GENERAL TOPICS

What does MIME Type mean, and what is the

relation to MIDI files on the web?

MIME

Multipart Internet Mail Extension defines the files "type" on the Web. The mime-type is written as two strings separated by a slash, for example, text/plain, text/html, audio/midi. In Windows the files type is defined by the extension, such as .mid, .exe, .html.

It is IMPORTANT to note that the MIME type is defined by your ISP's Server, and it is the responsibility of the Webmaster to configure the correct mime-types. When a document is fetched with the HyperText Transfer Protocol, the Server adds a "header" containing the mime-type to each file.

NOTE: If web space is provided by your ISP together with your e-mail, it is quite possible that you will have Basic web space that supports only html and images, and no other MIME types will be supported. MIME type is essential for all Netscape browsers, so without this, you may never be able to embed MIDI files.  Internet Explorer from versions 5.5 WILL try to find a player that will handle .mid extensions even though the MIME type is missing.

If you pay for web space, then read on.

Most servers now add an acceptable header to midi files. The most common being "audio/midi".
If you have checked all the coding on your page and the MIDI file does not play when you test it on the web, it is probable that the MIME type is not configured on your Server.  You can confirm the MIME-type being sent with your MIDI file by viewing the page souce while on line.
Click on the MIDI file name and if the mime type is "text/plain" then that is proof that the Server is not configured.  Contact your Webmaster and request that the following MIME type is added.
 
MIME type = audio/midi or audio/x-midi
action = binary
suffix = .mid
type = midi
 
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