# acestep

A skill that generates music and handles audio: background tracks, vocals, covers, stem extraction. Useful when a video needs a soundtrack or jingle.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 841 installs · ★ 2344
- Author: digitalsamba
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/acestep/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-21
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/digitalsamba-acestep

## What it does

The skill drives ACE-Step 1.5 through `tools/music_gen.py`. A prompt sets the style and duration, BPM and key are optional, and the result lands as an mp3. Separate modes cover vocals with lyrics, covers and style transfer, repainting a weak section, continuing a track, and pulling out stems.

By default it calls the acemusic cloud with the XL Turbo (4B) model and thinking mode on. The key is free and no GPU is needed, but it has to sit in `.env` as `ACEMUSIC_API_KEY`. Without a key you can self-host instead: Modal reads `MODAL_MUSIC_GEN_ENDPOINT_URL`, RunPod reads `RUNPOD_ACESTEP_ENDPOINT_ID`, and both expect your own infrastructure.

Vocal gender is the weak spot. A phrase like "female vocal" in the prompt alone often gets ignored, so the skill pairs it with `[female vocal]` tags before each section in the lyrics. If tracks come out samey, the advice is to start from acemusic, keep thinking on, and generate 4 variations at once.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit --skill acestep -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/acestep/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/acestep/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit --skill acestep -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/acestep/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit --skill acestep -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/acestep/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit acestep
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/acestep/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit --skill acestep -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit --path .claude/skills/acestep
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/acestep/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit --skill acestep -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit/tree/HEAD/.claude/skills/acestep/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- generate background music for a video scene
- write a jingle with vocals and lyrics
- repaint a weak chorus without redoing the whole track
- extend a finished track with a new section
- pull vocals out of a mixed track

## Example prompts
- Generate background music for the corporate scene, 60 seconds, corporate-bg preset
- Make a jingle with vocals and lyrics, 30 seconds, indie pop
- Repaint `track.mp3` from 15 to 25 seconds and add a guitar solo

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

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BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 507a09286ab91c0e
````text
---
name: acestep
description: AI music generation with ACE-Step 1.5 — background music, vocal tracks, covers, stem extraction, audio repainting, and continuation for video production. Use when generating music, soundtracks, jingles, or working with audio stems. Triggers include background music, soundtrack, jingle, music generation, stem extraction, cover, style transfer, repaint, continuation, or musical composition tasks.
---

# ACE-Step 1.5 Music Generation

Open-source music generation via `tools/music_gen.py`.

**Cloud providers:**
- **acemusic** (default) — Official ACE-Step cloud API with XL Turbo (4B) model + 5Hz LM thinking mode. Free API key from [acemusic.ai/api-key](https://acemusic.ai/api-key). No GPU required.
- **modal** — Self-hosted ACE-Step 1.5 XL Turbo (4B DiT, no LM) on Modal A10G. Requires `MODAL_MUSIC_GEN_ENDPOINT_URL`.
- **runpod** — Self-hosted ACE-Step 2B Turbo on RunPod. Requires `RUNPOD_ACESTEP_ENDPOINT_ID`.

## Setup

```bash
# acemusic (recommended — free, best quality, no GPU)
echo "ACEMUSIC_API_KEY=your_key" >> .env
# Get key at https://acemusic.ai/api-key

# Self-hosted (optional fallback)
uv run tools/music_gen.py --setup             # RunPod
uv run modal deploy docker/modal-music-gen/app.py    # Modal
```

## Quick Reference

```bash
# Basic generation (uses acemusic XL Turbo by default)
uv run tools/music_gen.py --prompt "Upbeat tech corporate" --duration 60 --output bg.mp3

# Generate 4 variations, pick the best
uv run tools/music_gen.py --prompt "Calm ambient piano" --duration 30 --variations 4 --output ambient.mp3

# Fast mode (disable thinking)
uv run tools/music_gen.py --no-thinking --prompt "Quick draft" --duration 30 --output draft.mp3

# With musical control
uv run tools/music_gen.py --prompt "Calm ambient piano" --duration 30 --bpm 72 --key "D Major" --output ambient.mp3

# Scene presets (video production)
uv run tools/music_gen.py --preset corporate-bg --duration 60 --output bg.mp3
uv run tools/music_gen.py --preset tension --duration 20 --output problem.mp3
uv run tools/music_gen.py --preset cta --brand digital-samba --duration 15 --output cta.mp3

# Vocals with lyrics
uv run tools/music_gen.py --prompt "Indie pop jingle" --lyrics "[verse]\nBuild it better\nShip it faster" --duration 30 --output jingle.mp3

# Cover / style transfer
uv run tools/music_gen.py --cover --reference theme.mp3 --prompt "Jazz piano version" --duration 60 --output jazz_cover.mp3

# Repaint a weak section
uv run tools/music_gen.py --repaint --input track.mp3 --repaint-start 15 --repaint-end 25 --prompt "Guitar solo" --output fixed.mp3

# Continue from existing audio
uv run tools/music_gen.py --continuation --input track.mp3 --prompt "Continue with jazz piano" --output extended.mp3
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 507a09286ab91c0e

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