diff --git a/src/instruments.rs b/src/instruments.rs
index d214513..48d3f62 100644
--- a/src/instruments.rs
+++ b/src/instruments.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use enum_map::Enum;
 use crate::{AbsPitch, Dur, Music};
 
 // https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/issues/284#issuecomment-1592343574
-#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Copy, Clone, PartialOrd, Ord, Enum, Sequence)]
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Copy, Clone, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash, Enum, Sequence)]
 pub enum StandardMidiInstrument {
     AcousticGrandPiano,
     BrightAcousticPiano,
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ pub enum StandardMidiInstrument {
     Gunshot,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Clone, PartialOrd, Ord)]
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Clone, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash)]
 pub enum InstrumentName {
     Standard(StandardMidiInstrument),
     /// Marks the pitches in the [`Music`] as the specific [`PercussionSound`].
diff --git a/src/io/midi/codec.rs b/src/io/midi/codec.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..952f641
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/io/midi/codec.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,208 @@
+use std::{borrow::Cow, collections::HashMap, iter};
+
+use itertools::Itertools as _;
+
+use crate::{
+    instruments::InstrumentName,
+    music::{
+        performance::{Event, Performance},
+        Volume,
+    },
+};
+
+use super::{Channel, UserPatchMap};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub struct Midi {
+    file_type: FileType,
+    time_div: TimeDiv,
+    tracks: Vec<Track<Ticks>>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub enum FileType {
+    SingleTrack,
+    MultiTrack,
+    MultiPattern,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+enum TimeDiv {
+    /// Ticks per quarter note
+    TicksPerBeat(u16),
+}
+
+impl Default for TimeDiv {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self::TicksPerBeat(96)
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub struct Track<T> {
+    repr: Vec<(T, Message)>,
+}
+
+impl Track<Ticks> {
+    pub fn into_relative_time(self) -> Self {
+        let (ts, msgs): (Vec<_>, Vec<_>) = self.repr.into_iter().unzip();
+        let repr = ts
+            .into_iter()
+            .scan(0, |acc, t| {
+                let rel_time = t - *acc;
+                *acc = t;
+                Some(rel_time)
+            })
+            .zip(msgs)
+            .collect();
+        Self { repr }
+    }
+}
+
+type Ticks = u32; // 0..2^28
+
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub enum Message {
+    /// Turns off the key on the given MIDI channel.
+    NoteOff {
+        channel: Channel,
+        key: Key,
+        velocity: Velocity,
+    },
+
+    /// Turns on the key on the given MIDI channel.
+    NoteOn {
+        channel: Channel,
+        /// Pitch
+        key: Key,
+        velocity: Velocity,
+    },
+
+    /// Select an instrument for a given channel.
+    ProgramChange { channel: Channel, preset: Preset },
+
+    /// The time, in microseconds, of one whole note.
+    ///
+    /// E.g. using 120 beats per minute (2 beats per second),
+    /// that works out to 500_000 microseconds per beat,
+    /// which is the default value that we will use.
+    TempoChange(Tempo),
+}
+
+type Key = u8; // 0..=127
+type Velocity = Volume;
+type Preset = u8; // 0..=127
+type Tempo = u32; // microseconds per beat, 1..2^24
+
+impl Performance {
+    pub fn into_midi(self, user_patch: Option<&UserPatchMap>) -> Result<Midi, String> {
+        let split = self.split_by_instruments();
+        let instruments: Vec<_> = split.keys().cloned().collect();
+        let user_patch = user_patch.and_then(|user_patch| {
+            user_patch
+                .contains_all(&instruments)
+                .then_some(Cow::Borrowed(user_patch))
+        });
+
+        let user_patch = match user_patch {
+            Some(x) => x,
+            None => Cow::Owned(UserPatchMap::with_instruments(instruments)?),
+        };
+
+        let file_type = if split.len() == 1 {
+            FileType::SingleTrack
+        } else {
+            FileType::MultiTrack
+        };
+
+        let tracks = split
+            .iter()
+            .map(|(i, p)| p.as_midi_track(i, &user_patch).into_relative_time())
+            .collect();
+        Ok(Midi {
+            file_type,
+            time_div: TimeDiv::default(),
+            tracks,
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn split_by_instruments(self) -> HashMap<InstrumentName, Self> {
+        self.into_events()
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|e| (e.instrument.clone(), e))
+            .into_group_map()
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|(k, v)| (k, Self::with_events(v)))
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    fn as_midi_track(
+        &self,
+        instrument: &InstrumentName,
+        user_patch: &UserPatchMap,
+    ) -> Track<Ticks> {
+        let (channel, preset) = match user_patch.lookup(instrument) {
+            Some(x) => x,
+            None => {
+                // TODO: Error
+                return Track { repr: vec![] };
+            }
+        };
+
+        let setup_instrument = (0, Message::ProgramChange { channel, preset });
