A MIDI file is a small digital file that stores instructions for how music should be played, not actual recorded sound. It’s often described as digital sheet music that devices like keyboards, computers, and synths can read and turn into audio.

Basic idea

  • MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, a standard created so electronic instruments and computers can communicate musical performance data.
  • A MIDI file (commonly with the .mid extension) contains data like which notes to play, when to play them, how long to hold them, and how loud they should be.
  • Because it stores instructions instead of audio, the same MIDI file can sound like a piano, a guitar, or even a full orchestra depending on the sound source playing it.

How it differs from audio

  • Audio formats like MP3 or WAV are recordings of sound waves; they’re like a finished recording of someone playing.
  • A MIDI file is more like a score: the device reading it decides which sounds to use and how they will actually be rendered.
  • MIDI files are usually tiny in size and very easy to edit, making them popular in music production, games, and educational tools.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.