Knowledge Base & FAQ for Musicians

Imagine an MP3 like a fully baked cake: It tastes great, and you can enjoy it immediately. However, you can no longer take out the eggs or the sugar afterwards.

A MIDI file, on the other hand, is the exact recipe plus all the ingredients. It is purely digital control data (like "invisible sheet music") that tells your keyboard when to play which instrument and how loud. With a MIDI file you can change everything: make the piece faster, change the key, or mute the piano to play along yourself!

A MIDI file is basically the raw "source code" of a song. A professional musician programs every single note, velocity, vibrato, and effects for all instruments in days of manual work. When you buy a MIDI file, you buy this extremely flexible, elaborate masterpiece.

An MP3 is simply the finished audio recording (the "printout") of this MIDI file. While it sounds perfect right away over phone speakers, simply saving it as an MP3 requires no additional programming effort.

When faced with these terms for the first time, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Here is the simple translation:

• GM (General MIDI): The basic language. Every keyboard in the world, no matter how cheap, understands this language.
• XG: A clever extension by Yamaha. It offers significantly more sounds and cooler effects than the old GM.
• XF: Like XG, but the MIDI file also contains the chords, which are displayed live on the keyboard screen.

Tyros, Genos, Korg (e.g. Pa4X) & Roland: These are the ultra-modern flagship keyboards from the manufacturers. The highlight at midiart: You don't have to painstakingly search for specially pre-programmed versions for your exact device! Our intelligent Revoicer automatically adapts every MIDI file to your desired instrument upon download – directly utilizing the realistic premium sounds (like Super Articulation by Yamaha) of your specific keyboard.

This is our absolute killer feature: With our Revoicer function, every MIDI file becomes a custom fit. You are not tied to your current keyboard.

• Fully Automatic: Whether you play a Korg Pa4X, a Yamaha Genos or a Roland device – the Revoicer translates the tracks automatically to the best internal sounds of your exact model during download.
• Future-Proof: If you change your keyboard later, simply download the newly adapted version again via your account.
• Upgrades: Bring older tracks up to modern standards – including XF chords and perfectly matched instrumentation.

Unique to midiart: In our browser-based MIDI Mixer, you can adjust files before you even download them!

• MIDIs & Hardware: Transpose (up to ±6 semitones), mute tracks, or change channel assignments. Brilliant: On Windows and macOS (e.g. via Chrome browser), you can use WebMIDI to directly control your USB-connected keyboard or sound module to listen to the mix live on your real hardware!
• Stem Mixes: Audio stems (primarily separated into drums, instruments, bass, and vocals) can be mixed here and saved as a finished MP3 playback.

The Highlight: MIDIs and Stems can be loaded and changed again and again. We securely archive all settings in your order history in the cloud.

MIDI files contain no actual tones, but are merely digital "sheet music". The sound generation is done by the playback device.

Standard PC sound cards are usually completely unsuitable for this and sound tinny. To experience the full, professional sound, connect your PC via USB or MIDI cable to your hardware keyboard or an external sound module. Alternatively, you can use VST plugins (virtual studio synthesizers) on your PC.

Tip: Our PC software The Player III natively supports VST plugins! If you don't have any hardware, we offer almost all titles directly as ready-mixed MP3 playbacks.

The Player III (49 €) is our professional MIDI file mixing console and editor for the PC. It is the perfect, somewhat "old-school" looking, but extremely powerful tool for musicians who want to dive deep into editing.

• Manage sound banks by device (Roland SC, Tyros 1-5, Korg PA500) incl. Easyswitch.
• Live adjustment of GM2/XG controllers (Filter, Attack, Resonance).
• Integrated Jukebox function (remote controllable via MIDI keyboard).

The Highlight for PC users: The Player III natively supports VST plugins! This allows you to create an outstanding studio sound directly on your PC using virtual software synthesizers.

Premium Tier (from 6.99 €): Offers additional optimizations (specially adapted formats e.g. for Yamaha Tyros/Genos). Lyrics are 100% available and always contain chords above the text.

Standard Tier (from 3.99 €): Our affordable basic format (GM / XG). Lyrics are 99% available, but older titles sometimes do not yet have a text file or chords.

Since we have been on the market since 1991, the karaoke track is often missing from some of our older Standard titles. However, you can see absolutely transparently in the Info box for every single title whether a text track (karaoke) is available. Alternatively, use the "Karaoke only" switch in the shop search.

For MP3s, we do not work with cheap AI tools that calculate the vocals out of original radio songs and leave disturbing frequency losses ("underwater sound"). Our MP3 playbacks are clean studio instrumentals genuinely produced by us. Additionally, we offer Gold Playbacks in which even real background choirs have been recorded.

These abbreviations identify our programmers and partner studios. PR and CL, for example, stand for in-house productions. If a song is available multiple times, you can use this to distinguish the different versions – simply listen to the respective demos to find your favorite.

If possible, pay attention to the exact spelling of titles and artists in the search bar. If there are no direct hits, our system won't let you down: Our smart AI advisor automatically jumps in and offers to analyze the entire archive to put together a tailor-made playlist for your search query.

Where can I find demos? You will find the "Demo" column in the search results list. Simply click on the play symbol (for audio) or on the order number (for MIDI) there.

1. Search for the desired title using the search bar.
2. Check the small "Buy" box next to the title.
3. Click on the Cart at the top. There you can adjust formats if necessary.
4. Proceed to checkout. You can order as a guest (PayPal Direct) or log in (Account Credit, Direct Debit).

At midiart, regular customers are rewarded. Our system automatically remembers the purchases of the last 6 weeks for registered customers. If you already bought 20 titles last week and order a single song today, you automatically get it at the discounted unit price of the 20-tier!

Don't worry. Our shop system recognizes accidental duplicate orders of the exact same title within a very short time and filters them out automatically. You do not pay twice.

If a title is not in the catalog, we will solve that for you. For a flat rate of 149 € (non-exclusive) our musicians will produce your desired song completely new. Order the item "Custom Song", send us an MP3 as a reference, and in 7–14 days the finished Premium MIDI file will be yours. For an extra 15 € we also create the MP3 playback.

Load a credit onto your customer account once. This permanently secures the cheapest volume price for all future single purchases in the shop. You don't have to constantly pay via PayPal; the amount is deducted from the credit balance. Your credit never expires.

PayPal: Select "PayPal Direct" in the shopping cart, pay as a guest and download directly (no registration with us required).

Direct Debit/Invoice: Create a customer account. This allows us to conveniently deduct amounts via SEPA. For regular customers, purchase on invoice is also possible after verification (from 25€). You can find invoices (incl. VAT) at any time in your customer account.

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