MiniMax MCP for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

What you can do with MiniMax in Claude Desktop

Access MiniMax speech, voice, image, video, and music workflows from one MCP-enabled assistant.

• Generate spoken audio using a chosen voice.
• Clone or design a voice for a media workflow.
• Create images or videos from descriptive prompts.

Before you start: MiniMax in Claude Desktop

• uv with uvx available
• A MiniMax API key matching the selected regional host
• An MCP-compatible client

The command follows the README's Claude Desktop configuration. Windows Claude Desktop may require Developer Mode. SSE is supported, but a ready-to-use SSE endpoint is not stated in the README.

MiniMax Claude Desktop configuration

1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

   For MiniMax MCP, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

2. Add MiniMax MCP to Claude Desktop

   Use the MiniMax-MCP entry below in mcpServers. Keep MiniMax MCP's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

3. Check MiniMax MCP in Claude Desktop

   MiniMax MCP: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "MiniMax-MCP": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "minimax-mcp",
        "-y"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MINIMAX_API_KEY": "<your region-specific MiniMax API key>",
        "MINIMAX_MCP_BASE_PATH": "<local directory for generated output>",
        "MINIMAX_API_HOST": "<matching regional host: https://api.minimax.io or https://api.minimaxi.com>",
        "MINIMAX_API_RESOURCE_MODE": "<url or local; url is the default>"
      }
    }
  }
}

MiniMax tools available to Claude Desktop

MiniMax's stored tool list documents 10 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

text_to_audio

When Claude Desktop requests text_to_audio from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

Synthesize speech with a selected voice and save audio output; API charges may apply.

list_voices

When Claude Desktop requests list_voices from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

List available voices; the supplied tool data restricts support to https://api.minimax.chat.

play_audio

When Claude Desktop requests play_audio from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

Play a WAV or MP3 audio file, excluding video playback.

voice_clone

When Claude Desktop requests voice_clone from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

Create a cloned voice from an audio file; initial use of new voices may incur charges.

text_to_image

When Claude Desktop requests text_to_image from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

Create images from descriptive text through the MiniMax API.

generate_video

When Claude Desktop requests generate_video from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

image_to_video

When Claude Desktop requests image_to_video from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

query_video_generation

When Claude Desktop requests query_video_generation from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

music_generation

When Claude Desktop requests music_generation from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

voice_design

When Claude Desktop requests voice_design from MiniMax, review the action before approving it.

MiniMax: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting MiniMax in Claude Desktop

• Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for MiniMax MCP. If uvx minimax-mcp (from uv, for Python tools) is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
• In Claude Desktop's MiniMax MCP entry, check MINIMAX_API_HOST, MINIMAX_API_KEY, MINIMAX_API_RESOURCE_MODE, MINIMAX_MCP_BASE_PATH. Keep secrets out of shared screenshots and repositories.
• MiniMax MCP uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: API calls may incur costs.
• Known limitation: API keys and hosts must match the account region.
• Known limitation: The structured list_voices tool description limits that tool to a specific API host.
• General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

Frequently asked questions