1. A method for streaming transmission of signals representative of music for real time playback over a network comprising the steps of:

(a) encoding the music using MIDI representations, voicing parameters, and custom wavetable data;

(b) transmitting a data file via the Internet containing the encoded music;

(c) receiving the encoded music data file;

(d) playing back the encoded music data file in the foreground on one or more devices connected to the network as it arrives, initially using only standard MIDI musical instruments substituted for any non-MIDI standard musical instruments, as specified in the original composition, while data containing voicing parameters and custom wave table information necessary to play the original non-MIDI standard musical instruments is received in the background; and

(e) replacing the substituted standard MIDI musical instruments with the original non-MIDI standard musical instruments as the play back continues in the foreground and the data containing voicing parameters and custom wave table information is received in the background.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the encoding of the music comprises the steps of:

(a) storing in a first file MIDI code of the music that can be accurately represented using MIDI standard music data;

(b) determining MIDI standard instruments that provide the best approximation for the music that is not played by MIDI standard instruments;

(c) storing in a second file MIDI code of the music that best approximates the music originally played by non-MIDI standard instruments; and

(d) creating a third data file by incorporating the stored first and second files comprising a plurality of fields including:

a first field having a complete representation of the music using only MIDI standard instruments; and

a second field having data containing voicing parameters and custom wave table information for recreating the original music created using non-MIDI standard instruments.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein encoding the music comprises the steps of:

(a) storing in a first file data representative of instrument voices;

(b) storing in a second file MIDI code of the music that can be accurately represented using MIDI standard instruments;

(c) determining MIDI standard instruments that provide the best approximation for the music that is not played by MIDI standard instruments;

(c) storing in a third file MIDI code of the music that best approximates the music originally played by non-MIDI standard instruments; and

(d) creating a fourth data file by incorporating the stored first, second files and third files comprising a plurality of fields including:

a first field having data representative of instrument voices;

a second field having a complete representation of the music using only MIDI standard instruments and instrument voices defined by the data of the first field; and

a third field having data containing voicing parameters and custom wave table information for recreating the original music created using non-MIDI standard instruments.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the voicing parameters include data to synthesize music altered by one or more special effects including reverberation, specialization, equalization, and chorusing processing.

5. A network music transfer and compression system comprising:

a plurality of remotely situated computing means for storing and playing a data file having a plurality of fields representative of music and musical voices;