MIME 是 Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions 的縮寫， 是一種網際網路上的標準規格， 當初的動機是要在只能可靠地傳輸純文字資料的電子郵件裡，可靠地夾帶多媒體訊息。 MIME 將夾帶多媒體訊息的型態 (Media Type) 分成以下八大類：

• application 應用軟體的文件，例如 postscript, msword 等
• audio 音訊，例如基本的 au 或 wav 及 mp3 等
• image 圖像，例如 JPEG, GIF 等
• message 例如網路伺服軟體發出的訊息
• model 例如虛擬實境、三維立體模型
• multipart 切成幾段的 email，例如有加密或簽章的訊息，或者是網路文摘
• text 文字，包括 plain 亦即純文字，嚴格來說不算是多媒體，或者 html, xml 就可以算是多媒體了
• video 影片或動畫，例如 MPEG, Quick Time 等

MIME 的媒體型態分成上述八個主要型態， 每個主要型態又分成若干個次級型態 (subtype)， 兩者寫在一起，用一個斜線隔開。 例如 text/plain 或 application/postscript。 以下是一份截至 2001 年 10 月 16 日為止的所有型態列表。

Type	Subtype
text	plain
	richtext
	enriched
	tab-separated-values
	html
	sgml
	vnd.latex-z
	vnd.fmi.flexstor
	uri-list
	vnd.ab
	rfc822-headers
	vnd.in3d.3dml
	prs.lines.tag
	vnd.in3d.spot
	css
	xml
	xml-external-parsed-entity
	rtf
	directory
	calendar
	vnd.wap.wml
	vnd.wap.wmlscript
	vnd.motorola.reflex
	vnd.fly
	vnd.wap.sl
	vnd.wap.si
	t140
	vnd.ms-mediapackage
	vnd.IPTC.NewsML
	vnd.IPTC.NITF
	vnd.curl
	vnd.DMClientScript
	parityfec
image	jpeg
	gif
	ief
	g3fax
	tiff
	cgm
	naplps
	vnd.dwg
	vnd.svf
	vnd.dxf
	png
	vnd.fpx
	vnd.net-fpx
	vnd.xiff
	prs.btif
	vnd.fastbidsheet
	vnd.wap.wbmp
	prs.pti
	vnd.cns.inf2
	vnd.mix
	vnd.fujixerox.edmics-rlc
	vnd.fujixerox.edmics-mmr
	vnd.fst
audio	basic
	32kadpcm
	vnd.qcelp
	vnd.digital-winds
	vnd.lucent.voice
	vnd.octel.sbc
	vnd.rhetorex.32kadpcm
	vnd.vmx.cvsd
	vnd.nortel.vbk
	vnd.cns.anp1
	vnd.cns.inf1
	L16
	vnd.everad.plj
	telephone-event
	tone
	prs.sid
	vnd.nuera.ecelp4800
	vnd.nuera.ecelp7470
	mpeg
	parityfec
	MP4A-LATM
	vnd.nuera.ecelp9600
	G.722.1
	mpa-robust
	vnd.cisco.nse
	DAT12
	L20
	L24
video	mpeg
	quicktime
	vnd.vivo
	vnd.motorola.video
	vnd.motorola.videop
	vnd.fvt
	pointer
	parityfec
	vnd.mpegurl
	MP4V-ES
	vnd.nokia.interleaved-multimedia
model	iges
	vrml
	mesh
	vnd.dwf
	vnd.gtw
	vnd.flatland.3dml
	vnd.vtu
	vnd.mts
	vnd.gdl
	vnd.gs-gdl
	vnd.parasolid.transmit.text
	vnd.parasolid.transmit.binary
application	octet-stream
	postscript
	oda
	atomicmail
	andrew-inset
	slate
	wita
	dec-dx
	dca-rft
	activemessage
	rtf
	applefile
	mac-binhex40
	news-message-id
	news-transmission
	wordperfect5.1
	pdf
	zip
	macwriteii
	msword
	remote-printing
	mathematica
	cybercash
	commonground
	iges
	riscos
	eshop
	x400-bp
	sgml
	cals-1840
	pgp-encrypted
	pgp-signature
	pgp-keys
	vnd.framemaker
	vnd.mif
	vnd.ms-excel
	vnd.ms-powerpoint
	vnd.ms-project
	vnd.ms-works
	vnd.ms-tnef
	vnd.svd
	vnd.music-niff
	vnd.ms-artgalry
	vnd.truedoc
	vnd.koan
	vnd.street-stream
	vnd.fdf
	set-payment-initiation
	set-payment
	set-registration-initiation
	set-registration
	vnd.seemail
	vnd.businessobjects
	vnd.meridian-slingshot
	vnd.xara
	sgml-open-catalog
	vnd.rapid
	vnd.enliven
	vnd.japannet-registration-wakeup
	vnd.japannet-verification-wakeup
	vnd.japannet-payment-wakeup
	vnd.japannet-directory-service
	vnd.intertrust.digibox
	vnd.intertrust.nncp
prs.alvestrand.titrax-sheet
vnd.noblenet-web
vnd.noblenet-sealer
vnd.noblenet-directory
prs.nprend
vnd.webturbo
hyperstudio
vnd.shana.informed.formtemplate
vnd.shana.informed.formdata
vnd.shana.informed.package
vnd.shana.informed.interchange
vnd.$commerce_battelle
vnd.osa.netdeploy
vnd.ibm.MiniPay
vnd.japannet-jpnstore-wakeup
vnd.japannet-setstore-wakeup
vnd.japannet-verification
vnd.japannet-registration
vnd.hp-HPGL
vnd.hp-PCL
vnd.hp-PCLXL
vnd.musician
vnd.FloGraphIt
vnd.intercon.formnet
vemmi
vnd.ms-asf
vnd.ecdis-update
