Modern music production has become far more flexible with the inclusion of MIDI in DAWs. Producing a quality track only requires having a good idea and a few free MIDI packs to get you going.
No matter what kind of music you make, you only need to worry about a few basic elements to build a song - the structure, the beat, the chord progressions, a catchy melody, and a little bit of ear candy to top it all off.
The good thing is that making great music does not require a deep understanding of music theory. With so many modern songwriting tools, creating your own music has never been easier.
Whether you're trying to come up with drum grooves, chord progressions, or melodies, MIDI packs can help you get a lot of the hard work done, so you can focus on creativity.
But what are MIDI packs, and where can I find the right ones for the music I make?
In this guide, we're going to explore all of that and more.
Let's get started!
What Are MIDI Packs?
MIDI packs are compilations of MIDI data files that you can download and put into DAWs like Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton for your virtual instruments to read. The type of MIDI data will depend on the pack, though most packs contain drum grooves, chord progressions, melodies, and harmonies, all written out in MIDI notation.
The beauty of these packs is that they are super easy to use, as you can drag and drop them in your DAW’s piano roll, or they can then be played or edited using your favorite VST instruments, such as drum racks or software synths. Because MIDI is only language in which your software reads to create sound, these MIDI packs are easily editable too.
Using MIDI files as the building blocks of your track, you can create more complex drum parts, chord progressions, and arrangements, all without having to put in a ton of work.
Because just about any music producer can make a MIDI pack, many of them are available for free.
Let's dive in and check out the best free MIDI packs in 2023, so you can begin elevating your songs!
Top Free MIDI Packs
1. Unison Beatmaker Blueprint
The Unison Beatmaker Blueprint MIDI pack is one of the most expansive MIDI packs on the market today. You get hundreds of MIDI files, samples, and loops to take your tracks into the highest echelon. Each MIDI file in this pack was modeled off of some of the biggest stars in music, such as Drake, Post Malone, and Lil Yachty.
All the melody and drum loops come with matching MIDI stems, allowing you to see how the original producers of this pack used them tonally.
2. 8 Chill Lofi Chords
Lofi beats are more popular nowadays than they ever have been. If you're looking to hop on the lofi train and create some mellow hip-hop of your own, we recommend checking out the 8 Chill Lofi Chords MIDI pack. This MIDI pack comes with a few buttery Jazz chords, allowing you to lace up your next lofi beat with a smooth aesthetic.
Forget trying to develop your music theory knowledge of sevenths, inversions, and cluster chords, and get your hands on this simple yet effective chord pack.
3. Cymatics Cobra Pack
The Cymatics Cobra pack contains an authentic collection of drum shots, drum loops, melody loops, guitars, flutes, and more. It's one of the best MIDI packs on the market for hip-hop beatmakers.
Overall, you get more than 100 drum one-shots, over 50 trap drum loops, 29 melody loops, 24 flute and guitar melody loops, 14 hi-hat MIDI patterns, and 24 MIDI loops.
This pack makes beat-making extremely easy, and with many Loops to get you started, building your arrangement out will be a piece of cake.
4. Unison Advanced Scales MIDI Essentials
If you want a pack that can truly help your music stand out, make sure to check out the Unison Advanced Scales MIDI Essentials pack, which offers 24 top-notch chord progressions, melodies, and MIDI scales all at the click of a button.
The great thing about this pack is you can utilize the MIDI files to learn more about Advanced scales, which can enhance your workflow and elevate your skills in the long run.
5. Essential Famous MIDI Chord Progressions
You can think of a great chord progression as the foundation for your track. Without it, your music won't have any flow or emotion. There is a reason that so many hit songs become hits in the first place.
The Essential Famous MIDI Chord Progressions pack from Unison offers a wide range of MIDI chord progressions from some of the most famous artists of all time, including David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Post Malone, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Disclosure, Travis Scott, The Chainsmokers, and more.
6. Cymatics Python MIDI Collection
The Python MIDI Collection from Cymatics was created by a Grammy-nominated pianist, giving you some of the most authentic-sounding MIDI progressions and chords for piano and keyboard VSTs. While the pack was made for genres like trap, hip-hop, and R&B, it is versatile enough to be used in just about any genre.
The pack contains 51 MIDI loops pulled from the paid Python MIDI collection pack. I highly recommend using this pack with synth or piano VSTs to get the most from it.
7. Unison Essential MIDI Drum Kits
Drums are the foundation of just about any great track, though it can often be hard to find unique patterns that motivate and inspire you. This is where a MIDI pack like Unison Essential MIDI Drum Kits comes into play. With this MIDI pack, you can near-instantly create banging drum patterns that bring your tracks to life.
With 5 MIDI kick lines, 5 MIDI closed hi-hat lines, 5 snare and clap lines, 6 perc lines, 2 off-snare lines, and more, you get everything you need to spice up existing drum patterns or create one from scratch.
While the MIDI patterns in this pack are flexible, most of them are catered toward modern pop and hip-hop music.
