AbletonMCP MCP Server

What does “AbletonMCP” MCP Server do?

AbletonMCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that bridges Ableton Live with AI assistants like Claude AI. By leveraging the MCP, AbletonMCP enables two-way communication between the AI and Ableton Live, allowing the AI to directly interact with and control the digital audio workstation (DAW). Developers and musicians can use this server to automate music production workflows, manipulate tracks, select instruments and effects, generate MIDI clips, and control live sessions—all through prompt-driven AI interactions. This integration enhances creative workflows by enabling dynamic, LLM-assisted music composition and DAW manipulation that would otherwise require manual intervention.

List of Prompts

No explicit prompt templates are mentioned in the repository files or README.

List of Resources

No explicit resources are described in the available documentation or code listings.

List of Tools

No specific list of tools is provided in the accessible documentation or directory overview. The actual server.py file is referenced but its contents are not shown in the README or file listings.

Use Cases of this MCP Server

• AI-Assisted Music Production: Automate repetitive tasks in Ableton Live, such as track creation, instrument loading, and effect application, by leveraging Claude AI.
• Dynamic Track Manipulation: Use natural language to create, modify, and organize MIDI and audio tracks on the fly, enhancing productivity for producers and composers.
• Automated Clip Creation: Generate and edit MIDI clips, allowing for rapid prototyping and musical ideation with AI assistance.
• Session Control: Remotely start/stop playback, trigger clips, and control session transport, enabling efficient live performances or rehearsals aided by AI.
• Instrument and Effect Browsing: Quickly access and load instruments/effects from the Ableton library by describing them to the AI, streamlining sound design workflows.

How to set it up

Windsurf

No Windsurf-specific instructions are provided in the repository.

Claude

1. Ensure you have Python 3.8+ and the uv package manager installed.
2. Install AbletonMCP via Smithery with:

   npx -y @smithery/cli install @ahujasid/ableton-mcp --client claude
   

3. Go to Claude > Settings > Developer > Edit Config > claude_desktop_config.json.
4. Add the following JSON configuration:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "AbletonMCP": {
         "command": "uvx",
         "args": [
           "ableton-mcp"
         ]
       }
     }
   }
   

5. Save your configuration and restart Claude Desktop.
6. Verify the server is running and Claude can interact with Ableton Live.

Cursor

1. Ensure you have Python 3.8+ and uv package manager installed.
2. Go to Cursor > Settings > MCP.
3. Set the MCP command to:

   uvx ableton-mcp
   

4. Only run one instance of the MCP server at a time (either in Cursor or Claude, not both).
5. Verify integration by triggering an AI-driven Ableton Live action.

Cline

No Cline-specific instructions are provided in the documentation.

Note on Securing API Keys:
There are no explicit references to API key handling or environment variable configuration in the documentation or README.

How to use this MCP inside flows

Using MCP in FlowHunt

To integrate MCP servers into your FlowHunt workflow, start by adding the MCP component to your flow and connecting it to your AI agent:

Click on the MCP component to open the configuration panel. In the system MCP configuration section, insert your MCP server details using this JSON format:

{
  "AbletonMCP": {
    "transport": "streamable_http",
    "url": "https://yourmcpserver.example/pathtothemcp/url"
  }
}

Once configured, the AI agent is now able to use this MCP as a tool with access to all its functions and capabilities. Remember to change “AbletonMCP” to the actual name of your MCP server and replace the URL with your own MCP server URL.

Overview

Our opinion

The AbletonMCP server provides a clear use case and strong integration with major platforms like Claude and Cursor, but lacks explicit documentation for resources, tools, prompts, environment variable management, and Windsurf/Cline instructions. Its install base and community activity are strong, but technical documentation could be improved.

Rating: 6/10

MCP Score