(registered 2024-03-18, last updated 2024-03-18)

Media type name: audio

Media subtype name: midi-clip

Required parameters: N/A

Optional parameters: N/A

Encoding considerations: binary

Security considerations: Many musical compositions have associated intellectual property rights. It is conceivable that the rights owners of midi-clip content will want to protect their rights by applying security mechanisms that prohibit the rendering of the content without a legally acquired license to do so. These mechanisms would be applied externally to the Content-Type defined here; midi-clip content itself is not encrypted internally. midi-clip streams do not contain executable content. midi-clip players are robust against corrupted midi-clip content, because midi-clip players ignore unidentified content.

Interoperability considerations: MIDI Clip File is a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) specification developed by MMA and AMEI, based on the MIDI 2.0 specification, which standardizes a protocol for the electronic transmission of music performance data between a transmitter and receiver. Data is exchanged using Universal MIDI Packet (UMP) format defined in MIDI 2.0. This UMP data is stored in MIDI Clip Files.

The MIDI Clip File format provides a common interchange file format for MIDI content, enabling storage and communication of content between music applications. MIDI Clip Files have encoded information used by the playback application to determine how to properly send the payload data of UMP formatted MIDI Messages to destination devices.

MMA and AMEI have previously defined Standard MIDI File formats, Type 0, 1, and 2, for interchange of MIDI 1.0 data. The MIDI Clip File format is an additional standard, with a different data format, designed to support both legacy MIDI 1.0 data and the newer MIDI 2.0 data. Thus, a separate MIME definition is needed to distinguish MIDI Clip Files from the previously defined Type 0, 1, and 2 file formats.

Published specification: M2-116-U MIDI Clip File Specification version 1.0 June 15, 2023

Specification is available from: https://midi.org/

Applications which use this media: Software applications and hardware devices designed for the creation and playback of music.

Fragment identifier considerations: None

Restrictions on usage: None

Additional information:

1. Deprecated alias names for this type: None
2. Magic number(s): Bytes (1-8): \0x53\0x4D\0x46\0x32\0x43\0x4C\0x49\0x50
3. File extension(s): midi2
4. Uniform Type Identifier: The identifier for this type is public.midi-audio. This type conforms to UTTypeAudio.

Person to contact for further information:

1. Name: Benjamin Israel
2. Email: info&midi.org

Intended usage: COMMON

Author/Change controller: The MIDI Association
https://midi.org