ATEM Server

Control Blackmagic ATEM video switchers with AI assistants using the Model Context Protocol. Works with Claude Desktop, claude.ai, Claude Mobile, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible client.

Talk to your switcher in plain English: "Put camera 2 on program and dissolve to it" or "Start streaming and recording" or "Run macro 3."

Supports both local (stdio) and remote (Streamable HTTP with OAuth 2.0) transports.

How It Works

You (natural language)
  │
  ▼
Claude (Anthropic Cloud)
  │ translates to MCP tool calls
  ▼
ATEM MCP Server (your Mac/PC)
  │ uses atem-connection library
  ▼
ATEM Switcher (network)
  │ executes commands
  ▼
ATEM Software Control / hardware
  │ reflects changes in real time

Supported ATEM Models

The underlying atem-connection library (by NRK/Sofie) supports every ATEM generation:

• ATEM Mini, Mini Pro, Mini Pro ISO, Mini Extreme, Mini Extreme ISO
• ATEM Television Studio HD, HD8, HD8 ISO
• ATEM 1 M/E, 2 M/E, 4 M/E Production Studio / Constellation
• ATEM SDI, SDI Pro ISO, SDI Extreme ISO
• And all other Blackmagic ATEM models

Quick Start

1. Install

cd atem-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

2. Configure Claude Desktop

Edit your Claude Desktop config file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "atem": {
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/node",
      "args": ["/path/to/atem-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "ATEM_HOST": "192.168.1.100"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Replace /opt/homebrew/bin/node with your full Node.js path (run which node to find it). Replace the IP with your ATEM's address.

3. Restart Claude Desktop

Quit and relaunch Claude Desktop. You should see the hammer (🔨) icon indicating MCP tools are available.

4. Start Talking to Your Switcher

• "Connect to my ATEM at 192.168.1.100"
• "Show me the current switcher status"
• "Put camera 3 on preview and dissolve to it"
• "Fade to black"

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
ATEM_HOST	ATEM IP address (enables auto-connect)	—
ATEM_PORT	ATEM port	9910
TRANSPORT	Transport mode: stdio or http	stdio
PORT	HTTP server port (when TRANSPORT=http)	3000
BASE_URL	Public URL for OAuth endpoints (when behind a tunnel/proxy)	http://localhost:PORT

If ATEM_HOST is set, the server auto-connects on startup. Otherwise, use atem_connect to connect manually.

Remote Access (claude.ai, Claude Mobile, HTTP)

The HTTP transport exposes the MCP server as a web endpoint with built-in OAuth 2.0. This enables remote access from claude.ai, Claude Mobile, and any HTTP-capable MCP client.

Quick Start (HTTP Mode)

TRANSPORT=http BASE_URL=https://atem.yourdomain.com ATEM_HOST=192.168.1.100 node dist/index.js

The server starts on port 3000 with:

• MCP endpoint: POST /mcp (Bearer token required)
• OAuth 2.0: Full auto-provisioning flow (discovery, registration, authorization, token exchange)
• Health check: GET /health

Connect from claude.ai

1. Go to claude.ai/settings/connectors
2. Click Add custom connector
3. Enter your MCP URL (e.g., https://atem.yourdomain.com/mcp)
4. Click Connect — the OAuth flow completes automatically
5. Start a conversation and control your ATEM remotely

Connect from Claude Desktop (Remote)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "atem": {
      "url": "https://atem.yourdomain.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

No command or args needed — the server runs remotely.

OAuth 2.0 Implementation

The HTTP server implements a complete OAuth 2.0 flow for MCP authentication:

Endpoint	Purpose
GET /.well-known/oauth-protected-resource	RFC 9728 resource metadata
GET /.well-known/oauth-authorization-server	Authorization server metadata
POST /register	Dynamic Client Registration (DCR)
GET /authorize	Authorization endpoint (auto-approves)
POST /token	Token exchange (issues Bearer tokens)

The OAuth server auto-provisions tokens without user interaction — designed for personal/trusted use. For production environments, consider adding proper authentication.

Expose with Cloudflare Tunnel

Use a named Cloudflare Tunnel for a permanent URL — no port forwarding, no dynamic DNS, no changing URLs.

