Network MIDI 2.0: MIDI over Ethernet – What Are the Benefits?
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Network MIDI 2.0 is a new standard that defines how MIDI devices can communicate over Ethernet and WiFi. What are the advantages for musicians and producers?
Network MIDI 2.0
NAMM 2025 is officially over, and as always, the new synths, guitars, and studio gear got the most attention. But NAMM is also a great place to catch up on some of the “background stories” from the music business that are no less important for us musicians. This year, the MIDI Association once again showcased the latest developments in the world of MIDI.
At NAMM 2025, the Association officially launched the new Network MIDI 2.0 (UDP) standard, which was ratified in November 2024. Network MIDI 2.0 specifies how MIDI devices (MIDI 1.0 and 2.0) can communicate over standard data networks. The standard covers both wired Ethernet networks and WiFi.
Does this mean that we’ll soon connect all our MIDI gear using Ethernet cables? Or even wirelessly? In a typical studio setting, the answer is probably no. But Network MIDI 2.0 does have some features that could have an impact on how MIDI is used in larger studio complexes, big live setups, and similar cases.
The biggest advantage: Ethernet cables can carry MIDI data over long distances of up to 100 meters with an incredibly low latency of under 1 ms. With a clear line of sight, a wireless network can achieve a range of 45 meters and around 5 ms of latency, the MIDI Association says.
Network MIDI 2.0 doesn’t require any special network infrastructure. Components such as cables (Cat5 / Cat6), routers, and switches are readily available, cost-effective, and may even already be in place. Using a network switch, MIDI data can be transmitted from device to device without routing the signal through a computer.
The standard also includes session management for precise management of the data flow. You can specify in detail which devices can send which data where, and no cables have to be physically unplugged to change these configurations. A single network cable can carry multiple independent streams of MIDI data. Security mechanisms prevent unauthorized access.
While I don’t think Network MIDI 2.0 will see a lot of use in typical home studios, I think there are clear advantages for larger, more complex setups where speed, simplicity, and security are key. According to the MIDI Association, the first products that officially support the new standard have already been released.
More about Network MIDI 2.0
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7 responses to “Network MIDI 2.0: MIDI over Ethernet – What Are the Benefits?”
MIDI 2.0, if nothing else, is a nod to the future of hardware, in a world about to be turned upside down by AI. The idea of a WiFi connected drum machine, synth, sampler, connected for MIDI and audio, with a WiFi mixer or DAW, kind of appeals to me. Really useful live as well, if you could transmit MIDI and audio via WiFi, while receiving MIDI via WiFi that pulls up all the patches for the next tune etc. If there was a kind of Overbridge standard for MIDI 1/2 and audio over WiFi, maybe we could sit in a living room and jam together with headphones on, but with no wires. How much tidier would that be? A little Wifi mixer on the coffee table attaches each device as you power it on and assigns it a MIDI and audio channel. Maybe there’d be a portable version that you could attach to old MIDI synths? A lot of possibilities.
Agreed. This future is in the making for how many years now, but these guys are just like the W3C: They are so slow and out of touch and so bad at advocating, that people will produce and still buy new devices with legacy connections. Menwhile I can buy the cheapest crap on Amazon, which has more sensors, BT, WiFi and a touchscreen with high resolution, but a new synth or drum machine does not need all that jazz, because “creative limitations hurrdurr”. I don’t know, I’m an IT guy, but first and foremost a musician and I like tinkering with stuff. But when I want to make music, I don’t want to tinker with “MIDI latency / where the hell does the ground noise come from??? / oh damn, I need another MIDI hub for HOW MUCH? / Audio over USB is possible? Cool… 1 out of 10 synth supports this, so it’s back to finding the next audio interface or mixer to troubleshoot and lay some more cables, etc).
Sorry the saltyness, but by now “ITB-musicians” (whatever that means) should be the ones laughing at all these tinkerers living in their materialistic world. Real musicians, defining their craft and art by the amount of plastic boxes.
Further to the idea of MIDI and audio over WiFi, imagine a modular synth with 10 WiFi audio outputs that you can mix from the output of any module. Or a drum machine, groovebox or workstation that sends 16 separate stereo audio channels to a WiFi mixer that has EQ and sidechaining. Imagine 5 people on synths and drum machines all synced to the same MIDI clk no matter what patch they select, and all playing through a WiFi mixer that has 5 pairs of bluetooth headphones attached, FX for each channel, and records everything (including all the MIDI) to a file on a card that you can load into Ableton or Cubase later when the spliff has worn off a bit. 😁
And what are the latency rates (both digital audio and midi) for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 ?_?
Is it just me or am I the only one not getting, why manufacturers don’t just use BT 5.2 or just USB in their devices, instead of keeping on implementing DIN5 Midi for some obscure legacy reasons (it’s not like you can’t buy adapters, Midi-to-USB-boxes or the like). In this case: Why not just build in a single purpose WiFi module into the synth, which can only send and receive the WiFi key and MIDI data (and OTA updates maybe… stuff that the cheapest tech has..idk?!) And now I need a MIDI translation box between by switch and the synth. A solution to a problem which should not exist in the first place. Seems more like patchwork, than first principle thinking at this point.
wifi has limitations (latency, interferences, hackable…), it’s not suitable for stage.
the only downside is that many laptop manufacturers have dropped ethernet port for a wifi only connection on their smaller models.
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