gst1-java-core is a set of Java bindings for GStreamer 1.x. GStreamer is an open-source, pipeline-based multimedia framework written in C. It allows a programmer to create a wide variety of media-handling pipelines inside applications, from simple media playback, to encoding, live-streaming, analysis, machine learning, WebRTC and more.
GStreamer is designed to be cross-platform, and binaries are provided for a range of operating systems. gst1-java-core is actively tested on Linux (x86 and Arm), Windows and macOS, but should work on any OS with Java, JNA and GStreamer support. The bindings are in use in a wide variety of commercial and open-source projects, across desktop, server and embedded.
See the examples repository for some self-contained projects to get you started. Use the Javadoc! - all classes are documented, and include links to the relevant native documentation where appropriate. Please use the GStreamer-Java mailing list to ask questions.
To try the examples you will need GStreamer installed on your system. Other options for deployment are possible - see requirements below.
Please note, this is not an easy-to-use multimedia framework for beginners. It currently requires people to know the Java language and be familiar with the GStreamer framework (and possibly be prepared to apply things from tutorials on GStreamer programming in other languages to the Java bindings).
Releases are available via Maven Central (under the org.freedesktop.gstreamer
group ID), or can be downloaded from the GitHub release page.
Since v1.0.0 the bindings are functionally and API stable, but note that the lowlevel packages are effectively non-public and subject to change at any time.
The lead maintainer of the bindings is Neil C Smith at Codelerity Ltd.. The project began in 2015 as a fork of the original GStreamer-Java bindings for GStreamer 0.10 started by Wayne Meissner. Numerous other people have made valuable contributions to the original project and the 1.x fork over the years.
Help on getting started, and support for open-source projects, can be obtained from the GStreamer-Java mailing list.
Commercial support and custom development is available, and sponsorship of additional features is also welcome - please email info@codelerity.com to discuss.
The bindings are tested on Linux, Windows and macOS. Windows and macOS installers for GStreamer are available from the GStreamer project itself. Linux users should be able to get GStreamer from their distribution repository if it isn't already installed.
You will need to have the GStreamer 1.x native libraries available in your system path
in order to use the bindings, and may also need to set up environment variables
depending on how GStreamer is installed. See the Utils class in each example project
for one possible way to configure this inside your Java code.
It is possible to ship GStreamer with your application should you want your users not to have to install it separately. There are various ways to achieve this - see the upstream documentation. Advice is also available via the support options above.
The minimum supported version of GStreamer is 1.8.x. If you require access to features
related to later GStreamer versions (eg. WebRTC support), make sure to request the
version you need when calling Gst.init(..)
You will also need the JNA (Java Native Access) library, minimum version 5.2.0.
The minimum required Java version is Java 8.
Contributions to the library are welcomed, either to fix / enhance current features, or bring in new ones. There is also ongoing work to rework the lowlevel bindings.
Before opening a Pull Request please raise an issue or discuss your contribution on the mailing list. New features must have tests, selectively applied if targeting features in versions of GStreamer above 1.8. All Pull Requests will be automatically tested via CI, and all tests must pass before merging will be considered.
If you are making a large contribution to benefit a commercial project, sponsorship of integration and support time would be appreciated.
