AbletonOSC is installed as a MIDI remote script that exposes Live's full API over OSC

AbletonOSC is not a standalone application or Max for Live device — it is a MIDI remote script installed into Live’s User Library Remote Scripts folder. When selected under Preferences > Link / Tempo / MIDI > Control Surface, Live loads it automatically on startup. This architectural choice gives it access to the complete Live Python API without requiring any additional Live license tier. It listens on UDP port 11000 and sends replies on port 11001. The script runs inside Live’s own Python environment. A common misconception is that it requires Max for Live: it does not. Updates to the script require restarting Live (or sending /live/api/reload) rather than hot-reloading like a normal Python app.

Examples

Install: copy AbletonOSC folder to ~/Music/Ableton/User Library/Remote Scripts (macOS). In Preferences > Link / Tempo / MIDI, select ‘AbletonOSC’ from the Control Surface dropdown. Live displays ‘AbletonOSC: Listening for OSC on port 11000’. Test: send UDP message to 127.0.0.1:11000 with address /live/test — reply arrives on port 11001.

Assessment

Explain the difference between AbletonOSC and a Max for Live device. Where is the AbletonOSC folder placed, and which Live Preferences panel activates it?