MIDI.audio

MACOS · VST3 · AUDIO UNIT · STANDALONE

From download
to your first take.

Install MIDI.audio on an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 13 or later. The free beta includes VST3, Audio Unit and a standalone app. An internet connection is required for rendering.

Install the Mac beta.

This release is ad-hoc signed, without Developer ID signing or Apple notarization. macOS may block it. Check the version and SHA-256 checksum on the official installer details page before approving the package.

  1. Download the Mac installer. This build does not support Intel Macs, Windows or Linux.
  2. If macOS blocks the downloaded package, open Terminal and run the command below. It removes the quarantine flag from this specific installer. If you moved or renamed the file, use its actual path.
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ~/Downloads/midi-audio-macos-arm64.pkg
  1. Open the .pkg, review the rendering and training terms, and follow the installer. If still blocked, first attempt to open it, then use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
  2. Restart your DAW and rescan plugins if necessary. Load MIDI.audio, import a MIDI phrase, choose an instrument and press Render.

The app installs in Applications. Plugins install in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 and /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components. No Python, Docker, GPU driver or model download is required.

Bring MIDI in from your DAW.

REAPER VST3 supports direct track reading. Other hosts use exported MIDI files; selecting a clip in the DAW does not automatically share it with the plugin.

REAPER · VST3

Select one MIDI track and set a time selection for the phrase you want. Press Render to read its active MIDI items. Without a time selection, the reader uses the items’ full span. Multiple tracks, empty ranges and audio-only selections are not supported. REAPER AU uses MIDI file import.

Ableton Live · VST3

Select a MIDI clip, use Export MIDI Clip, then use Import MIDI in MIDI.audio. For multiple clips, consolidate a copy first. Check tempo and controllers in the exported file; a clip file is not the complete arrangement.

Ableton’s MIDI file guide ↗

Logic Pro · Audio Unit

Select the MIDI regions, then use File → Export → Selection as MIDI File. Load the MIDI.audio AU and import that file. For a shorter range, split copies at the boundaries first. Selecting only the track is insufficient.

Logic’s MIDI export guide ↗

FL Studio, Cubase & Studio One

Export the intended part as a standard MIDI file and import it into the VST3. Check which tracks and tempo information your export includes. The optional DAW setup helpers assist this handoff; they do not provide automatic selected-track reading.

Testing status: Direct selected-track rendering is verified in REAPER VST3. Ableton testing has been reported by the product team. Logic, FL Studio, Cubase and Studio One workflows are documented but have not completed host-specific validation. The standalone app is also available.

If something gets in the way.

The plugin does not appear.

Restart your DAW after installation, check its plugin scan settings, and choose the matching format: AU for Logic or VST3 for a VST3 host. Confirm you are using an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 13 or later.

The DAW still shows an older version.

Close and reopen the DAW after installing an update. Replacing plugin files does not update an instance already loaded into a running session.

A selected clip is not being read.

Direct selected-track access is available only in REAPER VST3. In another host, export a MIDI file and choose Import MIDI in the plugin.

I need help with a render or installation.

Report an issue on GitHub with your macOS version, DAW, plugin format and the steps that led to the problem. Avoid posting private music, account credentials or private render metadata.