Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools that integrate with Ableton Live Suite. The Extensions Software Development Kit (SDK) is available in the beta version of Live 12.4.5, and is described by the company as the starting point for a collaborative development process that will be shaped by community feedback, experimentation and real-world use.
Extensions are optional add-on tools that run alongside Live and can be accessed with a right-click from anywhere in a user’s Set. They can read and edit the structure of a Set, including its tracks, clips, parameters, automation and more. Thanks to the new SDK, it’s now possible for users to create their own Extensions and call them up from the right-click menu in the same way as any of the DAW’s standard built-in functions. They can be made to do just about anything, from automating repetitive tasks to connecting Live to new services and systems.
Ableton have released the following statement regarding the new toolkit:
“The Extensions SDK opens up more than just Ableton-approved creative tools. Any developer can build an Extension under the Ableton SDK license: tools that may surprise us, challenge us, and do things we never expected. Ableton is not responsible for unofficial Extensions. Please hack responsibly.”
Availability
The Extensions SDK is available for free from the Ableton website. It is currently in public beta, and Live 12 Suite users can try it out by joining the company’s Beta Program and downloading the Live 12.4.5 beta.
