YouTube to MIDI Converter
Paste a link, pick a clip, download MIDI — all in your browser
PureMIDI's YouTube to MIDI converter is a browser tool: paste a URL, confirm rights, pick a 0–60 second window, download .mid. Free tier handles one conversion per day; paid tiers unlock longer clips, link batching, stem separation, and an API. This page documents the actual upload flow, pricing tiers, technical limits, and which YouTube link types are supported.
Tool launch is close
Drop your email on the waitlist for 5 free conversions on launch day. Until then, MP3 to MIDI gives you the same engine — export your video to MP3 and upload.
What the actual flow looks like
- 01
Paste a link, pick a rights flag
Supports youtube.com, youtu.be, Shorts, Music. You must pick one of four rights flags: your upload / public domain / CC licensed / commercial license.
- 02
Trim on the waveform
The tool shows the audio waveform; drag handles to pick a 0–60 second window. Estimated chorus and vocal segments are flagged.
- 03
Pick stems and export
Optionally isolate vocal / drums / bass / other before transcription. Export MIDI, MusicXML, or both.
Concrete things you can do
Pull your own YouTube performance back into a DAW
Lost the project file but the video is still online — convert it back to a MIDI sketch and keep editing.
Teaching feedback
Students upload practice runs to their own YouTube; teacher converts to MIDI and compares to the answer key note by note.
Licensed stem-library checks
Audition a BandLab / Splice video purchase as MIDI before committing it to the project.
Public-domain performance analysis
Classical performers convert their own video to MIDI and analyze tempo, dynamics, and timing.
Hard limits per tier
- Free: ≤30s clip, 1 conversion/day, no stem separation, watermarked output.
- Pro: ≤60s clip, 30/day, 4-stem separation included, watermark removed.
- Studio: ≤180s clip, 200/day, link batching (≤10 per batch), API access.
- Across all tiers, ContentID-flagged commercial material is refused. Live broadcasts have to wait for the archive to finalize.
Tool capabilities at launch
Just the converter feature list. For legality, alternatives, and how YouTube to MIDI works under the hood, see the YouTube to MIDI compliance guide.
- Accepts youtube.com / youtu.be / Shorts / Music URLs
- Interactive waveform clip selection (0–60s free / 180s Studio)
- 4-stem separation (vocal / drums / bass / other)
- MIDI and MusicXML co-export
- Automatic ContentID screening for commercial material
- Pro+ conversion history with one-click re-run and delete
- Studio API with link batching and webhook callbacks
- Watermark on free tier; clean output on Pro and Studio
How it stacks up against other YouTube to MIDI tools
We compare against tools we consider compliant. Outright infringing download sites aren't in scope.
| Tool | Type | Compliance | Stem separation | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PureMIDI | Online + AI | Mandatory rights flag | 4-stem | Free / $9 Pro / $19 Studio per month |
| yt-dlp + Basic Pitch | Self-hosted CLI | Depends on usage | DIY (Demucs) | Free + your own server |
| Other 'YT to MIDI' sites | Usually infringing | No safeguards | Rarely | Free + ads |
| DAW realtime capture | Local software | OK if it's your own audio | — | DAW pricing |
Stopgap before launch
1) On videos you own, use YouTube Premium's three-dot menu → Download, extract audio with ffmpeg, then upload to MP3 to MIDI. 2) Ask the creator for the original audio. 3) Capture the audio in OBS or your DAW from your own legally licensed playback.
Tool-focused FAQ
Do I need to install anything?+
No. The tool runs entirely in the browser on macOS, Windows, Linux, iPad, and iPhone.
Can I convert unlisted videos?+
Yes if you authenticate or supply a session cookie and are the owner. We don't retain cookies.
How many credits does one conversion cost?+
Free is 0 credits at 1/day. Pro includes 30/day; over the cap is 1 credit each. Studio's 200/day are inside the plan price.
Does stem separation actually help?+
Yes — meaningfully. Turning on 4-stem separation typically lifts MIDI accuracy by 20–35% on piano, bass, and drums.
Does it support YouTube Music URLs?+
Yes, music.youtube.com URLs are normalized to youtube.com. Premium offline caches aren't supported (DRM).
Can I batch multiple URLs?+
Pro gets 30 single-file conversions/day. Studio supports CSV upload and API with up to 10 URLs per batch in a background job.
Are failed conversions refunded?+
Download failures, ContentID blocks, and dead links don't consume credits. Successful conversions with low recognition quality do.
How does this compare to running yt-dlp + Basic Pitch myself?+
Self-hosted is nearly free if you're comfortable with the CLI and ffmpeg. We trade cash for time: stem separation, copyright safeguards, history, and API are out of the box.
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