Prerequisites

• A free Cloudflare account
• A domain managed by Cloudflare DNS
• cloudflared CLI installed (brew install cloudflared on macOS)

Setup

1. Authenticate and create tunnel

cloudflared login
cloudflared tunnel create atem-mcp

Note the tunnel ID (a UUID).

2. Route DNS

cloudflared tunnel route dns atem-mcp atem.yourdomain.com

3. Create config file (~/.cloudflared/config.yml)

tunnel: <TUNNEL_ID>
credentials-file: ~/.cloudflared/<TUNNEL_ID>.json

ingress:
  - hostname: atem.yourdomain.com
    service: http://localhost:3000
  - service: http_status:404

4. Start the server and tunnel

# Terminal 1: MCP server
TRANSPORT=http BASE_URL=https://atem.yourdomain.com ATEM_HOST=192.168.1.100 node dist/index.js

# Terminal 2: Cloudflare tunnel
cloudflared tunnel run atem-mcp

Your MCP endpoint is now live at https://atem.yourdomain.com/mcp.

Critical: Disable Cloudflare AI Bot Blocking

If you use Cloudflare and connect from claude.ai, you must disable AI bot blocking or claude.ai's requests will be silently blocked with a 403.

Claude.ai's backend uses the Claude-User user agent from Google Cloud Platform IPs. Cloudflare's "Block AI training bots" managed rule blocks these requests before they reach your server.

To fix:

1. Go to Cloudflare Dashboard > select your domain
2. On the Overview page, find "Block AI training bots" on the right sidebar
3. Change from "Block on all pages" to "Do not block (allow crawlers)"

You can verify in Security > Analytics > Events — blocked requests show as Service: Managed rules, Rule: Manage AI bots, User agent: Claude-User.

Run as a Background Service (macOS)

sudo cloudflared service install

This creates a launch daemon that starts the tunnel on boot.

Useful Commands

cloudflared tunnel list              # List all tunnels
cloudflared tunnel info atem-mcp     # Show tunnel details
cloudflared tunnel cleanup atem-mcp  # Remove stale connections
cloudflared tunnel delete atem-mcp   # Delete the tunnel entirely

Available Tools (58 tools)

Connection

Tool	Description
atem_connect	Connect to an ATEM switcher by IP
atem_disconnect	Disconnect from the ATEM
atem_get_status	Get model, inputs, program/preview state

Switching

Tool	Description
atem_set_program	Set program (live) input
atem_set_preview	Set preview (next) input
atem_cut	Hard cut transition
atem_auto_transition	Auto transition (dissolve/wipe/etc.)
atem_fade_to_black	Toggle Fade to Black
atem_preview_and_auto	Set preview + auto transition in one call

Transitions

Tool	Description
atem_set_transition_style	Set mix, dip, wipe, DVE, or stinger
atem_set_transition_rate	Set transition duration in frames
atem_set_transition_position	Manual T-bar position (0.0–1.0)
atem_get_transition_state	Get current transition settings

Routing & Keyers

Tool	Description
atem_set_aux_source	Route input to aux output
atem_get_aux_source	Get current aux routing
atem_set_dsk_on_air	Downstream keyer on/off air
atem_auto_dsk	Auto transition for DSK
atem_set_dsk_sources	Set DSK fill and key sources
atem_set_usk_on_air	Upstream keyer on/off air
atem_set_usk_sources	Set USK fill and cut sources

Macros

Tool	Description
atem_macro_run	Run a macro by index
atem_macro_stop	Stop running macro
atem_macro_continue	Continue paused macro
atem_list_macros	List all defined macros

Recording & Streaming

Tool	Description
atem_start_recording	Start recording
atem_stop_recording	Stop recording
atem_start_streaming	Start streaming
atem_stop_streaming	Stop streaming
atem_get_recording_status	Get recording/streaming status

