Your First Comet File

Converting MIDI Files

Before you can visualize a song, you need to convert your MIDI file (.mid or .midi) into CometMIDI’s .comet format.

.comet files are completely different from .mid files. They are not the same thing.

Requirements

• Active subscription (Pro tier required)
• Logged in to your CometMIDI account
• Valid MIDI file (.mid or .midi extension)

How to Convert

Note: Conversion happens on CometMIDI’s servers. An internet connection is required.

1. From the Main Menu, click Convert
2. Either:
   • Drag and drop your MIDI file onto the drop zone
   • Click the drop zone to open a file browser
3. Once selected, click Begin Conversion
4. Wait for the conversion to complete (you’ll see progress indicators):
   • Reading File…
   • Converting…
   • Saving…
5. On success, your .comet file is saved to the Songs folder

Troubleshooting Conversion

Issue	Solution
”Login Required”	Log in via Settings → Profile
”Subscription Required”	Upgrade to Pro tier in Settings → Profile
Conversion fails	Check your internet connection; try a different MIDI file

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Selecting a Song

After converting MIDI files, your songs will appear in the Song Select screen.

How to Select

1. From the Main Menu, click Play
2. Browse and choose your available songs
3. Click on a song to select it, then Continue
4. You’ll be taken to the Play Preview screen

Where Songs Come From

Songs are loaded from your Songs folder:

• Default location: Documents/Comet/Songs/ (Windows)
• View/open this folder in Settings → General → Songs Folder

Only .comet files appear in Song Select. Raw .mid files must be converted first.

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Preview & Playback

CometMIDI has two distinct modes for viewing your visualization:

PlayPreview Mode

The PlayPreview screen is your configuration workspace:

• Select and preview themes before committing
• Customize all settings (colors, effects, widgets, etc.)
• Configure recording options (format, quality)
• Apply changes to lock in your configuration

In this mode, you see a static preview of how your visualization will look.

Playback Mode

Playback is the actual animated visualization:

• Notes flow across the screen in sync with the music
• All applied effects and widgets are active
• Recording captures this mode if enabled

The Apply Workflow

1. Make all desired changes in PlayPreview
2. Click Apply to save your configuration
3. Click the Play button to enter Playback mode
4. If recording is enabled, the video will record automatically

Important: The Play button is disabled until you click Apply at least once. This ensures your configuration is saved.

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Summary

Step	Action	Result
1	Convert	.mid → .comet
2	Select	Choose song from list
3	Configure	Adjust theme and settings
4	Apply	Lock in configuration
5	Play	View/record visualization