8. Samplefire Arabic MIDI Pack
If you want to add a unique, exotic touch to your productions, there is no better free MIDI pack than the Arabic MIDI pack by Samplefire. You'll find 31 Arabic-inspired melodic MIDI files on the inside, all of which have been written using the Phrygian dominant scale, which is one of the most popular scales in Arabic music.
The free MIDI files in this pack are mainly focused on melodies, so you will not find any chord progressions inside. However, each melody is labeled with a BPM value to indicate the original speed of the melody. Most of the melodies are also in the same key, making them easier to compare with one another.
We can't think of a better MIDI pack for Arabic EDM or trap music.
9. Unison Essential MIDI Hi-Hat Rolls
Creating hi-hat goals is essential for making trap music, though taking the time to draw them out in your piano roll can be a mundane process. As we know, one of the secrets to having a dope beat is an addictive drum pattern that you just can't get enough of.
No basic or mediocre drum patterns get songs up on the music charts, and with ten delectable hi-hat rolls in this pack, you can elevate your existing hi-hat rolls and create radio-ready drum patterns.
10. Ghosthack Sounds Cybersynth Soundscapes
The Cybersynth Soundscapes MIDI Pack by Ghosthack Sounds was inspired by the cyberpunk universe, and more specifically, the Bladerunner movie. Within this free MIDI pack, you'll find more than 1.3GB of MIDI and WAV files.
From hunting chord progressions to heavenly melodic sequences, there are plenty of unique ways to use this MIDI pack to your advantage.
11. Roundel Sounds Key Chords MIDI Pack
The team Roundel Sounds came out with an incredibly inspirational freebie with ten MIDI chord progressions that are great for pop, EDM, and future bass. Every MIDI chord progression in this pack comes with two WAV files, so you can preview the melodies for yourself before putting them in your session.
As for what's included in the pack, you get ten MIDI chord progressions and 20 WAV loops, perfect for instruments like drums, synths, keys, and more.
12. Unison Essential MIDI Melodies
A good melody can be the secret sauce in any chart-topping track, as it is what the listener is going to latch onto and remember, even when the beat fades. When all is said and done, a great melody is timeless and is the element that will keep your track in the minds of listeners for years to come.
In this Essential MIDI Melodies pack by Unison, you get 12 unique and hit-worthy MIDI files, great for whenever you feel stuck in a writing rut. When it comes to melody packs, we recommend shifting some of the notes around to make your works feel more original.
13. W.A. Production MIDI Mega Pack
The MIDI Mega Pack from W.A. production is loaded with free MIDI files that are great for genres like deep house, bass house, EDM, future house, trance, progressive, and Electro house.
The team at W.A. Production did music producers everywhere a huge favor and compiled their previous free MIDI packs into a massive collection of free MIDI files with some of the freshest MIDI melodies and WAV loops around.
Overall, you get a whopping 270 MIDI loops and 630 WAV loops, making it one of the most versatile and inspiring free packs on the market today.
14. 420+ Samples - 420 Techno MIDI Pack
If you're on the hunt for the best acid bass line for your next techno track, we can't recommend anything better than the 420 Techno MIDI Pack. This incredible pack gives you access to 25 quality MIDI sequences, including ten acid lines, ten synth lines, and five bass lines.
Beyond that, the crew overhead 420+ Samples was gracious enough to throw in a slew of WAV samples, including drones, FX, percussion, and more.
One of the things I love most about this pack is the variety. Techno and electronic music in general provide a lot of room for experimentation, no matter what kind you make, you'll be able to find inspiration in this MIDI pack from the moment you insert these MIDI files onto your piano roll.
How To Get the Most out of Using Your Free MIDI Pack
Now, because you're using a free MIDI pack, it is probably true that numerous other producers around the world are using the same free MIDI pack. If you want your music to sound unique, don't be afraid to start moving things around. It's always good to think of your MIDI sequence, whether a chord progression, drum pattern, or melody, as a foundation on which to build upon.
Here are a couple of ideas to help you make your MIDI files more unique:
- Add notes to your MIDI chord progressions to make them more complex
- Change or improve the melody by adding, deleting, or rearranging certain notes
- Add movement to your notes by changing the velocity or pushing them in front of and behind the grid
- Drag the MIDI sequence up or down to change the key
Experimenting with your free MIDI pack will hopefully give you some music theory knowledge and the peace of mind, knowing that your track is unique to you.
Get Your Hands on Some Top-Notch Free MIDI Files
There is no doubt that MIDI packs can be a valuable resource.
MIDI packs are a game changer for new producers and some of the easiest files to share. This is probably why there are so many great free MIDI files out there.
When you boil everything down to its foundation, it's clear to see that chord progressions, grooves, and melodies are pretty simple. There is no gold standard for “pro” progressions.
However, professional musicians and producers have been developing their skills for years and have learned and practiced what makes certain chord progressions or drum grooves great in their arrangements. MIDI packs make it easy for those who are just starting out and don't have any drum programming or keyboard skills to develop tracks with ease.
Get your hand on some of the free MIDI packs above and get started on your production journey today!
