Image
What is a .sid file?
A .sid file is a Play SID Audio (version 2). This is an image format — a picture, drawing or graphic. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 5 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
5 different formats have claimed .sid over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .sid file
- GIMP (free) and IrfanView open a very wide range of image formats, including obsolete ones.
- XnView MP is the best bet for unusual or legacy image types.
- Your operating system's built-in viewer may work for mainstream formats.
The registry records this extension against Play SID Audio, Play SID Audio, ScanIt Document and others, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .sid file
- Open it in GIMP or XnView and export as .png (lossless) or .jpg (smaller).
MIME type
When a .sid file travels over the web, servers label it with this MIME type:
audio/prs.sidThe technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .sid.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play SID Audio | 2 | audio/prs.sid | fmt/315 |
| Play SID Audio | 1 | audio/prs.sid | fmt/314 |
| ScanIt Document | — | — | fmt/213 |
| Real SID Audio | — | audio/prs.sid | fmt/316 |
| MrSID Image Format (Multi-resolution Seamless Image Database) | — | — | fmt/392 |