MiniMax Music Generation Skill

Generate songs (vocal or instrumental) using the MiniMax Music API. Supports two creation modes: Basic (one-sentence-in, song-out) and Advanced Control (edit lyrics, refine prompt, plan before generating).

Prerequisites

Credentials: Set the following environment variables:
- ```
MINIMAX_API_KEY
```
  — your MiniMax API key
- ```
MINIMAX_GROUP_ID
```
  — your MiniMax Group ID
The scripts also support reading from
```
~/.minimax_api_key
```
and
```
~/.minimax_group_id
```
files as a fallback.
To check if credentials are configured:
bash
```
[ -n "$MINIMAX_API_KEY" ] && echo "✅ Credentials OK" || echo "❌ MINIMAX_API_KEY not set"
```
⚠️ SECURITY: NEVER do any of the following:
- ```
echo $MINIMAX_API_KEY
```
  — prints the key to terminal
- ```
cat ~/.minimax_api_key
```
  — exposes the full API key
- Any command that outputs credential values to stdout/stderr
Python 3.8+ (scripts use only stdlib — no pip install needed).
```
ffplay
```
or
```
mpv
```
or
```
afplay
```
(macOS) for local playback. The script auto-detects.

APIs Used

This skill uses two MiniMax API endpoints in a pipeline:

Lyrics Generation —
```
POST /v1/lyrics_generation
```
- Base URL:
```
https://api.minimax.io
```
  (overseas) or
```
https://api.minimaxi.com
```
  (domestic)
- Scripts auto-detect the correct domain based on the user's API key
- Generates song lyrics from a natural language description
- Mode:
```
write_full_song
```
- Used automatically for vocal tracks when the user hasn't provided lyrics
- Script:
```
scripts/generate_lyrics.py
```
Music Generation —
```
POST /v1/music_generation
```
- Base URL:
```
https://api.minimax.io
```
  (overseas) or
```
https://api.minimaxi.com
```
  (domestic)
- Scripts auto-detect the correct domain based on the user's API key
- Generates the actual audio (MP3) from a prompt + optional lyrics
- Model:
```
music-2.6-free
```
  (fallback:
```
music-2.6
```
  ), cover:
```
music-cover-free
```
  (fallback:
```
music-cover
```
  )
- Supports:
```
is_instrumental
```
  (true/false),
```
bedrock_lane: cover
```
  header
- Script:
```
scripts/generate_music.py
```

Pipeline: For vocal tracks, the typical flow is:

User description → [Lyrics API] → lyrics → [Music API + prompt] → MP3

For instrumental tracks, the lyrics step is skipped entirely.

Storage

All generated music is saved to

~/Music/minimax-gen/

. Create the directory if it doesn't exist. Files are named with a timestamp and a short slug derived from the prompt:

YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_<slug>.mp3

Workflow

Language Detection

Detect the user's language from their message at the start of the session:

Chinese (中文) → Set
```
LANG=zh
```
— all interactions in Chinese, generate Chinese lyrics
English → Set
```
LANG=en
```
— all interactions in English, generate English lyrics

IMPORTANT — Lyrics language rule:

Default lyrics language = user's language. 用户说中文 → 生成中文歌词。User speaks English → English lyrics.
Only generate a different language if the user explicitly asks (e.g., "给我写首英文歌", "write Chinese lyrics").
The
```
--prompt
```
passed to
```
generate_lyrics.py
```
must be written in the target lyrics language — if generating Chinese lyrics, write the prompt in Chinese. The API uses prompt language to determine output language.

Pass

--lang $LANG

to ALL script invocations throughout the workflow. Respond to the user in their detected language. Use the matching template below.

Step 0: Detect Language & Intent

Detect the user's language and respond in the same language throughout. Parse their message to determine:

Song category: vocal (人声音乐), instrumental (纯音乐), or cover
Creation mode preference: did they provide detailed requirements (→ Advanced) or a casual one-liner (→ Basic)?

