What is the MTP file format?
.mtp is a proprietary binary pattern file created by MadTracker 2, a Windows-based music tracker application developed by Yannick Delwiche. It stores a single song pattern - a grid of rows containing note events, instrument assignments, and effect commands - extracted from or importable into a full MadTracker 2 module (.mt2).
Within MadTracker 2, individual patterns can be saved to disk via the *Pattern → Save* menu and reloaded with *Pattern → Load*, making .mtp files useful for reusing rhythmic or melodic building blocks across different projects. Unlike the complete .mt2 module format, an .mtp file contains only pattern data and does not bundle audio samples or song arrangement information.
The format is entirely proprietary with no published specification. It uses a little-endian binary encoding and has no documented public magic byte signature. MadTracker 2 is the only application known to read and write .mtp files.
MadTracker 2 reached its final release (version 2.0) on 2008-02-18 and has received no further development, making it effectively abandonware. Modern trackers such as OpenMPT can open .mt2 module files but do not support .mtp pattern files individually. As a result, .mtp files are only accessible through an original MadTracker 2 installation running under Windows or a compatibility layer such as Wine.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWMTP pattern files contain only music data; no executable code. MadTracker 2 itself is old abandonware - download only from the official site (madtracker.org) to avoid repack malware.
Format details
in a nutshell- Minitab Portable Worksheet - Statistical software Minitab uses .mtp for portable worksheet data files - entirely unrelated to audio; db_name 'Minitab portable worksheet file' refers to this.
- Media Transfer Protocol device connection - Windows uses .mtp loosely in MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) device contexts, though MTP is a protocol, not a file format.
Programs that open MTP files
Windows1 app
Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Binary (proprietary) |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Container | Proprietary MadTracker 2 pattern container; no published specification |
| Content | Single song pattern: rows of note events, instrument assignments, and effect commands |
| Magic bytes | None documented; no public binary signature identified |
| Compression | Not publicly documented (likely none or zlib) |
| Typical file size | 1 KB - 500 KB depending on pattern length and channel count |
| Platform | Windows only; MadTracker 2 is a Windows-native application |
| Software support | MadTracker 2 exclusively; no modern tracker imports .mtp pattern files individually |
| Related module format | .mt2 - full MadTracker 2 song module (includes samples, patterns, and arrangement data) |
| Software status | Abandonware; MadTracker 2 final release 2008-02-18, no further development |
| Released | ~2002 (MadTracker 2 era) |
| Latest version | MadTracker 2.0 (released 2008-02-18; last release) |
MTP conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about MTP files.
