ableton-live

Ableton Live via MCP

The ableton-live MCP server (streamable HTTP, http://127.0.0.1:8722/mcp) controls a running Ableton Live 12. If tools fail to connect: Live is not running, the extension is not installed, or the port was changed in the extension's config.json (default 8722). HTTP 401 means the user set an auth_token in config.json and the client must send Authorization: Bearer <token>; 503 means config.json has an invalid security setting (the error says which, and the Status dialog in Live too). Ask the user to fix their client or config; never guess a token.

Core workflow

1. Always start with song_get. It returns the set with object ids. Every other tool takes those ids. Pass include to fetch only some sections. To read the whole set in one call, add the deep sections: song_get {include:["tracks", "devices", "mixer", "clips"]} (see Reading the whole set).
2. Drill down with track_get / device_get / clip_get — they return child ids (clips, parameters, chains). track_get takes an include selector to skip sections you don't need.
3. Address tracks and scenes by name when the user does. Every tool that acts on one track (track_get, track_set, track_delete, track_duplicate, track_clear_clips_in_range, take_lane_create, render_track_audio, audio_track_consolidate, mixer_get, mixer_set, device_insert, drum_kit_build, clip_create, clip_copy) takes track_id, track_index (0-based, regular tracks) or track_name (exact first, then case-insensitive; also finds return and main tracks). The scene tools, clip_create and clip_copy take scene_id, scene_index or scene_name. "Mute the Drums" is one call: track_set {track_name:"Drums", mute:true}. If you give several fields they must name the same object. An ambiguous name fails with the matching candidates — pick one by id or index. track_delete and scene_delete only accept the exact name. Parameters work the same way: see Devices & sound design.
4. Ids become stale when objects are deleted/moved or a different set is loaded. On a stale-id error, re-run song_get and re-resolve. Errors about your arguments (unknown name, index out of range, missing or conflicting fields) come without the stale-id hint: fix the call instead.
5. Writes apply asynchronously: a read right after a write can still return the old value.
6. The user can switch tools off in config.json: read_only leaves only the tools that read the set, disabled_tools drops the ones it names. A switched-off tool is not listed at all (a batch step naming it fails with "switched off"); the server instructions say which. Tell the user that the action is switched off on their server instead of looking for a workaround.