What causes "ERROR: MINIMAX_API_BASE is not set." in MiniMax-AI/skills?

Export the base URL for your region: `export MINIMAX_API_BASE='https://api.minimax.io/v1'` (overseas) or `'https://api.minimaxi.com/v1'` (China mainland).

MiniMax-AI/skills · critical · SystemExit

ERROR: MINIMAX_API_BASE is not set.

Error message

ERROR: MINIMAX_API_BASE is not set.

What it means

`raise SystemExit("ERROR: MINIMAX_API_BASE is not set.")` at module load of `minimax_music.py`. Identical pattern to the image script: `MINIMAX_API_BASE` is read at import time and, if empty, the script aborts because the music generation endpoint URL (`{API_BASE}/music_generation`) cannot be constructed. Uses `SystemExit` for a clean non-zero exit rather than a traceback.

Source

Thrown at skills/frontend-dev/scripts/minimax_music.py:26

  python minimax_music.py --prompt "Indie folk, melancholic" --lyrics "[verse]\nStreetlights flicker" -o song.mp3
  python minimax_music.py --prompt "Upbeat pop, energetic" --auto-lyrics -o pop.mp3
  python minimax_music.py --prompt "Jazz piano, smooth, relaxing" --instrumental -o jazz.mp3

Env: MINIMAX_API_KEY (required)
"""

import os
import sys
import json
import argparse
import requests

API_KEY = os.getenv("MINIMAX_API_KEY")
# China Mainland: https://api.minimaxi.com/v1
# Overseas:       https://api.minimax.io/v1
API_BASE = os.getenv("MINIMAX_API_BASE")
if not API_BASE:
    raise SystemExit("ERROR: MINIMAX_API_BASE is not set.")


def generate_music(
    prompt: str = "",
    lyrics: str = "",
    model: str = "music-2.5+",
    is_instrumental: bool = False,
    lyrics_optimizer: bool = False,
    sample_rate: int = 44100,
    bitrate: int = 256000,
    fmt: str = "mp3",
    output_format: str = "hex",
    timeout: int = 600,
) -> dict:
    """Synchronous HTTP music generation. Returns dict with audio bytes and metadata."""
    if not API_KEY:
        raise SystemExit("ERROR: MINIMAX_API_KEY is not set.\n  export MINIMAX_API_KEY='your-key'")

View on GitHub (pinned to 60aaae52bb)

Solutions

Export the base URL for your region: `export MINIMAX_API_BASE='https://api.minimax.io/v1'` (overseas) or `'https://api.minimaxi.com/v1'` (China mainland).
Add the export to your shell profile or a sourced `.env` for persistence.
Confirm with `printenv MINIMAX_API_BASE` in the active shell before running.

Example fix

# before — base URL missing
python minimax_music.py --prompt "jazz" -o song.mp3  # SystemExit

# after
export MINIMAX_API_BASE='https://api.minimax.io/v1'
export MINIMAX_API_KEY='your-key'
python minimax_music.py --prompt "jazz" -o song.mp3

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

import os, sys

API_BASE = os.getenv("MINIMAX_API_BASE")
if not API_BASE:
    print("ERROR: set MINIMAX_API_BASE (overseas: https://api.minimax.io/v1, CN: https://api.minimaxi.com/v1)", file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(2)

Type guard

def _valid_base(url: str | None) -> bool:
    return bool(url) and url.startswith("http") and url.rstrip("/").endswith("/v1")

Prevention

Document required env vars in a `.env.example` and the script header.
Validate the base URL shape (scheme + trailing `/v1`) and pick a region default if sensible.
Source the same `.env` for image and music scripts so base URL is set once.
Use a settings loader to surface all missing vars in one consolidated error.

When it happens

Trigger: Importing or running `minimax_music.py` in an environment where `MINIMAX_API_BASE` is not exported. The guard executes during top-level module code, before `generate_music` is ever called.

Common situations: Fresh shell/container without the env set, forgetting to source the env file, or a typo in the variable name. Distinct from `MINIMAX_API_KEY` (the music script checks the key lazily inside `generate_music`).

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of MiniMax-AI/skills@60aaae52bb (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/12694a01bda888d1. Report an issue: GitHub.