Music Markup Language (MML) is an XML

Extensible Markup Language

Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....

 application to describe music objects and events, using different modules and markup

Markup language

A markup language is a modern system for annotating a text in a way that is syntactically distinguishable from that text. The idea and terminology evolved from the "marking up" of manuscripts, i.e. the revision instructions by editors, traditionally written with a blue pencil on authors' manuscripts...

. MML can be delivered in different formats, such as text, block bars or piano roll

Piano roll

A piano roll is a music storage medium used to operate a player piano, piano player or reproducing piano. A piano roll is a continuous roll of paper with perforations punched into it. The peforations represent note control data...

, Common Western Notation or MIDI-devices. Since MML can be employed in such simple and accessible formats, it's possible to sequence music without resorting to expensive software. MML compositions can, for instance, be rendered via a simple Java

Java (programming language)

Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...

 plug-in.

A few possible applications of MML:

• Editing music and effects processing.
• Inserting music into web documents.
• Controlling sound or music features of physical devices (CD-players, PC-based systems, microwave ovens, doorbells, etc.).
• Creating phone ring tones.
• Performing live music.

External links

• Music Markup Language - detailed information and examples.
• Other XML-based music standards
• Music Encoding Initiative