As revealed during our recent podcast with Avid, Avid have introduced a new Software Development Kit which allows developers and people with suitable software skills to access aspects of Pro Tools to automate tasks and create new workflows. Today Avid have officially announced this feature
The scripting SDK is not a consumer feature. It requires suitable programming skills to use. It is open to any member of the Pro Tools Developer Community and while it starts with a small subset of controls, over time it is expected that Avid will open up more and more API calls into Pro Tools with which programmers can create Apps to control Pro Tools using any programming language.
The way this works is that any developer who is signed up and validated can try out SDK workflows and to progress beyond this evaluation stage Avid individually certify SDK Apps allowing them to be distributed, either internally within large facilities, or distributed commercially. The SDK is starting modestly but it has the potential to be very significant.
Avid’s Pro Tools Scripting Software Development Kit (SDK), supported by the latest version of Pro Tools, ushers in a new era of openness and flexibility for professional music and audio post production teams. The free Pro Tools Scripting SDK enables high-end facilities and developers to create apps that automate repetitive tasks and establish new audio workflows.
What Is The Pro Tools Scripting SDK?
The Pro Tools Scripting SDK is a language-independent API for Windows and Mac versions of Pro Tools that provides access to a range of commands, including open, close and save sessions, export in various formats, perform multiple functions on the timeline, leverage “get” commands to review clips and use “set” commands to perform writeable actions in open sessions. The Pro Tools Scripting SDK is an external component that serves as an access layer between scripting applications and Pro Tools offering more commands and greater forward compatibility.
Francois Quereuil, Vice President, Product Management for Audio and Music Solutions at Avid said of the scripting SDK:
“Avid is embarking on a new era of openness, beginning with the SDK, to provide users with more tools to connect all of their solutions into a unified workflow. The Scripting SDK is just the beginning of the rollout of API calls into Pro Tools, and we’re looking forward to delivering more openness for users to improve, combine and invent with the Pro Tools Scripting SDK.”
Christian Munk Scheuer, Founder and CEO of SoundFlow adds:
“Avid’s new Scripting SDK is a visionary step forward that will revolutionize how users interact with Pro Tools. SoundFlow added support for the Pro Tools Scripting SDK in the recent SoundFlow 5.2 release, enabling users to automate new areas of Pro Tools that were not possible before. By allowing platforms like SoundFlow to have deep control of Pro Tools, we can in turn enable users to create compelling, personalized user interfaces and automated workflows that eliminate distractions and help them to focus on their creativity.”
For more information on the free Pro Tools Scripting SDK, please visit Avid’s Developer Site using the button below.