The short answer: this tool converts audio into MIDI. It does not turn a MIDI file into sheet music — there is no notation renderer here, no PDF, no MusicXML, no staff drawn on screen. If you already hold the .mid, the step from MIDI to a readable score is a notation job (open it in a DAW or MuseScore/Dorico and let it draw the staff), not an audio-analysis job. What this tool does give you is the audio→MIDI half: drop a recording and it returns a MIDI file built to the real spec — format 1, 2 tracks, TPQ 480, up to 6 notes per frame, velocity reaching 127 at −2.22 dBFS, and a CSV you can diff note-by-note. So the honest path from a recording to a score is: audio → (this tool) → MIDI → (your notation app) → sheet. We cover the first arrow; the last arrow is a different program.
1. What this tool actually does
It listens to an audio file — MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, M4A, or the audio track pulled out of a video — and returns a MIDI file plus a CSV. The detection runs on the real implementation constants, so the output is predictable, not a black box:
- Readable pitch range: notes from 55 Hz (A1) to 1800 Hz (A6). Anything below or above is outside the window and will not be detected — know that before you blame the converter.
- Polyphony: up to 6 simultaneous notes per frame in polyphonic mode; mono mode follows one pitch at a time.
- Velocity: computed from loudness, reaching 127 at −2.22 dBFS; the CSV carries it to 4-decimal timestamps so you can check every note.
- Output format: a standard format-1 MIDI, 2 tracks, TPQ 480 — openable in any DAW or notation app. That is the file your score renderer wants as input.
On 11 known-answer clips it measured 86.7% recall / 91.5% precision. That number is about the audio→MIDI step, which is the half this tool owns.
2. What this tool does NOT do
Stated plainly, because the search term “MIDI to sheet music” implies an output this site does not produce:
- No notation rendering. It never draws a staff, never emits PDF or MusicXML, never gives you a printable score. A
.midin, a.midout. - No MIDI→audio either. It is audio in, MIDI out. If you wanted MIDI to MP3/WAV, that is a synthesis step (a different direction) this tool also does not do.
- No guessing at intent. It detects pitches and timing from sound. It cannot infer ties, slurs, or key signature the way a human copyist would — that interpretation lives in the notation app, not here.
This is the boundary, not a limitation we hide: the tool is an audio-to-MIDI converter, and we say so on the page instead of promising a score it will not make.
3. The honest path from a recording to sheet music
If your real goal is “a piece of paper (or a PDF) with the notes on it,” here is the two-arrow route that actually works:
| Step | You provide | This tool does | Your notation app does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Capture | A clean recording of the piece | — | — |
| 2. Audio → MIDI | The audio file | Yes — returns .mid + CSV, format 1 / TPQ 480 | — |
| 3. MIDI → score | The .mid | No — not a notation renderer | Yes — draws the staff, beaming, key |
Step 2 is where this converter earns its place: it gives you a clean, diffable MIDI instead of making you transcribe by hand. Step 3 is where MuseScore, Dorico, Sibelius, or your DAW's score editor takes over. Neither step replaces the other.
4. When to use this tool vs skip it
| Your situation | Use this tool | Use something else |
|---|---|---|
| You have audio, want MIDI | Yes — that is exactly what it does | — |
You have a .mid, want a score | No — no notation renderer | A DAW or MuseScore/Dorico (MIDI → PDF/MusicXML) |
You have a .mid, want audio | No — audio out is not supported | A synthesizer / DAW render (MIDI → WAV/MP3) |
| You have a photo/PDF of sheet music, want MIDI | No — it reads audio, not scores | A score-to-MIDI tool that reads notation |
| You want to verify the MIDI is correct | Yes — the CSV gives 4-decimal timestamps | — |
Questions
Can this tool turn my MIDI file into sheet music?
No. It converts audio into MIDI; it does not render notation. Take the .mid it (or any converter) produces and open it in MuseScore, Dorico, or your DAW's score editor — those draw the staff.
Why does it output MIDI and not PDF?
Because the job here is detecting pitches and timing from sound. Rendering a readable score — beaming, key signature, layout — is a separate notation step that a notation app does better. We give you the clean MIDI that step wants as input.
If I have a recording, can I get sheet music from it?
In two steps: drop the recording here to get a MIDI (and a CSV you can check), then open that MIDI in a notation app to get the score. This tool covers step one; the notation app covers step two.
What format does the MIDI come out in?
Standard format-1 MIDI, 2 tracks, TPQ 480 — the same file any DAW or notation app opens. Polyphonic mode holds up to 6 notes per frame; the readable pitch range is 55–1800 Hz.
Is the MIDI accurate enough to make a good score?
On 11 known-answer clips it measured 86.7% recall / 91.5% precision. The CSV lets you audit every note against your DAW before you commit it to paper, so you catch misses instead of printing them.
This page states the boundary honestly: this tool converts audio to MIDI and does not render sheet music. Try the audio→MIDI step on the home page — drop a file, get a MIDI and a CSV, nothing uploaded.
Related guides
- MIDI converterWhat is actually inside a MIDI file
- Clean up a converted MIDIThe 5 passes that turn a raw export into a usable part
- Sheet music to MIDIWhy this tool listens to audio, not reads scores
- Audio to sheet musicWhere a chord's notes actually land, measured
- MP3 to sheet musicWhether the codec moves anything the page would show
- MIDI to MP3What this tool covers, and what a synth does instead
- MIDI to WAVWhy the Play button is a synth but not an export
- MIDI to OGGTwo steps, and only one of them changes the sound