MID File Documentation

Overview

Feature Value
File Extension .mid or .midi
MIME Type audio/midi, audio/x-midi
Format Type Binary
Primary Usage Music Synthesizers / Sequencers
Standardization MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA)
Track Chunk Format MThd (Header), MTrk (Track)
Header Size 14 bytes fixed
Number of Tracks Variable
Time Division Ticks per quarter-note or SMPTE frames
Channels Up to 16 per track
Event Types Note on/off, Program Change, Control Change, etc.
Meta Events Track Name, Tempo, Time Signature, etc.
File Size Variable; typically smaller than digital audio formats
Compression Not natively supported; can be compressed with ZIP, etc.
Sequencer Specific Meta-event Allows inclusion of sequencer-specific data
Compatibility Highly compatible across various platforms
Instrumentation General MIDI (GM), GS, XG, and others
Velocity Key velocity (soft to hard play) information
Editing Can be edited with various MIDI editing software
Real-time Interaction Supports real-time performance recording and playback
Efficiency Highly efficient in data size for storing musical information