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This Note: In the actual MIDI data bytes, the instrument numbers are 0-127 (zero-indexed). But in user interfaces and documentation, these are typically displayed as 1-128 (one-indexed) to be more intuitive for musicians. General MIDI allowed musicians and composers to create music that would sound reasonably similar on any GM-compliant device, solving the patchwork compatibility issues of early MIDI systems.
General MIDI largely superseded the previous Roland MT-32 de-facto standard and quickly became foundational in music production, video game soundtracks, and consumer electronics.