Thanks to Frans van Berckel for mailing in to tell me about [LiveSupport](https://www.campware.org/en/camp/livesupport_news/). This is a GStreamer based radio management application. Franz actually sent me the link to their [development site](https://code.campware.org/projects/livesupport/), but I also had a poke around their main website and it looks like a pretty sweet tool, and another example of the awesome stuff GStreamer lets you do.

I am really pleased to see how GStreamer is growing more and more in popularity. In the last six months I have spent much of my spare time poking with GStreamer to write code for Jokosher, and not only has the software impressed me, but the community has proven to be friendly, inclusive and eager to help. When you combine the increasing features and stability, awesome applications that are coming out, next gen work going into network clocks/syncing/QoS etc, commercial use by Fluendo, Collabora, Nokia, OpenedHand etc, you can see why people are getting excited about GStreamer.

The advocate in me says that people need to go from zero to psyched about software quickly if they are going to use it, and GStreamer’s architecture helps this goal. The reason for this is simple. If you learn how to create a pipeline, put something in it, set its properties and state and deal with messages, you can basically write the beginnings of any media application you like. That is the gem in their offering – you learn a few skills, and the framework gives you the ability to do virtually anything. This Lego approach to media production means that the value is in learning how to stick bricks together, a skill that makes your abilities extensible. Although I have spent all my time poking at audio, I could use the exact same skills to write a video editor, a streaming media server, a media player and much more.

If you, like Franz have seen a cool app that you think I would also think is cool, do [get in touch](mailto:jono AT jonobacon DOT org).