chordfactory.com

What It Is

Chord Factory is a MIDI analysis tool built around “chord recognition.” It can identify chords in MIDI files and can also connect to a MIDI controller to analyze live performance. It emphasizes that it is not a DAW and cannot edit music; instead, it treats chords as the central object, helping users understand the harmonic structure of a MIDI passage.

Core Features

The tool supports multiple detection resolutions: users can view chord changes by bar, by beat, or within a custom time range, making it suitable for everything from broad harmonic analysis to detailed inspection of passing tones. When working with complex arrangements, users can include or exclude individual notes, specific tracks, or groups of tracks to prevent melody lines, passing notes, or certain instrument parts from affecting the result. During playback, the selected chord updates along with the playhead, so users can pause after hearing an interesting harmony and inspect the chord and its constituent notes. It also supports real-time chord detection through a connected MIDI controller, making it useful for learning while playing.

Pricing and Support

There is currently only one free plan, priced at $0/year, with no registration required. It includes the main features such as MIDI file recognition, real-time MIDI input recognition, multi-resolution detection, and track controls. The page states that paid tiers may be introduced in the future, but a free tier will always remain available. For support, the creator provides an email contact, but clearly states that the free tier does not include official support and that they will only try to keep the basics working.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths are its very clear positioning and focus on MIDI chord analysis; it is free and easy to get started with; and it offers fairly granular control across both time resolution and vertical track/note selection, making it suitable for studying complex orchestration or film-score MIDI. Its limitations are also clear: it is not music production software and cannot edit music. The main text does not mention audio-file chord recognition, algorithm/model details, accuracy, a Chinese interface, an API, or DAW plugin integration, so its scalability in production-grade workflows remains uncertain.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is suitable for music learners, keyboard players, composers/arrangers, and anyone who needs to study MIDI scores and harmonic progressions. For users who simply want to extract chords directly from audio, the text does not indicate support for that capability. The main text does not provide information about access from mainland China, and payment is not currently a barrier because the service is on a free plan. If access is unstable, similar MIDI/harmony analysis tools may be worth considering as alternatives.