File Formats

Supported file formats in mtrack

File Formats

mtrack supports various file formats for audio, MIDI, and configuration.

Configuration Files

mtrack uses config-rs for configuration parsing, which supports:

  • YAML (.yaml, .yml) - Recommended, most commonly used
  • TOML (.toml)
  • JSON (.json)
  • INI (.ini)

While multiple formats are supported, YAML is the most tested and recommended format.

Audio Files

Supported Formats

mtrack uses the audio backend (typically rodio) which supports:

  • WAV - Recommended, best compatibility
  • MP3 - May require additional dependencies
  • FLAC - Lossless compression
  • OGG Vorbis - Open format

Requirements

  • All audio files in a song must have the same sample rate
  • Files don’t need to be the same length - mtrack plays until the last file completes
  • Multi-channel files are supported (specify file_channel in track configuration)

Recommendations

  • Use WAV format for best compatibility and performance
  • Use 44.1kHz sample rate as the standard
  • Use 32-bit or 24-bit depth for best quality
  • Ensure consistent sample rates across all tracks in a song

MIDI Files

Standard MIDI Files

mtrack supports standard MIDI files (.mid, .midi):

  • Format 0 - Single track
  • Format 1 - Multiple tracks

Usage

MIDI files are used for:

  • MIDI Playback: Automation of on-stage gear
  • Legacy Light Shows: MIDI-based DMX control (see Lighting System)

Light Show Files

DSL Format (.light)

The recommended format for lighting shows:

show "Show Name" {
    @00:05.000
    front_wash: static color: "red", dimmer: 100%
}

See Light Shows documentation for details.

Legacy MIDI Format

MIDI files can still be used for lighting:

  • Files starting with dmx_ are recognized as light shows when using mtrack songs --init
  • Configure in song YAML using light_shows section

File Paths

Relative Paths

Paths relative to the configuration file location:

1
2
3

tracks:
  - name: click
    file: click.wav  # Relative to song.yaml location

Absolute Paths

Full paths from filesystem root:

1
2
3

tracks:
  - name: cue
    file: /mnt/song-storage/cue.wav