New Organization Expands Music Industry Reach

There are millions of new potential customers for music products, and a brand new association has them squarely in their sights. 

More than 30 years after establishing an international alliance of companies who develop MIDI products, the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) has launched a new initiative focused on people who use MIDI to create music and art. The new organization is called The MIDI Association (TMA). The goals of The MIDI Association 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.
– 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. 

This year, three MMA member companies released important MIDI OS support updates: Apple (Bluetooth MIDI), Google (MIDI in Android M, and Web MIDI in Chrome) and Microsoft (Windows 10). These combined updates will significantly expand the number of MIDI-enabled products worldwide to approximately 2.6 billion devices. There is a growing need to educate and promote the benefits of MIDI interactivity and interoperability to the millions of people who useMIDI 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 encouraged to go the www.MIDI.org website and sign up for free to become a member of the global MIDI community. 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 who develop and promote MIDI products are also encouraged to join, as MIDI.org will be the focal point for people who use MIDI to connect with the companies that make MIDI hardware and software.