diff --git a/codec.go b/codec.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b863149
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codec.go
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+package codec
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"math"
+
+	"zikichombo.org/sound"
+	"zikichombo.org/sound/ops"
+	"zikichombo.org/sound/sample"
+)
+
+// ErrUnknownCodec is an error representing that a codec is unknown.
+var ErrUnknownCodec = errors.New("unknown codec")
+
+// ErrUnsupportedSampleCodec can be used by codec implementations
+// which receive a request for encoding or decoding with a sample codec
+// that is unsupported or doesn't make sense.
+var ErrUnsupportedSampleCodec = errors.New("unsupported sample codec")
+
+// AnySampleCodec is a sample.Codec which is used as a wildcard sample.Codec
+// in this interface.
+var AnySampleCodec = sample.Codec(-1)
+
+// Codec represents a way of encoding and decoding sound.
+type Codec struct {
+	// Priority defines the preference order when more than one codec
+	// matches an encoding or decoding demand.  Filename extensions can trigger
+	// demands for encoding and decoding.  Magic triggers demands for decoding
+	// All demands may be further qualified by specifying a sample.Codec, with
+	// DefaultSampleCodec being the default.
+	//
+	Priority int
+
+	// Extensions lists the filename extensions which this codec claims to support.
+	// Examples are .wav, .ogg, .caf.  The extension string includes the leading '.'.
+	Extensions []string // Filename extensions
+
+	// Sniff is a function which when provided with a *bufio.Reader r, may
+	// call r.Peek(), and only r.Peek().  Sniff should return true only if
+	// this codec has a Decoder function for the data based on the data
+	// aquired via r.Peek().
+	Sniff func(*bufio.Reader) bool
+
+	// DefaultSampleCodec gives a default or preferred sample codec for the codec.
+	// Some codecs, such as perception based compressed codecs, don't really have
+	// a defined sample.Codec and should use AnySampleCodec for this field. Codecs
+	// which have only a decoder should also have AnySampleCodec in this field.
+	DefaultSampleCodec sample.Codec
+
+	// Decoder tries to turn an io.ReadCloser into a sound.Source.  In the event
+	// the decoder does not use a single defined sample.Codec during the entire
+	// decoding process for the resulting sound.Source, then the second return
+	// value should be AnySampleCodec (if the error return value is nil).
+	Decoder func(io.ReadCloser) (sound.Source, sample.Codec, error)
+
+	// Encoder tries to turn an io.WriteCloser into a sound.Sink.
+	// The sample.Codec argument can specify the desired sample Codec.
+	// For encodings which don't use a defined sample.Codec, the function
+	// should return (nil, ErrUnsupportedSampleCodec) in the event c
+	// is not AnySampleCodec.
+	Encoder func(w io.WriteCloser, c sample.Codec) (sound.Sink, error)
+
+	// RandomAccess tries to turn an io.ReadWriteSeeker into sound.RandomAccess.
+	// If the codec does not make use of a defined sample.Codec and c is
+	// not AnySampleCodec, then the function should return (nil, ErrUnsupporteSampleCodec).
+	RandomAccess func(ws io.ReadWriteSeeker, c sample.Codec) (sound.RandomAccess, error)
+}
+
+var codecs []Codec
+
+// RegisterCodec registers a codec so that consumers of this package
+// can treat sound I/O generically and switch between codecs.
+//
+// A package "p" implementing a Codec can register a codec in its init()
+// function.
+//
+// Codecs registered by zikichombo.org have priority in the range [1000..2000).
+// Lower priority values are considered higher priority.
+//
+// Although c is a pointer, a "deep" copy of c is added to the list of registered codecs.
+func RegisterCodec(c *Codec) {
+	exts := make([]string, len(c.Extensions))
+	for i, ext := range c.Extensions {
+		exts[i] = ext
+	}
+
+	codecs = append(codecs, Codec{Priority: c.Priority,
+		Extensions:         exts,
+		Sniff:              c.Sniff,
+		DefaultSampleCodec: c.DefaultSampleCodec,
+		Decoder:            c.Decoder,
+		Encoder:            c.Encoder,
+		RandomAccess:       c.RandomAccess})
+}
+
+// CodecFor tries to find a codec based on a filename extension.
+//
+// The returned codec, although a pointer to a struct with fields, should be
+// treated as read-only.  Not doing so may result in race conditions or worse.
+//
+// In case of conflict, the returned codec is a codec with lowest Priority
+// value.  In case of confict taking into account the priority, the first codec
+// from a call to RegisterCodec is returned.  As this might depend on package
+// initialisation order, it is recommended to Codec implementations intended
+// for library use to use even valued priorities so a given application (with a
+// main()) may override package initialistion order by using an appropriate odd Priority
+// value.
