How to get MIDI files to play

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xenopeek
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How to get MIDI files to play

Post by xenopeek »

As this has come up as a question somewhat frequently the last week I'm making a note of it here.

If you have a MIDI file you'll find by default you can't play it with anything on Linux Mint 17.x. There are two easy solutions.

1. If you are using Cinnamon, MATE, or Xfce you can just install the package fluid-soundfont-gm from Software Manager. It's a big download (110 MB or so). It installs a soundfont so that the MIDI software synthesizer has audio samples it needs to make music. Now you can just double-click a MIDI file in your file manager and it will play in Videos (totem).

Because KDE doesn't come with Videos (totem), this doesn't work in KDE.

2. You can also install the package vlc-plugin-fluidsynth from Software Manager. This will add the ability to play MIDI files to VLC.
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all41
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Re: How to get MIDI files to play

Post by all41 »

+1
Thank you for posting this.
I used to use timidity, but haven't even thought about my midis for a while.
This works a+ with vlc for me now I am enjoying my collection of midis
Everything in life was difficult before it became easy.
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xenopeek
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Re: How to get MIDI files to play

Post by xenopeek »

For Xplayer on Linux Mint 18 and above you need gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad and fluid-soundfont-gm to be able to play Midi files with it. You can install them in one go with the command:
apt update && apt install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad fluid-soundfont-gm
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Skalman
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Re: How to get MIDI files to play

Post by Skalman »

Same problem.The hint above solved it
Thank You!!!! :D
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kc1di
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Re: How to get MIDI files to play

Post by kc1di »

Thank you for the tip xenopeek :)
Easy tips : https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/ Pjotr's Great Linux projects page.
Linux Mint Installation Guide: http://linuxmint-installation-guide.rea ... en/latest/
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Flemur
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Re: How to get MIDI files to play

Post by Flemur »

I play midi files in foobar (/wine).
Edit: to make them sound good - well, better, put this sound-font file somewhere
http://www.ntonyx.com/soft/32MbGMStereo.sf2
and point to it: File->Preferences...
foobar-midi.jpg

Code: Select all

apt update && apt install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad fluid-soundfont-gm
...
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  fluid-soundfont-gm gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad-faad
  gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad-videoparsers libde265-0 libgstreamer-plugins-bad1.0-0 libgtkglext1 libmimic0
  libmjpegutils-2.1-0 libmms0 libmpeg2encpp-2.1-0 libmplex2-2.1-0 libofa0 libopencv-calib3d2.4v5
  libopencv-contrib2.4v5 libopencv-features2d2.4v5 libopencv-flann2.4v5 libopencv-highgui2.4v5
  libopencv-legacy2.4v5 libopencv-ml2.4v5 libopencv-objdetect2.4v5 libopencv-video2.4v5 libspandsp2 libsrtp0
  libvo-aacenc0 libvo-amrwbenc0 libwildmidi-config libwildmidi1 libzbar0
0 upgraded, 29 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
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After this operation, 165 MB of additional disk space will be used.
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Of course "abort". 123 MB of downloads and 165 Meg of disk space to play midi files is ludicrous.
Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] if/when it is solved!
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