What is the XT file format?
.xt is a legacy binary tracker module format associated with FastTracker, a DOS-era music tracker developed by Triton (Fredrik "Mr. H" Huss and Magnus "Vogue" Högdahl) in the early 1990s.
Tracker modules store music as pattern-based sequences: each pattern holds a grid of channels, with each cell specifying a note, an instrument number, a volume setting, and an effect command. The .xt format embeds instrument definitions and PCM sample data alongside the pattern data in a flat binary structure.
FastTracker's primary and better-documented output format is .XM (Extended Module), introduced with FastTracker 2 around 1994. The .xt extension is associated with an earlier or secondary format from the FastTracker 1 era; no formal specification was ever published. Modern tracker players such as OpenMPT and XMPlay centre on .xm, .MOD, and .S3M; native .xt support is limited or absent in most current software.
PCM samples embedded in .xt files range typically from 8,000 Hz to 44,100 Hz. The binary layout uses little-endian byte order, consistent with its PC/DOS origin.
The .xt format is obsolete. Tracker music originally authored in .xt has largely been preserved through conversion to .xm or archived by communities such as the ModArchive.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWLegacy binary audio module; no executable code. Historical tracker format parsers can have buffer-overflow bugs in old code, but modern players (OpenMPT) are actively maintained.
Format details
in a nutshell- Xdebug Trace File - PHP function-call trace output generated by the Xdebug debugger extension; plain text, unrelated to audio.
Programs that open XT files
Windows2 apps
macOS1 app
OpenMPT (via Wine or native port)
Open-source OpenMPT has limited macOS support; consider running via Wine/CrossOver or use libopenmpt-based players. 
Linux1 app
OpenMPT (via Wine/libopenmpt)
Open-source Use libopenmpt-based players (e.g. openmpt123 CLI tool: openmpt123 file.xt).
ModArchive player (web)
Free The Mod Archive has an in-browser player for tracker modules; upload or find .xt files there. Technical details
deep spec| Format family | PC tracker module (MOD-derivative) |
| Developer | Triton (Fredrik Huss / Magnus Högdahl) - FastTracker, early 1990s |
| Format type | Proprietary binary tracker module |
| Byte order | Little-endian (PC/DOS x86) |
| Structure | Pattern data (note, instrument, volume, effect per channel), instrument definitions, embedded PCM sample data |
| Embedded sample rate | Typically 8,000 Hz - 44,100 Hz |
| Sample format | 8-bit or 16-bit unsigned/signed PCM (tracker-era standard) |
| Typical file size | 10 KB - 2 MB |
| Relation to XM format | `.xt` is a FastTracker 1 legacy/secondary format; FastTracker 2 standardised on `.xm` |
| Documentation status | No formal public specification published; format details inferred from tracker community research |
| Modern player support | Limited - OpenMPT and XMPlay focus on `.xm`; native `.xt` support is sparse or absent |
| OS | Originally MS-DOS; playable on Windows via tracker software |
| Superseded by | XM (Extended Module, `.xm`) - FastTracker 2's primary and better-supported format |
| Released | early 1990s (FastTracker era) |
| Latest version | N/A (legacy format; superseded by XM) |
XT conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about XT files.
