ɪt fˈʌŋkʃənz ˌɔn sˈɪmɪlɚ pɹˈɪnsɪpəlz tə kˌeɪdˌiːˈiːz mˌʌltɪmˈiːdiːə pˈɪlɚ fˈɑːnɑːn; ɹˈæðɚ ðɐn mˈænɪdʒɪŋ hˈɑːɹdwɛɹ ˌɔn ɪts ˈoʊn, ɪt mˌeɪks ɛɡzˈɪstɪŋ səlˈuːʃənz æksˈɛsəbəl θɹuː ɐ sˈɪŋɡəl ˌeɪpˌiːˈaɪ.
It functions on similar principles to KDE's multimedia pillar Phonon; rather than managing hardware on its own, it makes existing solutions accessible through a single API.