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The MIDI Association is the global non-profit 501(c)6 trade organization that connects the companies who develop MIDI products and new MIDI specifications with all the people around the world that create music and art with MIDI. 

What WE Do

Our goal is to expand, promote, and protect MIDI technology for the benefit of artists and musicians around the world. The MIDI Association now has over 40,000 individuals who create music and art with MIDI who have registered for our MIDI Messages newsletters.  

In April 2020, the United States Library of Congress selected MIDI.org for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the Professional Organizations for Performing Arts Web Archive. The www.MIDI.org website is the central repository of information about all aspects of MIDI technology, from classic legacy gear to the next- gen protocols on the horizon. 

INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE MEMBERSHIPS

The MIDI Association has two types of members; Corporate and Individual.

Corporate membership is open to any commercial entity that designs, develops, or produces products that use MIDI technology. This includes platform/OS developers like Apple, Google and Microsoft, and musical instrument and software companies (such as Ableton, Make Music, Mark Of The Unicorn, Native Instruments, Nektar, Roland, Roli, Steinberg, Yamaha, etc.). 

Individual membership in the MIDI Association is free to musicians, artists, educators, retail salespeople, DIY/Arduino enthusiasts, DJs, game developers, and sound designers. MIDI Association individual members can download the adopted MIDI specifications, receive the MIDI Message newsletter, access MIDI Association tutorials and webinars and enjoy all the benefits of The MIDI Association, other than those that are exclusive to corporate members.

MANUFACTURER SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE IDS

The MIDI Association issues Manufacturer System Exclusive IDs to MIDI hardware and software producers world-wide (except Japan).

These MIDI ID numbers allow developers to uniquely identify their products and provide a means for communicating product-specific information via MIDI protocol (using SysEx messages). The MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification describes the format of SysEx messages, as well as all other MIDI messages that a developer may need to know to maintain industry compatibility.

MIDI 2.0 SPECIFICATION DEVELOPMENT

The MIDI Association is the official source of MIDI technology specifications. Compliance with MIDI Association Specifications and Recommended Practices enables thousands of products from hundreds of companies to interoperate. Companies wishing to take part in the development of new MIDI Specifications must be Corporate Members of the MIDI Association and abide by our confidentiality and IP policies. All Regular Members receive early access to new Specifications, can contribute to them, and can vote in MIDI Association corporate member elections.

Current Major Projects (2024):

  • Major Updates to all of the core MIDI 2.0 specifications
  • Piano, Orchestral Articulation, MPE, Pitch and Tuning, Draw Bar Organ and other MIDI-CI Profile Specifications
  • Standard MIDI 2.0 File MIDI Container File (SMF2)Specification
  • UMP over Ethernet and WiFi Transport Specification
  • Multiple Property Exchange Specifications
  • USB-MIDI 2.0 Updates
  • MIDI 2.0 over other transports

Partners

You’re in good company. The MIDI Association represents over 100 companies that make and promote MIDI products.

MIDI Innovation Awards

In 2023, MIDI celebrated its 40th birthday. The universal language of synths, controllers, and electronic instruments, MIDI 1.0 revolutionised music in the 1980s. Now, MIDI 2.0 is poised to unleash a second revolution. Massively extended and reimagined for the computer age, yet fully backwards compatible, MIDI 2.0 opens up endless possibilities for creative developers. 

A joint initiative created by Music Hackspace, The MIDI Association, and NAMM, The MIDI Innovation Awards are now in their third year. The Awards showcase products and projects that are using MIDI 1.0 and 2.0 in fresh and original ways, highlighting the role that MIDI technology has to play in enabling musical creativity.

Leadership

MIDI Association Executive Board

Athan Billias (MIDI2Marketing)
Pete Brown (Microsoft) – Executive Board Chair
Tim Carroll (Focusrite)-President
Mike Kent (Amenote) – Secretary
Lawrence Levine (8EO)
Paul McCabe (Roland)
Brett Porter (Artiphon)
Lee Whitmore (Focusrite) – Treasurer
Yitian Zhao (CME)

MIDI Association Technical Standards Board

Florian Bomers (Bome Software) – Transport WG Chair
Rick Cohen (Antares) – TSB chair
Franz Detro (Native Instruments)
Chris Grigg (Chris Grigg Designs)
Andrew Mee(Yamaha) – Developer WG Chair
Dave Starkey (MIDI9) – Piano Profile WG Chair
Joe Zhang (Medeli)