Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms: MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
a standard way for communicating information about music between different electronic devices, such as computers and sound synthesizers.
MIDI comprises two things: an electrical connection between musical instruments and computers, and a file format for representing musical sounds. MIDI files are more like musical scores than digitized audio; they represent notes and instrumentation, not sound waves, and the computer must "play" them like a musician. Thus, MIDI files are much more compact than wave files.