Super Source

Tool	Description
atem_get_supersource_state	Get all box positions, sources, art, and border settings
atem_set_supersource_box	Configure a single box (source, position, size, crop)
atem_set_supersource_layout	Set layout with presets (side-by-side, 2x2 grid, PiP, etc.)
atem_set_supersource_art	Configure art fill/cut source, foreground/background
atem_set_supersource_border	Configure border width, color, bevel, light source
atem_go_gallery	2x2 gallery grid: host + 3 guests, prioritizes active speakers via audio levels
atem_cut_to_active_speaker	Cut full-screen to whoever is currently talking (detected via audio levels)
atem_auto_switch_on	Start auto-switching: program mode (full-screen), ssrc_box mode (Super Source box), or host_ssrc mode (host full-screen + guest side-by-side)
atem_auto_switch_off	Stop auto-switching mode
atem_get_auto_switch_status	Check if auto-switch is running, see stats
atem_save_look	Save current Super Source layout as a named "look" (boxes, art, border)
atem_load_look	Load a saved look and apply it — optionally override sources for different guests
atem_list_looks	List all saved looks with descriptions and box counts
atem_delete_look	Delete a saved look

Audio Mixer (Fairlight + Classic)

Audio tools auto-detect the mixer type. Fairlight is used on ATEM Mini Extreme, Constellation, and newer models. Classic is used on ATEM Mini, Mini Pro, and older models.

Tool	Description
atem_set_audio_mixer_input	Set input gain, fader, balance, mix mode (Fairlight or Classic)
atem_set_audio_master_output	Set master output gain/fader
atem_get_audio_state	Get full audio mixer state (reports mixer type)

Fairlight EQ & Dynamics

Full parametric EQ, compressor, limiter, and gate/expander control for ATEM models with Fairlight audio (Mini Extreme, Constellation, and newer). Includes EQ presets for common use cases.

Tool	Description
atem_set_fairlight_eq	Set individual EQ band (shape, frequency, gain, Q) on an input
atem_set_fairlight_eq_preset	Apply EQ preset: vocal, podcast, music, de_mud, or flat
atem_set_fairlight_compressor	Set compressor (threshold, ratio, attack, hold, release)
atem_set_fairlight_limiter	Set limiter (threshold, attack, hold, release)
atem_set_fairlight_gate	Set noise gate/expander (threshold, range, ratio, attack, release)
atem_get_fairlight_eq_state	Get full EQ + dynamics state for an input
atem_set_fairlight_master_eq	Set EQ band on master output
atem_set_fairlight_master_compressor	Set compressor on master output
atem_set_fairlight_master_limiter	Set limiter on master output
atem_set_fairlight_makeup_gain	Set makeup gain on an input
atem_reset_fairlight_dynamics	Reset compressor/limiter/gate to factory defaults
atem_reset_fairlight_eq	Reset EQ to factory defaults

Common Input IDs

ID	Source
1–20	Physical SDI/HDMI inputs
1000	Color Bars
2001	Color Generator 1
2002	Color Generator 2
3010	Media Player 1
3011	Media Player 1 Key
3020	Media Player 2
3021	Media Player 2 Key
6000	Super Source
10010	Black
10011	Clean Feed 1 (Program)
10012	Clean Feed 2

Example Conversations

Basic switching:

"Put camera 1 on program"
"Set preview to camera 3 and do a 2-second dissolve"
"Cut to color bars"

Show setup:

"Set transition style to mix with a 45-frame rate"
"Route camera 1 to aux 1 for the confidence monitor"
"Put DSK1 on air for the lower third graphic"

Streaming/Recording:

"Start streaming and recording"
"What's the recording status?"
"Stop streaming but keep recording"

Audio (Fairlight & Classic):

"Lower camera 2 audio by 5 dB" "Set camera 1 audio to audio-follow-video mode" "Mute audio on input 3" "Set master output to -3dB" "Show me the audio mixer state"

Fairlight EQ & Dynamics:

"Apply vocal EQ preset to mic 1" "Boost presence at 3kHz on camera 2 audio" "Add a compressor to mic 1 — 4:1 ratio, threshold at -20dB" "Gate mic 2 so it cuts off below -40dB" "Put a limiter on the master at -3dB" "Show me the EQ and dynamics state for input 1" "Reset all EQ on camera 1 to flat"

Gallery & Active Speaker:

"Go gallery" "Go gallery with guests on cameras 2, 3, and 5" "Cut to active speaker" "Auto switch" (starts following the active speaker continuously) "Auto switch host + active speaker" (host full-screen when talking, side-by-side when guest talks) "Auto switch off" "Set up a side-by-side with cameras 1 and 2" "Cut to host with 3"

Save & Recall Looks:

"Save this look as podcast4" "Load podcast4" "Load podcast4 with cameras 2, 3, 6, 7" (reuses layout geometry with different sources) "What looks do I have saved?" "Delete the old_test look"

Architecture

This server uses the atem-connection library (by NRK/Sofie TV Automation) which implements Blackmagic's proprietary ATEM protocol over UDP. It's the same protocol that ATEM Software Control uses, so all changes are reflected in real time across all connected clients.

