Transport & Playback

Tempo, groove, metronome, recording, punch, and the playhead.

Tools on this page
  1. set_tempo
  2. start_playback
  3. stop_playback
  4. continue_playback
  5. get_transport
  6. set_groove_amount
  7. set_swing_amount
  8. get_groove_pool
  9. assign_groove_to_clip
  10. load_groove_to_pool
  11. search_grooves
  12. set_midi_recording_quantization
  13. set_nudge
  14. capture_midi
  15. trigger_session_record
  16. stop_all_clips
  17. tap_tempo
  18. set_metronome
  19. set_arrangement_record
  20. set_session_record
  21. set_punch
  22. set_song_position
  23. jump_by

set_tempo 

set_tempo(tempo: float)

Set the tempo of the Ableton session.

Parameters:

  • tempo: The new tempo in BPM

start_playback 

start_playback()

Start playing the Ableton session.

stop_playback 

stop_playback()

Stop playing the Ableton session.

continue_playback 

continue_playback()

Resume playback from the current position (unlike start_playback, which restarts from the top).

get_transport 

get_transport()

Get transport / arrangement state: is_playing, current_song_time, tempo, time signature, metronome, arrangement loop (on/start/length), record_mode, session_record, punch_in/out, and (Phase 10) groove_amount, swing_amount, clip_trigger_quantization, midi_recording_quantization, count_in_duration (read-only), nudge_up, nudge_down, and (Phase 11) can_capture_midi, is_counting_in, session_record_status (all read-only).

set_groove_amount 

set_groove_amount(amount: Union[float, int, str])

Set the global groove amount (how strongly clip grooves are applied).

Parameters:

  • amount: 0.0-1.0 (clamped). Live displays this as 0-100%.

Note: the returned dict can be stale (song-property-write lag); confirm via get_transport.

set_swing_amount 

set_swing_amount(amount: Union[float, int, str])

Set the global swing amount applied when adding/quantizing notes.

Parameters:

  • amount: 0.0-1.0 (clamped).

Note: confirm via get_transport (song-property-write lag).

get_groove_pool 

get_groove_pool()

List the grooves currently in Live’s Groove Pool.

Returns each groove’s pool index + name. Use an index or name with assign_groove_to_clip. The pool is populated by dragging grooves (or a .agr file) into the Groove Pool in Live; there is no LOM/MCP path to load a factory groove into the pool, so an empty pool means none have been added.

assign_groove_to_clip 

assign_groove_to_clip(track_index: int, clip_index: int, groove: Union[int, str])

Assign a groove from the Groove Pool to a clip (swings/shuffles playback).

Unlike swing_clip (which bakes timing into the notes), this binds a Live groove to the clip so its feel is applied non-destructively at playback; set_groove_amount then scales how strongly it is applied.

Parameters:

  • track_index / clip_index: locate the clip (regular tracks; MIDI or audio).
  • groove: which Groove-Pool groove to assign - a pool index (int, from get_groove_pool) or an exact groove name (str). A numeric string is treated as a name, not an index.

The groove must already be in the Groove Pool (see get_groove_pool); drag one in first if the pool is empty. Reversible with undo. Clearing a clip’s groove via this tool is not supported (Live’s API rejects a null groove).

load_groove_to_pool 

load_groove_to_pool(name_or_path: str)

Add a factory or User-Library groove (.agr) to Live’s Groove Pool.

Resolves name_or_path (a groove name from search_grooves, or a full .agr path), then loads it into the pool via a temporary carrier clip so assign_groove_to_clip has something to bind. Returns the groove’s POOL name + index (the pool name is the .agr’s internal name, which may differ from the filename).

If a groove with that pool name is already present, this is a no-op (already_present: true) - Live offers no way to REMOVE a pool groove via the API, so duplicates are avoided rather than cleaned up. To remove a groove, right-click it in Live’s Groove Pool -> Remove; unsaved sets drop added grooves on close.

About half of Ableton’s factory grooves are stored in a proprietary BINARY .agr format this backdoor cannot load; those return a clear error (drag them in by hand). search_grooves flags each groove’s loadable so you can pick one that works. User-Library and ~half the factory grooves are plain XML and load fine.

