More than 30 years after establishing an international alliance between the companies developing Midi products, the Midi Manufacturers Association (MMA) has launched a new initiative focused on people who use Midi to create music and art.

Called The Midi Association (TMA), the goals of the initiative are: ‘to nurture an inclusive global community for anyone who works, plays, or creates with Midi; to provide education on how to get the most out of Midi for people who already use it;  and to create new music makers by promoting the creative possibilities that come from connecting digital musical instruments and Midi controllers to smart phones, tablets and computers’.

Three MMA member companies have recently released important Midi OS support updates: Apple (Bluetooth Midi), Google (Midi in Android M, and Web Midi in Chrome) and Microsoft (Windows 10). It is anticipated that these updates will significantly expand the number of Midi-enabled products worldwide to approximately 2.6bn devices. The MMA believes that there is a growing need to educate and promote the benefits of Midi interactivity and interoperability to the millions of people who use Midi not only in their musical instruments, but also on their computers, tablets and cell phones.

As the publisher and authoritative source of Midi specifications, the MMA’s core mission of developing and promoting Midi standards will not change. The Midi Association (TMA) embraces an expanded mission – to nurture an inclusive global community of people who connect and create music and art with Midi. The revamped mobile-friendly www.midi.org website will now become the central repository of information about anything related to Midi technology, from classic legacy gear to next-gen protocols on the horizon.

Individuals who use Midi technology including musicians, artists, educators, retail salespeople, DYI/Arduino enthusiasts, DJs, game developers, sound designers and audio engineers are invited to go the TMA website and complete the free sign-up to become a member. Midi Association members have access to exclusive member-only content to learn more about Midi, share tips and tricks on the forums, watch Midi Association how-to videos and webinars and even become certified as Midi experts.

Companies that develop and promote Midi products are also encouraged to join, to establish a focal point for people who use Midi to connect with the companies that make Midi hardware and software.

TMA has established an advisory team to participate in panels dedicated to setting the association’s overall direction, developing marketing and social media initiatives, and creating funding opportunities.

‘Over 30 years after the industry came together to create Midi, it's encouraging that it's coming together again to help consumers as well as musicians take advantage of all that Midi has to offer,’ says Craig Anderton.

More: www.midi.org