music21 vs Mido
Both are tools for making music with code. Here's how they line up — and which one fits which job.
| music21 | Mido | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Python | Python |
| Category | Composition & notation | MIDI tools |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Platforms | macOS Windows Linux | macOS Windows Linux |
| First released | 2010 | 2013 |
| Maintained | Yes | Yes |
Which should you choose?
music21 — best for analyzing and manipulating symbolic scores and computational-musicology research.
Mido — best for reading, writing, and sending/receiving raw MIDI messages and files.