Parameters:

  • name_or_path: groove name (case-insensitive, from search_grooves) or an absolute .agr path.

search_grooves 

search_grooves(query: str = '', limit: int = 50, sources: list = None)

Search Live’s groove library (.agr files) by name and category.

There is no LOM/browser path to LIST grooves, so this filesystem-walks the running Live’s factory Core Library/Grooves and/or the User Library. Use a returned name with load_groove_to_pool to add it to the Groove Pool.

Parameters:

  • query: space-separated terms (OR) matched against name + folder. Empty string matches everything.
  • limit: max results (default 50).
  • sources: which trees to walk: [“factory”,”user”] (default both).

Returns JSON {ok, data:{count, returned, items:[{name, file, category, path, source, loadable}]}}. loadable is False for the ~half of factory grooves stored in a binary .agr format that load_groove_to_pool cannot add (drag those in by hand); True grooves load fine.

set_midi_recording_quantization 

set_midi_recording_quantization(value: Union[int, str])

Set the global MIDI-recording quantization.

Parameters:

  • value: an int (Live.Song.RecordingQuantization) or a name: none, 1/4, 1/8, 1/8t, 1/8+1/8t, 1/16, 1/16t, 1/16+1/16t, 1/32.

Note: confirm via get_transport (song-property-write lag).

set_nudge 

set_nudge(direction: str, active: Union[bool, int, str])

Hold or release a tempo-nudge button (temporarily speeds up / slows down to re-align with an external source).

Parameters:

  • direction: “up” or “down”
  • active: true to press/hold, false to release (true/false, on/off, 1/0)

Note: confirm via get_transport (song-property-write lag).

capture_midi 

capture_midi(destination: str = 'auto')

Capture recently played MIDI material from audible tracks into a clip (Live’s “Capture MIDI”). Needs material to capture — check can_capture_midi (via get_transport) first.

Parameters:

  • destination: “auto” (Session or Arrangement depending on the visible view), “session”, or “arrangement”.

Note: confirm the captured clip via get_session_info / get_clip_info — the returned dict can be stale (song-property-write lag). Raises a limitation error if capturing into Session would need a new scene that can’t be created.

trigger_session_record 

trigger_session_record(record_length: Union[float, int, str, None] = None)

Trigger a new Session recording (records into armed tracks’ clip slots). Arming/recording auto-starts playback — stop promptly in tests.

Parameters:

  • record_length: optional fixed length in beats (> 0). Omit for an open-ended recording (Live’s default).

Note: confirm via get_transport (session_record / song-property-write lag).

stop_all_clips 

stop_all_clips(
    track_index: Optional[int] = None,
    quantized: Union[bool, int, str] = True,
)

Stop playing clips. With no track_index, stops all clips in the set while the song keeps playing; with track_index, stops only that track’s running and triggered clips.

Parameters:

  • track_index: optional 0-based regular-track index. Omit to stop all tracks.
  • quantized: honor global launch quantization (true) or stop immediately (false). Default true.

tap_tempo 

tap_tempo()

Trigger Live’s tap-tempo (one tap). Call repeatedly in time to set a tempo; a single tap nudges the tempo toward the tap interval.

Note: confirm the resulting tempo via get_transport.

set_metronome 

set_metronome(on: Union[bool, int, str])

Turn the metronome on or off.

Parameters:

  • on: true/false, on/off, 1/0

set_arrangement_record 

set_arrangement_record(on: Union[bool, int, str])

Arm or disarm arrangement record (record_mode).

Parameters:

  • on: true/false, on/off, 1/0

set_session_record 

set_session_record(on: Union[bool, int, str])

Turn session record on or off.

Parameters:

  • on: true/false, on/off, 1/0

set_punch 

set_punch(
    punch_in: Union[bool, int, str] = None,
    punch_out: Union[bool, int, str] = None,
)

Set the arrangement punch-in/out flags. Only the parameters you provide are changed.

Parameters:

  • punch_in: true/false, on/off, 1/0 (optional)
  • punch_out: true/false, on/off, 1/0 (optional)

set_song_position 

set_song_position(time_beats: float)

Jump the playhead to an absolute position.

Parameters:

  • time_beats: Position in beats (must be >= 0)

jump_by 

jump_by(beats: float)

Nudge the playhead by a relative amount.

Parameters:

  • beats: Beats to move (negative moves backward)

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