.MID File Format – Meta events

Types

Numbers in meta events are big-endian. When an event has a fixed length and the file gives a different one, the explorer shows its bytes without decoding them.

Sequence number (00)

A 16-bit number that identifies the sequence: in a type 2 file, the pattern; in other types, the song. It must come first in its track, at time 0. With a length of 0 and no data, the number is the track’s place in the file.

Text (01)

Any text: comments, notes about the song, or anything else. Types 0A to 0F are reserved for further kinds of text and are read as text too.

The specification does not fix an encoding. Most files are ASCII; Windows-1252 and, in Japanese files, Shift JIS are also common, though the files examined for this site were all ASCII. The explorer shows text as Windows-1252. Many writers end text with a zero byte, as C strings do; readers drop it. RP-026 later defined a way to state the language and encoding of text; its details were not checked for this page.

Karaoke files (.kar) put the words of the song in Text events, usually in a track named “Words”. Texts that start with @ carry information: @KMIDI KARAOKE FILE, @V a version, @I information, @L the language and @T title lines. Within the words, \ starts a paragraph and / a new line. This is a convention, not part of the specification; see the MIDI karaoke file. From a real file, in a track named “Words” after one named “Soft karaoke”:

00 FF 01 13 40 4B 4D 49 44 49 20 4B 41 52 41 4F 4B 45 20 46 49 4C 45

Delta 0, Text, 19 bytes: @KMIDI KARAOKE FILE.

Copyright notice (02)

A copyright notice, such as “(C) 2000 Name”. It belongs in the first track, at time 0.

Sequence or track name (03)

The name of the track. In a type 0 file, or the first track of a type 1 file, it names the whole song. From the start of a real file’s first track:

00 FF 03 1B 5A 6F 6D 62 69 65 …

Delta 0, Track name, 27 bytes: Zombie Nation-Kernkraft 400.

Instrument name (04)

The instrument meant to play the track, as text, such as “Piano”. It does not choose the sound; a program change does.

Lyric (05)

One syllable or word of the lyrics, at the time it is sung. Karaoke files more often use Text events for the words.

Marker (06)

The name of a point in the song, such as a rehearsal letter or “Verse”. It belongs in the first track of a type 1 file.

Cue point (07)

A description of something that happens on stage, on screen or in the film at this point.

Program name (08)

Added by RP-019 in 1998. The name of the program chosen by the bank select and program change that follow.

Device name (09)

Added by RP-019 in 1998. The name of the device, or port, the track plays on.

MIDI channel prefix (20)

One byte, a channel 0 to 15. The meta and system exclusive events that follow, up to the next channel message, belong to that channel.

MIDI port (21)

One byte, the output port the track plays on. It is not in the specification, but many sequencers write it, and it is common in the files examined for this site. Some sources call it obsolete, in favour of the Device name event; that was not checked.

End of track (2F)

FF 2F 00, with no data. It is required as the last event of every track; see End of track on the tracks page.

Set tempo (51)

Three bytes, a 24-bit big-endian number: microseconds per quarter note, from this point on. Beats a minute = 60,000,000 ÷ tempo. Until the first one the tempo is 500,000, 120 beats a minute. In a type 1 file tempo events belong in the first track.

00 FF 51 03 0D 14 37

From a real file: 0D 14 37 is 857,143 µs a quarter note, 70 beats a minute. How ticks become seconds is shown under Timing.

SMPTE offset (54)

Five bytes, the SMPTE time at which the track starts. It belongs at the start of the track, before any event with a delta time above 0.

00 FF 54 05 60 00 03 00 00

From a real file, at time 0 in the first track. The hour byte, 60, only makes sense in MIDI Time Code’s encoding, where bits 5 and 6 give the frame rate (0 = 24, 1 = 25, 2 = 29.97 drop-frame, 3 = 30) and bits 0 to 4 the hours: here 30 frames a second, 0 hours, 0 minutes, 3 seconds and 0 frames. The explorer reads it that way. Whether the specification says the hour byte carries the frame rate is unconfirmed.

Time signature (58)

00 FF 58 04 04 02 18 08

From a real file: 4/4, a click every 24 clocks (every quarter note), 8 thirty-second notes to a quarter note. 6/8 with a click on every dotted quarter would be 06 03 24 08.

Key signature (59)

00 FF 59 02 00 00

From a real file: C major.

Sequencer specific (7F)

Data for one maker’s software: a manufacturer ID, one byte or 00 and two more, as in system exclusive messages, then that maker’s own bytes. Other readers skip it.

Unknown types

A reader must ignore a meta event whose type it does not know, using the length to skip it. This is what lets new types, such as 08 and 09, be added without breaking older readers. The explorer shows unknown types with their bytes.