Quick Start

This guide walks you through creating and running your first extension. The SDK is distributed as a single zip containing the project creator, the SDK and CLI packages, and the rendered docs.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• Node.js (≥ 24.14.1) — we suggest the official installer
• Ableton Live — the Live Beta build from the SDK release page on Centercode
• The SDK distribution zip — extensions-sdk-<version>.zip from Centercode.
• A code editor — Visual Studio Code recommended

1. Extract the SDK

Download extensions-sdk-<version>.zip from Centercode and extract it.

2. Create a New Extension

Create a folder for your extension and run the project creator inside it:

macOS

mkdir ~/Projects/my-extension
cd ~/Projects/my-extension
npx file:/path/to/extracted/ableton-create-extension-1.0.0-beta.0.tgz

Windows

mkdir C:\Users\you\Projects\my-extension
cd C:\Users\you\Projects\my-extension
npx file:C:\path\to\extracted\ableton-create-extension-1.0.0-beta.0.tgz

It asks you a few questions:

• Extension name — used as the project’s package name and shown in Live.
• Author — your name or organisation.
• Ableton Live application — detected installations are offered as a list; pick one or enter a custom path. Only Live installations that support Extensions are listed.
• Does your extension need a user interface? — answer yes if you plan to show a modal dialog; it will add a Vite-based webview setup.

When it finishes, your folder contains everything needed to build and run:

├── .env                          EXTENSION_HOST_PATH=…
├── .gitignore
├── README.md
├── build.ts
├── manifest.json
├── package.json                  scripts: start, build, package
├── tsconfig.json
├── src/
│   └── extension.ts
├── vendor/
│   ├── ableton-extensions-sdk-1.0.0-beta.0.tgz
│   └── ableton-extensions-cli-1.0.0-beta.0.tgz
└── node_modules/

3. Enable Developer Mode in Live

Open Live (the beta build), then open Preferences → Extensions and enable Developer Mode.

This is required — without it, npm start cannot connect to Live.

4. Run the Extension

From inside your project folder, run:

npm start

npm start builds your extension and loads it into Live. You should see output similar to:

Starting Extension Host...
  Extension: /path/to/my-extension
  Live: /Applications/Ableton Live 12.4 Beta.app

Hello from my-extension! Your Live Set's tempo is: 120 bpm.

That’s it — your environment is set up and working.

Didn't see that output?

• Make sure Developer Mode is enabled in Preferences → Extensions.
• Check that .env in your project contains a valid EXTENSION_HOST_PATH. The project creator fills it in based on your answer; edit it if Live moves.

Next Steps

• For a fast development cycle without restarting Live every time you change a file, see Execution.
• To understand how the project is structured and how to package your extension, see Bundling and Packaging.