diff --git a/mopidy/audio/scan.py b/mopidy/audio/scan.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a1c15e2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mopidy/audio/scan.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+import pygst
+pygst.require('0.10')
+import gst
+import gobject
+
+import time
+
+from mopidy import exceptions
+
+
+class Scanner(object):
+    def __init__(self, timeout=1000):
+        self.timeout_ms = timeout
+
+        sink = gst.element_factory_make('fakesink')
+
+        audio_caps = gst.Caps(b'audio/x-raw-int; audio/x-raw-float')
+        pad_added = lambda src, pad: pad.link(sink.get_pad('sink'))
+
+        self.uribin = gst.element_factory_make('uridecodebin')
+        self.uribin.set_property('caps', audio_caps)
+        self.uribin.connect('pad-added', pad_added)
+
+        self.pipe = gst.element_factory_make('pipeline')
+        self.pipe.add(self.uribin)
+        self.pipe.add(sink)
+
+        self.bus = self.pipe.get_bus()
+        self.bus.set_flushing(True)
+
+    def scan(self, uri):
+        try:
+            self._setup(uri)
+            data = self._collect()
+            # Make sure uri and duration does not come from tags.
+            data[b'uri'] = uri
+            data[gst.TAG_DURATION] = self._query_duration()
+        finally:
+            self._reset()
+
+        return data
+
+    def _setup(self, uri):
+        """Primes the pipeline for collection."""
+        self.pipe.set_state(gst.STATE_READY)
+        self.uribin.set_property(b'uri', uri)
+        self.bus.set_flushing(False)
+        self.pipe.set_state(gst.STATE_PAUSED)
+
+    def _collect(self):
+        """Polls for messages to collect data."""
+        start = time.time()
+        timeout_s = self.timeout_ms / float(1000)
+        poll_timeout_ns = 1000
+        data = {}
+
+        while time.time() - start < timeout_s:
+            message = self.bus.poll(gst.MESSAGE_ANY, poll_timeout_ns)
+
+            if message is None:
+                pass  # polling the bus timed out.
+            elif message.type == gst.MESSAGE_ERROR:
+                raise exceptions.ScannerError(message.parse_error()[0])
+            elif message.type == gst.MESSAGE_EOS:
+                return data
+            elif message.type == gst.MESSAGE_ASYNC_DONE:
+                if message.src == self.pipe:
+                    return data
+            elif message.type == gst.MESSAGE_TAG:
+                taglist = message.parse_tag()
+                for key in taglist.keys():
+                    data[key] = taglist[key]
+
+        raise exceptions.ScannerError('Timeout after %dms' % self.timeout_ms)
+
+    def _reset(self):
+        """Ensures we cleanup child elements and flush the bus."""
+        self.bus.set_flushing(True)
+        self.pipe.set_state(gst.STATE_NULL)
+
+    def _query_duration(self):
+        try:
+            duration = self.pipe.query_duration(gst.FORMAT_TIME, None)[0]
+            return duration // gst.MSECOND
+        except gst.QueryError:
+            return None