- `python-osc` (for OSC communication)
- `fastmcp` (for MCP support)
- `uv` (recommended Python package installer)
- [AbletonOSC](https://github.com/ideoforms/AbletonOSC) as a control surface
### Installation Steps
1. Install `uv` (https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation):
```bash
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
```
2. Clone the repository:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/your-username/mcp_ableton_server.git
cd mcp_ableton_server
```
3. Install the project and its dependencies:
```bash
uv sync
```
4. Install AbletonOSC Follow the instructions at
[AbletonOSC](https://github.com/ideoforms/AbletonOSC)
## 🚀 Usage
### Running the OSC Daemon
The OSC daemon will handle OSC communication between the MCP server and Ableton
Live:
```bash
uv run osc_daemon.py
```
This will:
- Listen for MCP client connections on port **65432**.
- Forward messages to Ableton Live via OSC on port **11000**.
- Receive OSC responses from Ableton on port **11001**.
### Example Usage
In Claude desktop, ask Claude:
- _Prepare a set to record a rock band_
- _Set the input routing channel of all tracks that have "voice" in their name
to Ext. In 2_
## ⚙️ Configuration
By default, the server and daemon run on **localhost (127.0.0.1)** with the
following ports:
- **MCP Server Socket:** 65432
- **Ableton Live OSC Port (Send):** 11000
- **Ableton Live OSC Port (Receive):** 11001
To modify these, edit the `AbletonOSCDaemon` class in `osc_daemon.py`:
```python
self.socket_host = '127.0.0.1'
self.socket_port = 65432
self.ableton_host = '127.0.0.1'
self.ableton_port = 11000
self.receive_port = 11001
```
### Claude Desktop Configuration
To use this server with Claude Desktop, you need to configure it in your Claude
Desktop settings. The configuration file location varies by operating system:
- macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- Windows: `%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
Add the following configuration to your `mcpServers` section:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"Ableton Live Controller": {
"command": "/path/to/your/project/.venv/bin/python",
"args": ["/path/to/your/project/mcp_ableton_server.py"]
}
}
```
This configuration ensures that:
- The server runs with all dependencies properly managed
- The project remains portable and reproducible
## Contributing
Feel free to submit issues, feature requests, or pull requests to improve this
project.
## License
This project is licensed under the **MIT License**. See the `LICENSE` file for
details.
## Acknowledgments
- [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)
- [python-osc](https://github.com/attwad/python-osc) for OSC handling
- Daniel John Jones for OSC implementation with
[AbletonOSC](https://github.com/ideoforms/AbletonOSC)
- Ableton Third Party Remote Scripts
- Julien Bayle @[Structure Void](https://structure-void.com/) for endless
inspirations and resources.
## TODO
- Explore _resources_ and _prompts_ primitives opportunities.
- Build a standalone Ableton Live MCP client.
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