Export MIDI File Options dialog box

How to get there

There three ways to access the Export MIDI File Options dialog box, either before or as you save a MIDI file in Finale:

Choose MIDI/Audio > MIDI File Options > Export MIDI File Options.
Choose File > Save As. Enter a title and select MIDI File from the File Type drop-down list. Click OK.
When you save a MIDI File from the Playback Controls, this dialog box is displayed when you click OK.

What it does

You can save any document into several formats. This file format, known as a standard MIDI fileA type of file written in a standardized format that can be understood by music programs from different manufacturers so that one file can be used in several different programs. For example, music created in any sequencer program can be opened by Finale and converted into written notation., enables your document to be shared with other music programs (primarily sequencers), most of which can read this kind of file.

In this dialog box, Finale asks you which kind of MIDI file you want to create; most sequencers can read any of these formats.

The MIDI File Options dialog box also lets you save bookmarks as markers when you create a MIDI file.

MIDI File Type: Format 1. Click this button to create a Format 1 MIDI file—by far the most widely used format, which contains multiple tracks. In Finale, every Instrument is placed in its own track; remember that each element of each staff (Layer 1–4, Chords, and Expressions) can have its own Instrument assignment. Remember, too, that unless you’ve given each of these elements its own Instrument, the resultant MIDI file won’t have multiple tracks. For a discussion of Instruments, see Instrument List.
MIDI File Type: Format 0. In this MIDI file format, all of the music is placed in a single track, separated only by MIDI channel. In Finale, however, two staves can only have different MIDI channel assignments if they also have different Instrument assignments. So, again, for the purposes of this file format, make sure you’ve assigned a different Instrument to every element (Layer 1–4, Chords, Expressions) you want assigned to its own MIDI channel.
MIDI File Type: Tempo Map. Certain advanced sequencer programs allow you to import a tempo map of a piece—that is, a separate file consisting entirely of the ritardandi, accelerandi, and other tempo fluctuations in a piece. Click this button to create a Tempo Map MIDI file from your document.
Save Bookmarks as Markers. Specify whether you’d like the Finale bookmarks converted to sequencer marks.
Don’t show this during File Save As. Select this option if you wish to use the current settings in the Export MIDI File options next time you save a MIDI file in Finale. The Export MIDI File Options dialog box will not be displayed when you save a MIDI file, only when you choose Export MIDI File Options. Deselect this check box to again display the Export MIDI File Options dialog box when saving MIDI files.
OK • Cancel. Click OK to confirm, or Cancel to return to the score without creating a MIDI file.