+func CodecFor(ext string) (*Codec, error) {
+	minPriority := int(math.MaxInt32)
+	var bestCodec *Codec
+	for i := range codecs {
+		c := &codecs[i]
+		for _, codExt := range c.Extensions {
+			if ext == codExt {
+				if c.Priority < minPriority {
+					bestCodec = c
+					minPriority = c.Priority
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if bestCodec == nil {
+		return nil, ErrUnknownCodec
+	}
+	return bestCodec, nil
+}
+
+// Decoder tries to turn an io.ReadCloser into a sound.Source.
+// If it fails, it returns a non-nil error.
+//
+// If it succeeds, it also returns a sample.Codec which may either
+// be:
+//
+// 1. AnySampleCodec, indicating there is no fixed sample codec for
+// the decoder behind sound.Source; or
+// 2. A sample.Codec which defined the data received in sound.Source.
+func Decoder(r io.ReadCloser) (sound.Source, sample.Codec, error) {
+	br := bufio.NewReader(r)
+	minPriority := int(math.MaxInt32)
+	var theCodec *Codec
+	for i := range codecs {
+		c := &codecs[i]
+		if c.Sniff != nil && c.Sniff(br) && c.Priority < minPriority {
+			minPriority = c.Priority
+			theCodec = c
+		}
+	}
+	if theCodec == nil {
+		return nil, AnySampleCodec, ErrUnknownCodec
+	}
+	return theCodec.Decoder(r)
+}
+
+// Encoder tries to turn an io.WriteCloser into a sound.Sink
+// given a filename extension.
+func Encoder(dst io.WriteCloser, ext string) (sound.Sink, error) {
+	co, err := CodecFor(ext)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return co.Encoder(dst, co.DefaultSampleCodec)
+}
+
+// EncoderWith tries to turn an io.WriteCloser into a sound.Sink
+// given a filename extension and a sample.Codec.
+//
+// The sample codec may be AnySampleCodec, which should be used when
+// the caller is not sure of the desired sample codec c.
+func EncoderWith(dst io.WriteCloser, ext string, c sample.Codec) (sound.Sink, error) {
+	co, err := CodecFor(ext)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return co.Encoder(dst, c)
+}
+
+// Encode encodes a sound.Source to an io.WriteCloser, selecting
+// the codec based on a filename extension ext. It returns any
+// error that may have been encountered in that process.
+func Encode(dst io.WriteCloser, src sound.Source, ext string) error {
+	return EncodeWith(dst, src, ext, AnySampleCodec)
+}
+
+// EncodeWith encodes a sound.Source to an io.WriteCloser, selecting
+// the codec based on a filename extension ext and desired sample codec co.
+func EncodeWith(dst io.WriteCloser, src sound.Source, ext string, co sample.Codec) error {
+	snk, err := EncoderWith(dst, ext, co)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return ops.Copy(snk, src)
+}
diff --git a/decoder.go b/decoder.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 60b8078..0000000
--- a/decoder.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2018 The ZikiChombo Authors. All rights reserved.  Use of this source
-// code is governed by a license that can be found in the License file.
-
-package codec
-
-import (
-	"io"
-
-	"zikichombo.org/sound"
-	"zikichombo.org/sound/sample"
-)
-
-type Decoder interface {
-	Extensions() []string
-	Manufacturer() string
-	Decoder(r io.Reader) (sound.Source, sample.Codec, error)
-}
diff --git a/doc.go b/doc.go
index 0ad860f..251967e 100644
--- a/doc.go
+++ b/doc.go
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
 // Package codec supplies pluggable sound codecs.
 //
 // attention: open discussion on design in progress. See https://github.com/zikichombo/codec/issues/3
-package codec /* import "zikichombo.org/codec" */
+package codec /* import "zikichombo.org/codec/codec" */
diff --git a/encoder.go b/encoder.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 9276e9e..0000000
--- a/encoder.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2018 The ZikiChombo Authors. All rights reserved.  Use of this source
-// code is governed by a license that can be found in the License file.
-
-package codec
-
-import (
-	"io"
-
-	"zikichombo.org/sound"
-	"zikichombo.org/sound/sample"
-)
-
-type Encoder interface {
-	Manufacturer() string
-	Extensions() []string
-	SampleCodecs() []sample.Codec
-	Encoder(v sound.Form, w io.WriteCloser) (sound.Sink, error)
-	EncoderWith(v sound.Form, c sample.Codec, w io.WriteCloser) (sound.Sink, error)
-}