If ambiguous, ask using this decision tree:

If LANG=zh:

Q1: 你想要哪种类型？
  - 🎤 人声音乐（有歌词演唱）
  - 🎵 纯音乐（无人声）
  - 🎧 Cover（翻唱风格）

Q2: 创作模式？
  - ⚡ 基础版 — 一句话描述，自动搞定
  - 🎛️ 强控制版 — 自己调歌词、prompt、风格

If LANG=en:

Q1: What type of music?
  - 🎤 Vocal (with lyrics)
  - 🎵 Instrumental (no vocals)
  - 🎧 Cover

Q2: Creation mode?
  - ⚡ Basic — one-line description, auto-generate
  - 🎛️ Advanced — edit lyrics, refine prompt, plan

If the user gives a clear one-liner like "帮我生成一首悲伤的钢琴曲", skip the questions — infer instrumental + basic mode and proceed.

Step 1: Basic Mode

Goal: User provides a short description → skill auto-generates everything → call API.

Expand the description into a prompt: Take the user's one-liner and expand it into a rich music prompt. Read

references/prompt_guide.md

for the style vocabulary and prompt structure. The music generation prompt must match the user's language (LANG):

When LANG=zh, write the prompt in Chinese
When LANG=en, write the prompt in English

Follow this pattern:

# LANG=zh example:
一首 [情绪] [BPM 可选] 的 [曲风] 歌曲，[人声描述]，关于 [主题/叙事]，
[氛围/场景]，[乐器和编曲元素]。

# LANG=en example:
A [mood] [BPM optional] [genre] song, featuring [vocal description],
about [narrative/theme], [atmosphere], [key instruments and production].

Generate lyrics (if vocal): Call the MiniMax Lyrics API to auto-generate lyrics. Run the lyrics script:
bash
```
python3 ~/.claude/skills/minimax-music-gen/scripts/generate_lyrics.py \
  --prompt "<lyrics prompt in TARGET LANGUAGE>" \
  --lang $LANG \
  --output /tmp/lyrics_draft.txt
```
The API endpoint is
```
/v1/lyrics_generation
```
(domain auto-detected) with mode
```
write_full_song
```
. The prompt should be a vivid description of the song's theme, mood, and story — written in the target lyrics language.
Chinese lyrics example (LANG=zh):
- User says "写首关于夏天海边的情歌"
- Lyrics prompt: "一首关于夏天海边的甜蜜情歌，阳光沙滩，海浪声中牵手漫步，初恋般的心动与美好"
English lyrics example (LANG=en):
- User says "write a love song about the beach"
- Lyrics prompt: "A cheerful love song about a summer day at the beach, with warm sunshine, ocean waves, and the joy of being with someone special"
The API returns lyrics with section markers like
```
[verse]
```
,
```
[chorus]
```
, etc. If the returned lyrics lack section markers, add them automatically following this structure:
```
[verse]    — 4 lines
[chorus]   — 4 lines
[verse]    — 4 lines
[chorus]   — 4 lines
[outro]    — 2 lines
```
Fallback: If the lyrics API fails or returns low-quality results, generate lyrics directly using your own capabilities. Keep lines rhythmically consistent (similar syllable count per line within a section). Avoid clichés.

Show the user a preview before generating:

If LANG=zh:

🎵 即将为你生成：
类型：人声音乐
Prompt：独立民谣, 忧郁, 内省, 原声吉他, 温柔女声, 深夜独处
歌词：
[verse]
...

确认生成？(直接回车确认，或告诉我要改什么)

If LANG=en:

🎵 About to generate:
Type: Vocal
Prompt: indie folk, melancholy, acoustic guitar, gentle female voice
Lyrics:
[verse]
...

Confirm? (press enter to confirm, or tell me what to change)

Call the API: Run
```
scripts/generate_music.py
```
with the constructed parameters.

Step 2: Advanced Control Mode

Goal: User has full control over every parameter before generation.

Lyrics phase:
- If user provided lyrics: display them formatted with section markers, ask for edits.
- If user has a theme but no lyrics: call the lyrics API to generate a draft:
  bash
```
python3 ~/.claude/skills/minimax-music-gen/scripts/generate_lyrics.py \
  --prompt "<vivid description of the song's theme and story>" \
  --lang $LANG \
  --output /tmp/lyrics_draft.txt
```
  Present the generated lyrics to the user for review and editing.
- Support iterative editing: "第二段副歌改一下" → only rewrite that section.
- User can choose to regenerate lyrics with a different prompt if unsatisfied.
Prompt phase:
- Generate a recommended prompt based on the lyrics' mood and content.
- Present it as editable tags the user can add/remove/modify.
- Read
```
references/prompt_guide.md
```
  for the full vocabulary.
Advanced planning (optional, offer but don't force):
- Song structure: verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus or custom
- BPM suggestion (encode in prompt as tempo descriptor)
- Reference style: "类似某种风格" → map to prompt tags
- Vocal character description
Final confirmation: Show complete parameter summary, then generate.