The MCP server wraps atem-connection methods as MCP tools that Claude (or any MCP-compatible AI) can call. Each tool maps to one or more ATEM commands.

Transport modes:

• stdio (default) — for Claude Desktop, Cursor, and local MCP clients
• HTTP (TRANSPORT=http) — Streamable HTTP with OAuth 2.0, for claude.ai, Claude Mobile, and remote access. Uses Express + raw http.createServer for proper header handling with the MCP SDK.

Live Show Usage

When using this server to control an ATEM during a live production, you need every command to execute instantly — no confirmation dialogs, no approval prompts, no delays. The experience varies by client:

Client Behavior

Client	Tool Approval	Best For
claude.ai	No approval needed — tools run immediately	Live shows, remote control
Claude Mobile	No approval needed — tools run immediately	On-the-go control
Claude Desktop	No approval needed — tools run immediately	Local production control
Claude Code (CLI)	Requires approval for each tool call	Development and testing only
Cursor	May require approval depending on settings	Development and testing

For live production, use claude.ai, Claude Mobile, or Claude Desktop. These clients execute MCP tool calls without interruption — you say "cut to camera 2" and it happens immediately.

Claude Code (the terminal CLI) is designed for software development and has a safety system that prompts for approval before running tools. This is great for coding but unsuitable for live switching where every second counts.

Pre-Show Checklist

Run through this checklist before going live to catch issues early:

1. Verify connection — "Show me the switcher status"
2. Test switching — "Put camera 1 on preview, then cut to it"
3. Test transitions — "Set transition to mix at 30 frames and dissolve to camera 2"
4. Test audio — "Show me the audio mixer state"
5. Test recording/streaming — "Start recording" → verify → "Stop recording"
6. Test Super Source (if using) — "Set up a side-by-side with cameras 1 and 2"
7. Set your show defaults — transition style, rate, audio levels, EQ presets

Tips for Live Production

• Set ATEM_HOST in your environment so the server auto-connects on startup — no need to manually connect each time
• Use specific language — "Cut to camera 3" is faster than "Can you switch to the third camera please?"
• Combine commands — "Put camera 2 on preview and dissolve to it" executes as a single preview_and_auto call
• Keep a fallback — Always have ATEM Software Control or a hardware panel available in case of network issues

Troubleshooting

Hammer icon not showing in Claude Desktop:

• Make sure you're using the full path to node (run which node)
• Check logs: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
• Restart Claude Desktop completely (quit, not just close window)

Can't connect to ATEM:

• Verify the ATEM is on the same network
• Try pinging the ATEM IP from terminal
• Default ATEM port is 9910 (UDP)
• Make sure ATEM Software Control isn't blocking the connection

claude.ai connector shows auth error:

• Check Cloudflare "Block AI training bots" is set to "Do not block" (see Cloudflare section)
• Check Security > Analytics > Events in Cloudflare dashboard for blocked requests
• Verify BASE_URL matches your public tunnel URL exactly
• Test with curl -X POST https://your-url/mcp — should return 401 JSON (not 403 HTML)

HTTP server returns 406 Not Acceptable:

• The MCP SDK requires Accept: application/json, text/event-stream but some clients send Accept: */*
• The server includes a built-in workaround that patches the Accept header at the raw HTTP level

Commands not working:

• Some features require specific ATEM models (e.g., streaming/recording on Mini Pro+)
• Check atem_get_status to verify connection

Credits

• Guy Cochran (Office Hours Global) — Creator and project lead
• Claude by Anthropic — AI pair-programming partner

• atem-connection by NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) — the ATEM protocol library
• MCP TypeScript SDK by Anthropic

License

MIT