How to Record and Save a MIDI File with MIDI Recorder

MIDI Recorder (midi-recorder.web.app) records what you play on a connected MIDI keyboard and lets you export it as a MIDI file. You need three things: a MIDI keyboard or controller, a browser with Web MIDI access (the page points to Chrome, or the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension for other browsers), and JavaScript enabled. If any of those are missing, the app can't capture notes.

Before You Start

Step-by-Step: Record and Save

1. Connect your MIDI keyboard

Plug the keyboard into your computer and turn it on. The app's Input section shows a MIDI devices list; when the device is recognized, it appears there instead of the "No MIDI devices detected" message.

2. Confirm the device is detected

Look at the MIDI devices list. If your keyboard shows up, you're ready. If it doesn't, see the troubleshooting section below before playing.

3. Play to record

The page's instruction is simply: "Plug in a MIDI keyboard and play away!" Notes you play are captured as you perform. There is a Stop control to end capture, and a Demo option if you want to see the app in action first.

4. Export your recording

Use Export → Save MIDI File to download what you recorded as a MIDI file. If nothing was captured, the export area shows "No notes recorded," which means there is nothing to save yet.

5. Manage takes if needed

• Clear removes the current recording.
• Undo steps back.
• Recover Recordings restores earlier takes; if there is nothing to restore, it reports "No more recordings to recover."

If Nothing Gets Recorded

Work through these checks in order — they match the guidance shown in the app:

1. Device not showing up? Make sure it's plugged into your computer and turned on.
2. Refresh the page. A fresh load often re-detects the device.
3. Unplug and plug it back in. This re-establishes the MIDI connection.
4. Restart your computer if the device still doesn't appear.
5. Check browser support. If you see "This browser doesn't support MIDI access," switch to Chrome or install the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension for your browser.
6. Check for a MIDI access error. A "Failed to get MIDI access" message means the browser blocked or couldn't grant MIDI permission — revisit the browser/extension step.

If the device is detected and you play, but Export still says "No notes recorded," confirm you actually entered recording (not just monitoring) and that you pressed Stop before exporting.

Quick Reference

The whole workflow is: connect → confirm detection → play → stop → export. Most failures trace back to the device not being detected or the browser lacking MIDI access, so resolve those two first.