How to send MIDI over a network on a Mac
Use the MIDI network driver that ships with macOS. In Audio MIDI Setup, choose Window, Show MIDI Studio, click Configure Network Driver, add a session under My Sessions and turn on Enabled. Connect the other computer to the session, and MIDI travels between the two over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, with no MIDI interface and no MIDI cable.
The steps are from Apple's Audio MIDI Setup guide. The note on Windows comes from the page of rtpMIDI, the driver that gives a PC the same feature.
On this page: 9 sections
Steps
- Open Audio MIDI Setup and choose Window, Show MIDI Studio.
- Click the Configure Network Driver button in the toolbar.
- Click the Add button below My Sessions, and choose the session type if you are asked.
- Turn on Enabled, then select the other computer and click Connect.
Create a session
- You: In MIDI Studio, click Configure Network Driver. In the MIDI Network Setup window, click the Add button below My Sessions. Apple's current guide has you pick a type here, Network MIDI 2.0 or RTP. Then turn on Enabled.
- The Mac: Publishes the session on the network under your Mac's network name.
- Check: The session is listed under My Sessions and its Enabled switch is on.
Under Session Details you can change the Local Name, the Port and the Network Name. A session is what the other computer connects to, so nothing travels until one is enabled. Apple's page is Share MIDI information over a network.
InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.
Connect the other computer
- On the same network. Start the session by clicking Connect. Computers that are taking part appear under Connected Peers.
- Not on your local network. Below Sessions and Directories, click the Add button and enter the remote computer's name, host and port.
- Decide who may join. The pop-up menu under Who may connect to me sets which computers can connect, down to No one.
Once a computer is listed under Connected Peers, the two are joined.
Reach a Windows PC, an iPhone or an iPad
On a Windows PC the usual way in is rtpMIDI. Its page describes a network MIDI driver for Windows that is compatible with the network MIDI in the Mac and in iOS, with a setup window made to resemble the Mac's. That page also says iPhone and iPad apps built on Core MIDI can connect the same way. Choose an RTP session on the Mac when the other end is a PC running rtpMIDI.
Use the session in a music app
An enabled session shows up to apps as one more MIDI port. Turn it on as an input in the receiving computer's music app, and choose it as the output where the notes come from. Apple's guide also describes live routings: click Live routings under Session Details, then choose the devices to share MIDI with, which passes a hardware keyboard straight into the session. To an app, a network session is a MIDI port like any other.
Prefer a cable when timing matters
MIDI over Ethernet arrives more evenly than MIDI over Wi-Fi, because a busy wireless network delivers data in bursts. For recording a performance, plug both computers into the same router or switch. For sending a program change or starting a transport, Wi-Fi is fine. Use Wi-Fi for commands and Ethernet for playing.
Know when you do not need it
- Two apps on one Mac. Use an IAC Driver bus. Virtual MIDI port on a Mac has the steps.
- A keyboard with no cable. Use Bluetooth MIDI. Bluetooth MIDI on a Mac pairs one.
- A game controller as the instrument. InputConfig, the free Mac app I make, sends notes and Control Change through its own port on the Mac it runs on.
A network session is for MIDI that has to leave the computer.
The short version
- Where. Audio MIDI Setup, Window, Show MIDI Studio, Configure Network Driver.
- What to do. Add a session, turn on Enabled, connect the other computer.
- Windows. Install rtpMIDI on the PC and use an RTP session.
The Mac's side needs no download.
Questions
Can a Mac send MIDI over Wi-Fi?
Yes. The MIDI network driver in Audio MIDI Setup sends MIDI over any network the Mac is on, Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Create a session, enable it, and connect the other computer.
Does a Mac have rtpMIDI built in?
The Mac has its own network MIDI driver, with RTP sessions. rtpMIDI is a separate driver for Windows, made to be compatible with the Mac's.
How do I send MIDI from a Mac to a PC over a network?
Install rtpMIDI on the PC, create an RTP session on the Mac in Audio MIDI Setup's MIDI Network Setup window, enable it, and connect the two.
Where is Configure Network Driver on a Mac?
In Audio MIDI Setup, choose Window, Show MIDI Studio. Configure Network Driver is a button in the MIDI Studio window's toolbar.
Is network MIDI as fast as a cable?
Over Ethernet it is usually steady enough to play through. Wi-Fi delivers data less evenly, so use it for commands such as program changes and transport, not for recording a performance.
Related
Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.
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