diff --git a/docs/api/backends.rst b/docs/api/backends.rst
index 77e780e3..b1ba3128 100644
--- a/docs/api/backends.rst
+++ b/docs/api/backends.rst
@@ -18,20 +18,24 @@ URIs and routing of requests to the backend
 When Mopidy's core layer is processing a client request, it routes the request
 to one or more appropriate backends based on the URIs of the objects the
 request touches on. The objects' URIs are compared with the backends'
-:attr:`~mopidy.backend.Backend.uri_scheme` to select the relevant backends.
+:attr:`~mopidy.backend.Backend.uri_schemes` to select the relevant backends.
 
 An often used pattern when implementing Mopidy backends is to create your own
 URI scheme which you use for all tracks, playlists, etc. related to your
-backend. In most cases the Mopidy URI is translated to an actual URI right
-before playback. For example:
+backend. In most cases the Mopidy URI is translated to an actual URI that
+GStreamer knows how to play right before playback. For example:
 
 - Spotify already has its own URI scheme (``spotify:track:...``,
   ``spotify:playlist:...``, etc.) used throughout their applications, and thus
-  Mopidy-Spotify simply uses the same URI scheme.
+  Mopidy-Spotify simply uses the same URI scheme. Playback is handled by
+  pushing raw audio data into a GStreamer ``appsrc`` element.
 
 - Mopidy-SoundCloud created it's own URI scheme, after the model of Spotify,
   and use URIs of the following forms: ``soundcloud:search``,
   ``soundcloud:user-...``, ``soundcloud:exp-...``, and ``soundcloud:set-...``.
+  Playback is handled by converting the custom ``soundcloud:..`` URIs to
+  ``http://`` URIs immediately before they are passed on to GStreamer for
+  playback.
 
 - Mopidy differentiates between ``file://...`` URIs handled by
   :ref:`ext-stream` and ``local:...`` URIs handled by :ref:`ext-local`.
@@ -43,7 +47,9 @@ before playback. For example:
   library, but can provide additional features like directory browsing and
   search. In other words, we have two different ways of playing local music,
   handled by two different backends, and have thus created two different URI
-  schemes to separate their handling.
+  schemes to separate their handling. The ``local:...`` URIs are converted to
+  ``file://...`` URIs immediately before they are passed on to GStreamer for
+  playback.
 
 If there isn't an existing URI scheme that fits for your backend's purpose,
 you should create your own, and name it after your extension's