vnd.powerbuilder6
vnd.powerbuilder6-s
vnd.lotus-wordpro
vnd.lotus-approach
vnd.lotus-1-2-3
vnd.lotus-organizer
vnd.lotus-screencam
vnd.lotus-freelance
vnd.fujitsu.oasys
vnd.fujitsu.oasys2
vnd.swiftview-ics
vnd.dna
prs.cww
vnd.wt.stf
vnd.dxr
vnd.mitsubishi.misty-guard.trustweb
vnd.ibm.modcap
vnd.acucobol
vnd.fujitsu.oasys3
marc
vnd.fujitsu.oasysprs
vnd.fujitsu.oasysgp
vnd.visio
vnd.netfpx
vnd.audiograph
vnd.epson.salt
vnd.3M.Post-it-Notes
vnd.novadigm.EDX
vnd.novadigm.EXT
vnd.novadigm.EDM
vnd.claymore
vnd.comsocaller
pkcs7-mime
pkcs7-signature
pkcs10
vnd.yellowriver-custom-menu
vnd.ecowin.chart
vnd.ecowin.series
vnd.ecowin.filerequest
vnd.ecowin.fileupdate
vnd.ecowin.seriesrequest
vnd.ecowin.seriesupdate
EDIFACT
EDI-X12
EDI-Consent
vnd.wrq-hp3000-labelled
vnd.minisoft-hp3000-save
vnd.ffsns
vnd.hp-hps
vnd.fujixerox.docuworks
xml
xml-external-parsed-entity
xml-dtd
vnd.anser-web-funds-transfer-initiation
vnd.anser-web-certificate-issue-initiation
vnd.is-xpr
vnd.intu.qbo
vnd.publishare-delta-tree
vnd.cybank
batch-SMTP
vnd.uplanet.alert
vnd.uplanet.cacheop
vnd.uplanet.list
vnd.uplanet.listcmd
vnd.uplanet.channel
vnd.uplanet.bearer-choice
vnd.uplanet.signal
vnd.uplanet.alert-wbxml
vnd.uplanet.cacheop-wbxml
vnd.uplanet.list-wbxml
vnd.uplanet.listcmd-wbxml
vnd.uplanet.channel-wbxml
vnd.uplanet.bearer-choice-wbxml
vnd.epson.quickanime
vnd.commonspace
vnd.fut-misnet
vnd.xfdl
vnd.intu.qfx
vnd.epson.ssf
vnd.epson.msf
vnd.powerbuilder7
vnd.powerbuilder7-s
vnd.lotus-notes
pkixcmp
vnd.wap.wmlc
vnd.wap.wmlscriptc
vnd.motorola.flexsuite
vnd.wap.wbxml
vnd.motorola.flexsuite.wem
vnd.motorola.flexsuite.kmr
vnd.motorola.flexsuite.adsi
vnd.motorola.flexsuite.fis
vnd.motorola.flexsuite.gotap
vnd.motorola.flexsuite.ttc
vnd.ufdl
vnd.accpac.simply.imp
vnd.accpac.simply.aso
vnd.vcx
ipp
ocsp-request
ocsp-response
vnd.previewsystems.box
vnd.mediastation.cdkey
vnd.pg.format
vnd.pg.osasli
vnd.hp-hpid
pkix-cert
pkix-crl
vnd.Mobius.TXF
vnd.Mobius.PLC
vnd.Mobius.DIS
vnd.Mobius.DAF
vnd.Mobius.MSL
vnd.cups-raster
vnd.cups-postscript
vnd.cups-raw
index
index.cmd
index.response
index.obj
index.vnd
vnd.triscape.mxs
vnd.powerbuilder75
vnd.powerbuilder75-s
vnd.dpgraph
http
sdp
vnd.eudora.data
vnd.fujixerox.docuworks.binder
vnd.vectorworks
vnd.grafeq
vnd.bmi
vnd.ericsson.quickcall
vnd.hzn-3d-crossword
vnd.wap.slc
vnd.wap.sic
vnd.groove-injector
vnd.fujixerox.ddd
vnd.groove-account
vnd.groove-identity-message
vnd.groove-tool-message
vnd.groove-tool-template
vnd.groove-vcard
vnd.ctc-posml
vnd.canon-lips
vnd.canon-cpdl
vnd.trueapp
vnd.s3sms
iotp
vnd.mcd
vnd.httphone
vnd.informix-visionary
vnd.msign
vnd.ms-lrm
vnd.contact.cmsg
vnd.epson.esf
whoispp-query
whoispp-response
vnd.mozilla.xul+xml
parityfec
vnd.palm
vnd.fsc.weblaunch
vnd.tve-trigger
dvcs
sieve
vnd.vividence.scriptfile
vnd.hhe.lesson-player
beep+xml
font-tdpfr
vnd.mseq
vnd.aether.imp
vnd.Mobius.MQY
vnd.Mobius.MBK
vnd.vidsoft.vidconference
vnd.ibm.afplinedata
vnd.irepository.package+xml
vnd.sss-ntf
vnd.sss-dtf
vnd.sss-cod
vnd.pvi.ptid1
isup
qsig
timestamp-query
timestamp-reply
vnd.pwg-xhtml-print+xml
message	rfc822
	partial
	external-body
	news
	http
	delivery-status
	disposition-notification
	s-http
multipart	mixed
	alternative
	digest
	parallel
	appledouble
	header-set
	form-data
	related
	report
	voice-message
	signed
	encrypted
	byteranges

課外讀物：
[1] Hunny Software 公司整理的 MIME 資訊與標準文件連結： The MIME Information Page http://hunnysoft.com/mime/