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xiaoduolu/midra

13PythonAudience · generalComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

A Python tool that converts a text prompt describing music into an editable MIDI file, using an AI model to plan each instrument track through staged checkpoints so you can open and adjust the result in any music software.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Midra))
    What It Does
      Text to MIDI
      Staged generation
      Editable output
    Modes
      LLM mode
      Rule mode
    Tech Stack
      Python
      OpenAI API
      fluidsynth
    Use Cases
      Background music
      Game audio
      Music prototyping
    Audience
      Vibe coders
      Music creators
      Game developers
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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Generate a multi-track MIDI file from a text description such as a cyberpunk boss battle with drums, bass, and lead, then open it in any music software to adjust individual notes.

USE CASE 2

Resume generation from a saved checkpoint file if you want to change a specific instrument track without redoing the entire composition.

USE CASE 3

Run Midra in rule mode to get a consistent, repeatable MIDI arrangement without AI variation for use in automated pipelines.

Tech stack

PythonOpenAI APIffmpegfluidsynthDocker

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires an OpenAI API key plus ffmpeg and fluidsynth installed as system tools before running.

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you include the Apache 2.0 license notice.

In plain English

Midra is a Python tool that turns text descriptions into music files. You type a prompt describing what you want, such as a cyberpunk boss battle background track with drums, bass, chords, and lead, and Midra produces a MIDI file. MIDI is a standard format for musical notation that most audio software can open, edit, and play back. The thing that sets Midra apart from most AI music tools is that it works through structured symbolic music code rather than generating audio directly. Most AI music generators take your prompt and produce an audio file you cannot easily change. Midra instead breaks the work into planning stages, writes out a musical blueprint first, saves intermediate checkpoint files at each step, and finally renders a MIDI file. Because MIDI is an editable format, you can open the result in any music software, move notes around, change instruments, or pick up from a saved checkpoint and re-run part of the process. The tool has two note-generation modes. In LLM mode, the notes for each track are planned by the AI model, which tries to match the mood and variation you described. In rule mode, notes are generated by deterministic code, giving more consistent and repeatable results but less creative variation. You can run Midra from the command line or through a web interface via Docker. Setup requires Python 3.11 and an OpenAI API key. You also need two system tools, ffmpeg and fluidsynth, for rendering the final audio from MIDI. Docker Compose is available if you want to run the full frontend and backend together. The project is licensed under Apache 2.0.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I want to use Midra to generate a MIDI file for a calm lo-fi study beat with piano, light drums, and bass. Write me the exact command-line prompt to run and what output files to expect.
Prompt 2
How do I open a Midra checkpoint file in GarageBand or Ableton to continue editing from an intermediate generation step?
Prompt 3
Explain the difference between LLM mode and rule mode in Midra and give me examples of when to use each one.
Prompt 4
Show me how to run Midra with Docker Compose to use the web interface and generate music from a browser instead of the command line.
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