AI assistants

Overview

Akordo runs a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. Any AI tool that speaks MCP can read and update your library directly, so instead of pasting charts back and forth you ask your assistant to do the work.

MCP access depends on your plan. The Workspace & plan card in Settings shows whether it is enabled for your account.

What you can ask for

• Browse: "Which songs do we have in G?" or "Show me setlists for next month."
• Create and edit songs: "Create Summer Jam with G, C, and D" or "Add a bridge to My Song with Em, Am, B7."
• Manage arrangements: "Add a capo 2 arrangement in D" or "What arrangements do we have for Hotel California?"
• Build setlists: "Add Wonderwall to Sunday's set after the opener" or "Mark every song in Friday's set as Confirmed."
• Undo: "Restore yesterday's version of that chart."
• Repertoire questions: "Which songs have we not played in six months?" or "Find duplicate songs in the group library."
• Clean up an import: "List the songs from last week's import that are missing a key."
• Groups and sharing: list members, invite someone, or move a song into a group.

Tools that permanently delete or remove things are marked as destructive so assistants that honor those hints can ask first. Not every assistant asks, so be specific in your requests. Deleted songs, arrangements, and instruments can be restored; deleted setlists, groups, labels, notes, markup, custom fields, saved views, and external resources cannot.

Two ways to connect

• API key: create a key in Settings and paste it into the tool's configuration. Best for developer tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, and scripts.
• OAuth: the tool opens a browser window, you sign in to Akordo and approve the connection, and no key is copied anywhere. Best for chat apps such as ChatGPT and Claude, and required by tools that discover servers automatically.

The MCP endpoint is https://akordo.app/api/mcp.

Claude Code

1. In Akordo, open Settings, create an API key, and copy it.
2. Add Akordo to your Claude Code MCP configuration, usually .mcp.json in the project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "akordo": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://akordo.app/api/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-API-Key": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Replace the placeholder with your key and restart Claude Code.

ChatGPT, Claude, and other chat apps

1. Add Akordo as a connector or MCP server using the URL above.
2. When the app starts the connection, a browser window opens on Akordo.
3. Sign in if needed and approve the connection.
4. Return to the app.

Revoke a connection at any time by changing your password, which signs out every integration, or by revoking the API key it uses.

Other tools

Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, Continue, and any other MCP client work with the same URL and either connection method. Follow the tool's own MCP setup instructions.

Security

• Treat API keys like passwords. Keys expire after at most 90 days.
• A connected assistant can read and change songs, setlists, arrangements, instruments, and group membership. It cannot manage API keys or delete your account.
• Review your keys in Settings from time to time and revoke ones you no longer recognize.
• Changing or resetting your password revokes every OAuth connection and API key.

Troubleshooting

The tool cannot connect

1. Check the URL. The MCP endpoint is /api/mcp, not /api/v1.
2. Check the key. Copy it again with no extra spaces, and make sure it has not expired.
3. Check your plan. MCP must be enabled for your account.
4. If OAuth fails part way through, make sure the browser that opened is signed in to the right Akordo account and try again.

Too many requests

MCP calls are rate limited per credential. If a tool receives a "too many requests" error, wait for the time it reports and retry.

Next steps

• Account settings to manage API keys
• API v1 for the HTTP API behind the tools
• Songs and Setlists for what the tools operate on