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A DLS format is any of the standardized file formats for digital musical instrument sound banks. The DLS standards also include detailed specifications for how MIDI protocol-controlled music synthesizers should render the instruments in a DLS file. As a result, DLS can also be considered primarily a synthesizer specification and only secondarily a file format.
The current DLS standards were developed first by the Interactive Audio Special Interest Group , and then by the MIDI Manufacturers Association. Any future versions of DLS would be developed through the MMA working group process. The DLS specifications are published in English by the MMA and in Japanese by Association of Musical Electronics Industry.
The DLS family is closely related to the proprietary SoundFonts format from Creative Labs. All versions of DLS to date are based on sample-based synthesis, however in principle the DLS file format could be used to represent instrument definitions for other sound synthesis techniques. "DLS" is an acronym for "Downloadable Sounds", and also the initials of DLS 1 project leader Dave Sparks of Creative Labs.
To date there have been three major versions of DLS: