I am excited to announce that I have been selected for Google Summer of Code 2024 with VideoLAN! This is my first time participating in GSoC, and I am thrilled to be working with such an amazing organization.

About VideoLAN

VideoLAN is a non-profit organization that develops free and open-source multimedia software. They are best known for VLC media player, which is one of the most popular media players in the world. VideoLAN's mission is to provide high-quality multimedia software that is accessible to everyone.

My Project

My project is titled "Adding AAC via S/PDIF and Bluetooth". The goal is to implement AAC passthrough support for Android using the AudioTrack API. This will allow VLC to send AAC-encoded audio directly to compatible receivers without decoding, which can improve audio quality and reduce latency.

What I've Learned So Far

During the community bonding period, I've been learning about:

  • The VLC codebase structure and build system
  • Android audio APIs and their differences
  • AAC encoding and decoding principles
  • Digital audio concepts like sampling, channels, and passthrough

Next Steps

I will be starting the coding period soon, and my immediate tasks include:

  • Setting up the development environment
  • Understanding the current audio pipeline in VLC
  • Implementing initial AAC passthrough support
  • Testing with various AAC-encoded content

I'm looking forward to this exciting journey and will keep you updated with my progress through regular blog posts!