How to play a MIDI file on a Mac
Drag the .mid file into GarageBand. It lands on software instrument tracks, one for each part, and plays when you press the Space bar. For a quick listen with nothing to install, open the file in a browser MIDI player, which also shows what is inside it. QuickTime Player does not open MIDI files.
The GarageBand steps are Apple's. The browser player is one of the free tools on this site, which I run alongside InputConfig, my Mac app for controllers and MIDI devices.
On this page: 8 sections
Steps
- Open GarageBand and create or open a project.
- Drag the MIDI file from the Finder to the empty area below the tracks.
- Press the Space bar to play.
- To change a part's sound, select its track and choose an instrument in the Library.
Play it in GarageBand
- You: Drag the MIDI file from the Finder to a software instrument track, or to the empty area below the existing tracks.
- GarageBand: Puts the file on one or more software instrument tracks.
- Check: Press the Space bar and the song plays.
Each track's sound can be changed in the Library, so a part written for piano can be played by strings. GarageBand supplies the instruments, which is the part a MIDI file leaves out. Apple's page is Import audio and MIDI files.
InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.
Play it in a browser
- You: Open the MIDI file viewer and player, choose the file or drop it on the page, and press Play.
- The page: Plays every note with a plain built-in tone and simple drum sounds, and shows the tracks, the tempo, a piano roll and every event as text.
- Check: A line moves across the piano roll as the file plays.
The file is read on your own computer and is not uploaded. The browser player is for checking what a file is, and GarageBand is for hearing it properly.
Know why a double click may do nothing
A MIDI file holds no sound. It is a list of notes and timings, and something has to supply the instruments. QuickTime Player plays recordings, not instructions, and it does not open MIDI files: I tested one on macOS 27, and the framework QuickTime Player is built on reported that it could not open the file. A MIDI file needs an app with instruments in it, not a media player. The General MIDI instrument list shows the sounds a file can ask for.
Turn a MIDI file into an MP3
- Import the MIDI file into GarageBand and choose the instruments you want.
- Choose Share, Export Song to Disk.
- Select MP3 as the format. AAC, AIFF and WAVE are the other choices.
- Choose a quality, then click Export.
The MP3 is a recording of GarageBand playing the file, so choose the sounds before you export. Apple's page is Export songs to disk or iCloud.
Know what kind of file you have
- .mid and .midi. A Standard MIDI File. The two endings mean the same thing.
- .kar. A MIDI file with song lyrics in it, made for karaoke players.
- .rmi. A MIDI file inside a wrapper, from older Windows software.
The MIDI file viewer opens all three and lists the tracks, the tempo and the lyrics. To move a song to another key or slow it down for practice, the MIDI transposer saves a changed copy. If the viewer shows notes, the file is fine and only needs an instrument.
The short version
- To hear it properly. Drag it into GarageBand and press the Space bar.
- To check it quickly. Open it in the browser player.
- To share it as audio. GarageBand, Share, Export Song to Disk, MP3.
GarageBand is free from Apple, and it is the closest thing a Mac has to a MIDI player.
Questions
How do I open a .mid file on a Mac?
Drag it into a GarageBand project, onto a software instrument track or the empty area below the tracks. Or open it in a browser MIDI player to hear and inspect it.
Can QuickTime Player play MIDI files?
No. QuickTime Player plays audio and video recordings. A MIDI file holds notes, not sound, and QuickTime Player does not open it.
Does a Mac have a built-in MIDI player?
There is no app only for playing MIDI files. GarageBand, which is free from Apple, plays them with real instrument sounds.
How do I convert MIDI to MP3 on a Mac?
Import the MIDI file into GarageBand, choose Share, Export Song to Disk, select MP3 and click Export.
Why does my MIDI file sound different from the song?
The file holds the notes, and each player chooses the sounds. Change the instrument on each track in GarageBand's Library to get closer to the original.
Can I play a MIDI file online?
Yes. The MIDI file viewer and player on this site plays a file in the browser with a plain tone, without uploading it.
Related
Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.
Updated