How many times have you read in an online forum or a web design tutorial that embedded midi (Musical Instrumental Digital Interface) files are "bad"? Probably more times than you care to remember. For the most part, embedded sound files of any kind have been categorized as web site "bling-bling", right along side animated gifs, flashing banners and complex frames layouts. Essentially, they just contribute to unnecessary glitz and clutter that does nothing more than distract visitors and significantly slow page download times.

There is historical justification for this stereotype, as many beginning webmasters tend to go overboard with the bells and whistles on their first web design attempts. This is just part of the learning process and should not be judged too harshly. With all the bad press that embedded midi files get, some of the more accomplished web designers tend to avoid using them. This is unfortunate, because if implemented and managed properly, midi files can add benefit to some types of web sites, both for the visitors and the web site owners.