About mpv-mcp-server
mpv-mcp-server lets MCP clients control mpv, for managing local playback, playlists, and YouTube media through client tools. It communicates with mpv over JSON IPC and can start the player when it is not already running.
Key features
- 01Play, pause, seek, and adjust volume
- 02Browse media and manage playlists
- 03Search, stream, or download YouTube media
- 04Read media details and edit tags
Use cases
- 01Control local music or video from an MCP client
- 02Find media files and organize playlists
- 03Play or download YouTube audio and video
- 04Inspect file metadata and update tags
MCP support
This MCP server exposes mpv playback, library, YouTube, and metadata tools to compatible clients, communicating with mpv through JSON IPC.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
npx -y mpv-mcp-serverMPV_PATHPath to mpv executable (default: mpv from PATH)MPV_IPC_PATHIPC socket path (default: named pipe on Windows, Unix socket on macOS/Linux)MPV_MEDIA_DIRSComma-separated media directories to scan (default: ~/Music,~/Videos)MPV_DOWNLOAD_DIRDownload directory for YouTube downloads (default: ~/Downloads)Local servers need a runtime on your machine (e.g. Node.js 18+). Config file locations differ by client; see your client’s docs.
Tools
17Saved tool list · updated 2w ago
This tool takes no parameters.
Details
From the project READMEmpv-mcp-server
MCP server for controlling mpv media player. Browse your music library, control playback, stream from YouTube, and download tracks — all from inside an MCP client like Claude Code.
Prerequisites
- mpv — media player (must be on your PATH, or set
MPV_PATH) - Node.js 22+
- yt-dlp (optional) — required for YouTube streaming and downloading
- ffmpeg (optional) — required for audio extraction, metadata reading (ffprobe), and tagging
Quick Start
Claude Code
Add to your project's .mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mpv": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mpv-mcp-server"]
}
}
}
Or add at user scope (available in all projects):
claude mcp add mpv --scope user -- npx -y mpv-mcp-server
Claude Desktop
Add to your Claude Desktop config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mpv": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mpv-mcp-server"]
}
}
}
With environment overrides
{
"mcpServers": {
"mpv": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mpv-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"MPV_PATH": "/usr/local/bin/mpv",
"MPV_MEDIA_DIRS": "/home/user/Music,/home/user/Podcasts",
"MPV_DOWNLOAD_DIR": "/home/user/Music"
}
}
}
}
Configuration
All configuration is via environment variables. Everything has sensible defaults.
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
MPV_PATH | mpv | Path to mpv executable |
MPV_IPC_PATH | \\.\pipe\mpvpipe (Windows) or /tmp/mpv-ipc.sock (Unix) | IPC socket path |
MPV_MEDIA_DIRS | ~/Music,~/Videos | Comma-separated media directories to scan |
MPV_DOWNLOAD_DIR | ~/Downloads | Where downloaded files are saved |
Tools
Playback
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
mpv_play | Play a file by path or search term |
mpv_pause | Pause playback |
mpv_resume | Resume playback |
mpv_stop | Stop playback |
mpv_status | Get current playback status |
mpv_seek | Seek to position ("90", "1:30", "+10", "-30") |
mpv_volume | Get or set volume (0-150) |
Library
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
mpv_browse | List and search available media files |
mpv_playlist | Show current playlist |
mpv_add | Add a track to the playlist |
mpv_load_playlist | Load a playlist file (.m3u, .pls, .txt) |
mpv_next | Skip to next track |
mpv_prev | Go to previous track |
YouTube
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
mpv_youtube | Search YouTube and stream through mpv (supports append mode) |
mpv_download | Download from YouTube (audio or video) |
YouTube tools require yt-dlp on your PATH. Audio downloads also require ffmpeg.
Metadata
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
mpv_info | Get metadata for the current track or any file by search term |
mpv_tag | Write metadata tags (artist, title, album, genre, date, comment) to a file |
Both tools infer artist/title from the "Artist - Title" filename pattern. Requires ffmpeg (includes ffprobe).
How It Works
The server communicates with mpv via its JSON IPC protocol. On Windows this uses a named pipe, on macOS/Linux a Unix domain socket. If mpv isn't running, the server spawns it automatically in idle mode. The mpv process is detached, so it keeps playing even if the MCP server exits.
Platform Support
Developed and tested on Windows. macOS/Linux support is implemented but untested — issues and PRs welcome!
License
MIT
Comments
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