Designing the Shift to Software-Based Media Production
The broadcast industry is undergoing one of its most profound transitions in decades as media production moves away from hardware-dependent infrastructure toward software-based environments that are more flexible by design. While this evolution has been building for some time, it is now being addressed at an architectural level, with the industry recognizing that incremental change is no longer sufficient to support modern production requirements.
In September 2025, the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) formalised this shift through the creation of JT-DMF, a joint task force established to support industry-wide understanding of the Dynamic Media Facility concept and its implications for software-based media production. Rather than acting as another technical working group, JT-DMF was formed to provide a shared framework for rethinking how media production systems are structured as workflows become increasingly virtualized.
At the center of the Dynamic Media Facility concept is the idea of moving media processing out of individual hardware devices and into containerised software components running on shared compute resources. These software-based components can run on local servers or in the cloud, shifting media processing out of individual hardware boxes and enabling a move away from traditional linear workflows toward a more asynchronous, compute-based model for live production.
By decoupling processing from dedicated hardware, software-based production introduces greater flexibility in how resources are allocated and used. This enables workflows to scale according to production requirements, with compute resources allocated when and as required. This approach supports improvements in operational efficiency while also creating opportunities for more sustainable infrastructure design through reduced reliance on specialized hardware.
The Role of the Media eXchange Layer
A key technical enabler within this model is the Media eXchange Layer (MXL), an open-source project hosted by the Linux Foundation. MXL provides a standardized mechanism through which media processing applications can exchange video, audio, and data in shared memory In effect, it acts as virtualized cabling, defining how multi-vendor software components communicate within a Dynamic Media Facility (DMF). While MXL focuses on standardizing media exchange between applications, the DMF concept extends further, encompassing the wider architectural, workflow, and operational considerations required for software-based production at scale.
These wider considerations were a central focus of the JT-DMF workshop hosted by the EBU in November 2025, which brought together representatives from across member organizations to define the next stages of work. The discussions highlighted that moving to a Dynamic Media Facility raises questions around timing models, orchestration, compute requirements, and business implications, all of which must be addressed if the concept is to move from theory into operational reality. There will be a similar meeting in New York on the 10th and 11th March.
From Concept to Industry Adoption
The establishment of JT-DMF and the launch of the MXL project represent important milestones, but they mark the beginning rather than the conclusion of this transition. MXL development continues under the Linux Foundation, with the MXL SDK V1.0 recently published, while JT-DMF is focused on advancing the work needed to support real-world deployment. This includes developing timing models capable of supporting asynchronous workflows, understanding how compute resources should be provisioned for Dynamic Media Facility environments, and addressing orchestration challenges. The work builds upon AMWA’s experience in media workflows and NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications). Alongside this, the EBU is updating its Dynamic Media Facility reference architecture to reflect the insights gained since its initial publication.
Given the complexity of software-based production environments and the number of participants involved, collaboration across the industry is essential. JT-DMF has established a governance model to support this work, with participation open to AMWA and EBU members, reflecting the need for shared ownership of both the challenges and the solutions.
Why This Matters Now
As live production continues to evolve, the ability to support low-latency, asynchronous workflows is becoming increasingly important. Traditional broadcast systems are designed to operate in strict real time, with all processes moving in lockstep, an approach that delivers stability but limits how production environments can adapt as workflows become more software-driven. The Dynamic Media Facility model introduces a different way of working, allowing elements of a workflow to operate at different speeds while maintaining synchronization where it is required, and doing so without introducing unnecessary latency.
This architectural shift has practical implications for how production systems are designed and operated. By moving toward software-defined infrastructure, media organizations gain greater flexibility in how resources are deployed and how workflows evolve over time:
- Flexible,scalable production environments: Capacity can be scaled to match production requirements, making it possible to use on-premise or rented compute resources when needed, rather than engineering systems permanently for peak demand.
- Support for best-of-breed workflows: Open, software-based architectures allow broadcasters to select the most appropriate tools for different parts of the workflow and integrate them without being constrained by a single vendor ecosystem.
- More efficient use of resources: Shifting from hardware-centric investment to software-based deployment enables a move toward operational expenditure models, while improving utilization of shared compute infrastructure.
- Infrastructure that evolves over time: Software-defined systems can be updated and enhanced without wholesale equipment replacement, helping organizations adapt to new requirements while protecting existing investments.
- Progress toward more sustainable operations: Reducing reliance on dedicated hardware lowers power consumption and physical footprint, supporting broader sustainability objectives across production operations.
These capabilities also underpin emerging use cases such as AI-assisted processing and faster-than-real-time operations, which are difficult to accommodate within traditional, tightly coupled production chains. By enabling processing to run at appropriate speeds and on shared compute resources, the Dynamic Media Facility approach creates headroom for more advanced workflows without compromising live performance.
The work being undertaken through JT-DMF reflects a shared recognition that this transition must be guided by common architectural principles rather than fragmented implementations. As the initiative continues to develop, it provides a foundation for moving software-based media production from isolated deployments toward a more coherent, industry-supported model that can scale with future demands.
[Editor's note: This is a contributed article from Appear. Streaming Media accepts vendor bylines based solely on their value to our readers.]
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