Musical Instrument Digital Interface (.midi)
.midi file signature | audio/midi
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a technical standard for representing musical performance data, originally developed by representatives of the music industry and maintained through the MIDI Association. It is used in music production, electronic instruments, sequencers, notation software, and playback systems to store events such as notes, tempo, and control changes rather than recorded audio. MIDI files are generally safe and compact, though playback depends on device or software sound sources; the format is long-standing and widely supported.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
4D 54 68 64
Sources: Apache Tika, Wikipedia, Gary Kessler
Extension
.midi
MIME Type
audio/midi
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .midi files in Python
def is_midi(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid MIDI by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x4D, 0x54, 0x68, 0x64])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(4) == signatureHow to validate .midi files in Node.js
function isMIDI(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x4D, 0x54, 0x68, 0x64]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 4).equals(signature);
}How to validate .midi files in Go
func IsMIDI(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x4D, 0x54, 0x68, 0x64}
if len(data) < 4 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:4], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/midi
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/midi
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .midi file?
A .midi file is a Musical Instrument Digital Interface file. Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is a technical standard for representing musical performance data, originally developed by representatives of the music industry and maintained through the MIDI Association. It is used in music production, electronic instruments, sequencers, notation software, and playback systems to store events such as notes, tempo, and control changes rather than recorded audio. MIDI files are generally safe and compact, though playback depends on device or software sound sources; the format is long-standing and widely supported.
What are the magic bytes for .midi files?
The magic bytes for Musical Instrument Digital Interface files are 4D 54 68 64 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .midi file?
To validate a .midi file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (4D 54 68 64) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .midi files?
The primary MIME type for .midi files is audio/midi.
Is it safe to open .midi files?
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (.midi) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.