ElevenLabs MCP

How to Install and Use ElevenLabs MCP

ElevenLabs MCP is a powerful server that connects with Text-to-Speech and audio tools from ElevenLabs. It lets you create voices, transcribe audio, and more. Here's an easy guide to getting it installed and working with examples.

Getting Your API Key

Before you start, you need an API key from ElevenLabs. This key lets the tool connect safely to their services.

• Go to the ElevenLabs website and sign in.
• Find your API key at ElevenLabs API Keys.
• You get 10,000 free credits each month to try.

Installing the MCP Server

The server uses a Python package manager called uv. First, install uv so you can run ElevenLabs MCP smoothly.

To install uv, open your terminal and type this command:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

This will set up uv on your system. You can also check more ways to install it at the uv GitHub page.

Setting Up ElevenLabs MCP on Your Computer

Next, you will tell your MCP client to use ElevenLabs MCP. Here’s how you can do this in Claude Desktop:

1. Open Claude Desktop.
2. Go to Claude > Settings > Developer > Edit Config.
3. Open the file called claude_desktop_config.json.
4. Add the following configuration inside the file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ElevenLabs": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["elevenlabs-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ELEVENLABS_API_KEY": "<insert-your-api-key-here>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace <insert-your-api-key-here> with your actual ElevenLabs API key.

If you are on Windows, you have to enable Developer Mode in Claude Desktop: Click Help in the menu and select Enable Developer Mode to make this work.

Using ElevenLabs MCP with Other Clients

Besides Claude Desktop, tools like Cursor and Windsurf also support ElevenLabs MCP. To get it ready for these clients:

1. First, install ElevenLabs MCP by running:

pip install elevenlabs-mcp

1. Then, print out the configuration by running:

python -m elevenlabs_mcp --api-key=YOUR_API_KEY --print

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your ElevenLabs API key. Copy the printed configuration and put it in the configuration folder for your MCP client.

Configuring File Output

ElevenLabs MCP can save or send you the results in different ways. You control this with environment variables. Here is a quick look:

• ELEVENLABS_MCP_BASE_PATH: This sets where files save on your computer. Default is your Desktop (~/Desktop).
• ELEVENLABS_MCP_OUTPUT_MODE: This controls how files come back to you. There are three options:

1. "files" — saves files to your PC and sends the file paths (default).
2. "resources" — sends files directly as base64-encoded data without saving.
3. "both" — saves files AND sends encoded data.

Example for using the "resources" mode:

"env": {
  "ELEVENLABS_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
  "ELEVENLABS_MCP_OUTPUT_MODE": "resources"
}

Use "resources" mode if you want to avoid disk access or are using cloud environments.

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That’s it! You now know how to install and start using ElevenLabs MCP easily with both Claude Desktop and other MCP clients. Just add your API key, set your preferences, and start creating voices or transcribing audio.