--- include/fluidsynth/midi.h
+++ include/fluidsynth/midi.h
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ enum fluid_player_status
 FLUIDSYNTH_API fluid_player_t* new_fluid_player(fluid_synth_t* synth);
 FLUIDSYNTH_API int delete_fluid_player(fluid_player_t* player);
 FLUIDSYNTH_API int fluid_player_add(fluid_player_t* player, const char *midifile);
+FLUIDSYNTH_API int fluid_player_add_mem(fluid_player_t* player, const void *buffer, size_t len);
 FLUIDSYNTH_API int fluid_player_play(fluid_player_t* player);
 FLUIDSYNTH_API int fluid_player_stop(fluid_player_t* player);
 FLUIDSYNTH_API int fluid_player_join(fluid_player_t* player);
--- src/midi/fluid_midi.c
+++ src/midi/fluid_midi.c
@@ -1243,6 +1243,36 @@ fluid_player_add(fluid_player_t* player,
 	return FLUID_OK;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Add a MIDI file to a player queue, from a buffer in memory.
+ * @param player MIDI player instance
+ * @param buffer Pointer to memory containing the bytes of a complete MIDI
+ *   file. The data is copied, so the caller may free or modify it immediately
+ *   without affecting the playlist.
+ * @param len Length of the buffer, in bytes.
+ * @return #FLUID_OK or #FLUID_FAILED
+ */
+int
+fluid_player_add_mem(fluid_player_t* player, const void *buffer, size_t len)
+{
+    /* Take a copy of the buffer, so the caller can free immediately. */
+    fluid_playlist_item *pi = FLUID_MALLOC(sizeof(fluid_playlist_item));
+    void *buf_copy = FLUID_MALLOC(len);
+    if (!pi || !buf_copy) {
+        FLUID_FREE(pi);
+        FLUID_FREE(buf_copy);
+        FLUID_LOG(FLUID_PANIC, "Out of memory");
+        return FLUID_FAILED;
+    }
+
+    FLUID_MEMCPY(buf_copy, buffer, len);
+    pi->filename = NULL;
+    pi->buffer = buf_copy;
+    pi->buffer_len = len;
+    player->playlist = fluid_list_append(player->playlist, pi);
+    return FLUID_OK;
+}
+
 /*
  * fluid_player_load
  */
--- src/midi/fluid_midi.h
+++ src/midi/fluid_midi.h
@@ -264,6 +264,18 @@ int fluid_track_send_events(fluid_track_
 
 #define fluid_track_eot(track)  ((track)->cur == NULL)
 
+/**
+ * fluid_playlist_item
+ * Used as the `data' elements of the fluid_player.playlist.
+ * Represents either a filename or a pre-loaded memory buffer.
+ * Exactly one of `filename' and `buffer' is non-NULL.
+ */
+typedef struct
+{
+    char* filename;     /** Name of file (owned); NULL if data pre-loaded */
+    void* buffer;       /** The MIDI file data (owned); NULL if filename */
+    size_t buffer_len;  /** Number of bytes in buffer; 0 if filename */
+} fluid_playlist_item;
 
 /*
  * fluid_player