This probably doesn't qualify as a non-tech type answer, but I have a Synology NAS which includes a feature (CloudSync?) to automatically download Google Drive documents in docx, xlsx, etc. format.
Same with slack when it congratulates you for catching up on messages. Each app/service assumes you are able to take the afternoon off if you happen to have 0 widgets in your widget list.
I feel like this solution feels subtly "wrong" if you're animating, because that high max height will be arbitrarily far away from where you'd normally want to animate to. Doubly so for easing out.
Not the same as your idea, but similar is NINJAM, which is tempo synced, but deliberately makes the latency equal to one bar, phrase, or other segment of time. You are always playing live to what everyone else played the very last time around, but you are still playing on the beat together. It obviously works better for repetitive jam sessions than for structured songs, but it looks very interesting. I haven't yet tried it with my music buddies, and should.
Well, MIDI data itself is still in heavy use in music production, both to interconnect hardware, and within software itself. It's the standard way to represent notes, timing, events, etc. within music-making software (DAWs).
Actual MIDI files themselves? Mostly just used as a file format to share musical/rhythmic motifs or export between music apps, not as an end product in itself.