ableton-mcp

An MCP server that lets Claude observe and compose in Ableton Live 12 via AbletonOSC.

Designed for musicians who want a pair-programming-style collaborator: Claude can read your Live set, explain what's there, and write musical ideas directly into clips — then narrate the choices so you learn as you go.

Status

v0 — scaffold. Tools defined and wired to AbletonOSC; not yet end-to-end tested against a live Ableton instance.

How it works

Claude  ←→  MCP (this repo, stdio)  ←→  python-osc  ←→  AbletonOSC remote script  ←→  Ableton Live 12

Tool surface (v0)

Read — get_session_overview, get_track_detail, get_clip_notes, get_transport_state, get_selected

Write — create_midi_clip, modify_clip_notes, set_tempo, set_time_signature, create_track, fire_clip / stop_clip (gated — Claude must ask the user)

Guide — explain_shortcut

Setup

1. Install AbletonOSC in Live

Clone AbletonOSC into Live's MIDI Remote Scripts folder:

• macOS: ~/Music/Ableton/User Library/Remote Scripts/
• Windows: Documents\Ableton\User Library\Remote Scripts\

Then in Live → Preferences → Link/Tempo/MIDI, add AbletonOSC as a Control Surface.

2. Install this MCP server

git clone https://github.com/mrinalghosh/ableton-mcp.git
cd ableton-mcp
pip install -e .

3. Register with Claude

Add to your Claude Code / Claude Desktop MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ableton": {
      "command": "ableton-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Pedagogy

The system prompt asks Claude to write first, then explain: when you ask for a musical idea, Claude generates the MIDI directly into Live, then narrates the choices (key, rhythm, voice leading). When you ask "what is this?", Claude grounds itself with get_selected before answering.

Roadmap

• v0.1: end-to-end smoke test against real Live instance; name tracks after creation
• v0.2: device parameter control; automation lanes
• v0.3: scale/key inference; song structure suggestions

License

MIT — see LICENSE.