GStreamer
GStreamer is an open-source multimedia framework that enables developers to create applications for processing, streaming, and playing audio and video content. It uses a pipeline-based architecture where media flows through a series of interconnected elements (sources, filters, sinks) to perform tasks like encoding, decoding, mixing, and rendering. It is widely used for building media players, video editors, streaming servers, and other multimedia applications on Linux, Windows, macOS, and embedded systems.
Developers should learn GStreamer when building cross-platform multimedia applications that require flexible media processing, such as video conferencing tools, media servers, or IoT devices with audio/video capabilities. It is particularly valuable in embedded systems and Linux environments due to its modular design, extensive plugin ecosystem, and support for a wide range of codecs and formats, making it ideal for handling complex media workflows efficiently.