+        let tempo = 1_000_000 / BEATS_PER_SECOND;
+        let set_tempo = (0, Message::TempoChange(tempo));
+
+        let messages = self
+            .iter()
+            .flat_map(|e| {
+                // TODO: sort the off properly for the infinite events
+                let (on, off) = e.as_midi(channel);
+                iter::once(on).chain(iter::once(off))
+            })
+            .sorted_by_key(|(t, _)| *t);
+        Track {
+            repr: iter::once(setup_instrument)
+                .chain(iter::once(set_tempo))
+                .chain(messages)
+                .collect(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+// beat is a quarter note
+const BEATS_PER_SECOND: u32 = 2;
+
+type TimedMessage = (u32, Message);
+type Pair<T> = (T, T);
+
+impl Event {
+    fn as_midi(&self, channel: Channel) -> Pair<TimedMessage> {
+        let ticks_per_second = match TimeDiv::default() {
+            TimeDiv::TicksPerBeat(x) => u32::from(x) * BEATS_PER_SECOND,
+        };
+
+        let start = (self.start_time * ticks_per_second).to_integer();
+        let end = ((self.start_time + self.duration) * ticks_per_second).to_integer();
+        let key = self.pitch.get_inner().try_into().expect("Bad pitch");
+        let velocity = self.volume.clamp(Volume::softest(), Volume::loudest());
+        (
+            (
+                start,
+                Message::NoteOn {
+                    channel,
+                    key,
+                    velocity,
+                },
+            ),
+            (
+                end,
+                Message::NoteOff {
+                    channel,
+                    key,
+                    velocity,
+                },
+            ),
+        )
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/io/midi/mod.rs b/src/io/midi/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a3d052
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/io/midi/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+mod codec;
+
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+use enum_map::Enum;
+
+use crate::instruments::InstrumentName;
+
+pub use self::codec::{FileType, Message, Midi, Track};
+
+// up to 16 channels
+type Channel = u8;
+
+// up to 128 instruments
+type ProgNum = u8;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct UserPatchMap {
+    repr: HashMap<InstrumentName, Channel>,
+}
+
+impl UserPatchMap {
+    const PERCUSSION: Channel = 9;
+    // all but Percussion
+    const AVAILABLE_CHANNELS: [Channel; 15] = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15];
+
+    pub fn with_instruments(instruments: Vec<InstrumentName>) -> Result<Self, String> {
+        // TODO: extend the range of instruments by combining non-overlapping tracks
+        if instruments.len() > Self::AVAILABLE_CHANNELS.len() {
+            return Err(format!("Too many instruments: {}", instruments.len()));
+        }
+
+        let map = instruments.into_iter().scan(0, |idx, instrument| {
+            if instrument == InstrumentName::Percussion {
+                Some((instrument, Self::PERCUSSION))
+            } else {
+                let channel = Self::AVAILABLE_CHANNELS[*idx];
+                *idx += 1;
+                Some((instrument, channel))
+            }
+        });
+
+        Ok(Self {
+            repr: map.collect(),
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn lookup(&self, instrument: &InstrumentName) -> Option<(Channel, ProgNum)> {
+        self.repr.get(instrument).map(|x| {
+            let prog_num = match instrument {
+                InstrumentName::Standard(i) => i.into_usize(),
+                InstrumentName::Percussion => 0,
+                InstrumentName::Custom(_) => 0,
+            };
+            (*x, u8::try_from(prog_num).expect("128 instruments only"))
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn contains_all(&self, instruments: &[InstrumentName]) -> bool {
+        instruments.iter().all(|i| self.lookup(i).is_some())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/io/mod.rs b/src/io/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..419b825
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/io/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pub mod midi;
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 1935479..19fc4f2 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 pub mod instruments;
+mod io;
 pub mod music;
 
-pub use music::{
-    duration::Dur,
-    interval::{AbsPitch, Interval, Octave},
-    performance::{self, Performance, Player},
-    phrases::{PhraseAttribute, TrillOptions},
-    pitch::{Pitch, PitchClass},
-    rests, Music,
+pub use self::{
+    io::midi,
+    music::{
+        duration::Dur,
+        interval::{AbsPitch, Interval, Octave},
+        performance::{self, Performance, Player},
+        phrases::{PhraseAttribute, TrillOptions},
+        pitch::{Pitch, PitchClass},
+        rests, Music,
+    },
 };
diff --git a/src/music/performance.rs b/src/music/performance.rs
index 5a62b75..3027539 100644
--- a/src/music/performance.rs
+++ b/src/music/performance.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ impl Performance {
     pub fn into_events(self) -> Vec<Event> {
         self.repr
     }
+
+    pub(crate) fn iter(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &Event> {
+        self.repr.iter()
+    }
 }
 
 pub trait Performable<P> {