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Pipewire
PipeWire handles audio and video on Linux, with project documentation describing its media framework.
About Pipewire
PipeWire is a project that aims to improve the handling of audio and video on Linux. It provides a low-latency, graph-based processing engine that sits on top of audio and video devices. According to the homepage, it can support the use cases currently handled by both PulseAudio and JACK. Its security model is designed to let containerized applications interact with audio and video devices, with Flatpak support as the primary goal.
The homepage notes some limits. Most distributions do not enable the audio parts by default, though PipeWire with audio support should be available in most of them. The homepage describes the PipeWire API documentation as incomplete. Building from source uses the Meson build system, and the homepage says the only prefix that works out of the box is /usr.
Key features
- Low-latency capture and playback of audio and video
- Graph-based real-time processing of audio and video
- Multiprocess architecture for sharing multimedia content between applications
- Support for PulseAudio, JACK, ALSA, and GStreamer applications
- Sandboxed application support, with Flatpak as the primary goal
Best for: Linux users and developers who need audio and video handling for desktop applications, including Flatpak-sandboxed applications.
Good for
- Supports applications written for PulseAudio, JACK, ALSA, and GStreamer, according to the homepage
- The homepage describes PipeWire as Free Software developed in the open
- The homepage says its security model is designed for interaction with devices from containerized applications
Watch out for
- Most distributions do not enable the audio parts by default
- The homepage describes the PipeWire API documentation as incomplete
- The homepage says the only install prefix that works out of the box is /usr
Pipewire at a glance
- Website
- pipewire.org
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Linux Apps
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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Pipewire FAQ
How can I get PipeWire?
The homepage says PipeWire with audio support should be available in most distributions, though the audio parts may need to be enabled. The latest source code is on GitLab and can be cloned with git. The homepage also describes building it with ./autogen.sh, make, and make install.
Where can I get help or report issues?
You can join the #pipewire channel on OFTC IRC or #pipewire:matrix.org on Matrix. Issues are tracked on GitLab Issues.
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