Step 3: Call the API

Run the generation script:

bash

python3 ~/.claude/skills/minimax-music-gen/scripts/generate_music.py \
  --prompt "<prompt>" \
  --lyrics "<lyrics or empty>" \
  --lang $LANG \
  --output ~/Music/minimax-gen/<filename>.mp3
  # Add --instrumental for instrumental (no vocal). Omit for vocal tracks.
  # Add --cover for cover mode. Omit for original tracks.
  # Add --no-play to skip auto-playback after generation.

The script handles:

API call with proper headers
Polling for completion (the API may return a task ID)
Downloading the result MP3
Error handling with clear messages

Display a progress indicator while waiting. Typical generation takes 30-120 seconds.

Step 4: Playback

After generation, play the song:

bash

python3 ~/.claude/skills/minimax-music-gen/scripts/play_music.py \
  --lang $LANG \
  ~/Music/minimax-gen/<filename>.mp3

The script auto-detects the best available player (

mpv

ffplay

afplay

aplay

). Tell the user:

If LANG=zh:

🎵 正在播放：<filename>.mp3
📁 文件已保存到：~/Music/minimax-gen/<filename>.mp3
⏸️  按 q 或 Ctrl+C 可暂停/停止播放

If LANG=en:

🎵 Now playing: <filename>.mp3
📁 Saved to: ~/Music/minimax-gen/<filename>.mp3
⏸️  Press q or Ctrl+C to pause/stop playback

Step 5: Feedback & Iteration

After playback, ask for feedback:

If LANG=zh:

这首歌怎么样？
  1. 🎉 很满意，保留！
  2. 🔄 不太行，调整后重新生成
  3. 🎨 歌词/风格微调后重新生成
  4. 🗑️ 不要了，删掉重来

If LANG=en:

How was this song?
  1. 🎉 Love it, keep it!
  2. 🔄 Not quite, adjust and regenerate
  3. 🎨 Fine-tune lyrics/style then regenerate
  4. 🗑️ Don't want it, start over

Based on feedback:

Satisfied: Done. Mention the file path again.
Adjust & regenerate: Ask what to change (prompt? lyrics? style?), apply edits, re-run generation. Keep the old file with a
```
_v1
```
suffix for comparison.
Fine-tune: Enter Advanced Control Mode with the current parameters pre-filled.
Delete & restart: Remove the file, go back to Step 0.

Error Handling

Error	Action
Missing API key	Print setup instructions for `MINIMAX_API_KEY`
Missing Group ID	Ask user for their GroupId
API timeout (>3min)	Retry once, then report failure with request ID
Invalid lyrics format	Auto-fix section markers, warn user
Download URL expired	Re-request from API
No audio player found	Save file and tell user the path, suggest installing mpv
Network error	Show error detail, suggest checking connection

Cover Mode

When the user selects Cover mode:

Ask for the song they want to cover (name + artist)
Set the
```
bedrock_lane: cover
```
header
Generate a prompt that describes the cover style (e.g., "acoustic cover of pop song, stripped-down arrangement, intimate vocal")
Lyrics: user provides or we look up a rough theme (never reproduce copyrighted lyrics — write original lyrics inspired by the theme)
Proceed with normal generation flow

Important Notes

Never reproduce copyrighted lyrics. When doing covers, always write original lyrics inspired by the song's theme. Explain this to the user.
Prompt language: The API prompt works best with Chinese tags or English tags. Mix is OK.
Section markers in lyrics: The API recognizes
```
[verse]
```
,
```
[chorus]
```
,
```
[bridge]
```
,
```
[outro]
```
,
```
[intro]
```
. Always include them.
File management: If
```
~/Music/minimax-gen/
```
has more than 50 files, suggest cleanup when starting a new session.

minimax-music-gen

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

MiniMax Music Generation Skill

Prerequisites

APIs Used

Storage

Workflow

Language Detection

Step 0: Detect Language & Intent

Step 1: Basic Mode

Step 2: Advanced Control Mode

Step 3: Call the API

Step 4: Playback

Step 5: Feedback & Iteration

Error Handling

Cover Mode

Important Notes