diff --git a/crates/pinakes-core/src/import.rs b/crates/pinakes-core/src/import.rs
index 5d4935d..6d3c657 100644
--- a/crates/pinakes-core/src/import.rs
+++ b/crates/pinakes-core/src/import.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use crate::{
     MediaItem,
     StorageMode,
   },
+  plugin::PluginPipeline,
   storage::DynStorageBackend,
   thumbnail,
 };
@@ -106,8 +107,10 @@ pub async fn validate_path_in_roots(
 pub async fn import_file(
   storage: &DynStorageBackend,
   path: &Path,
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<ImportResult> {
-  import_file_with_options(storage, path, &ImportOptions::default()).await
+  import_file_with_options(storage, path, &ImportOptions::default(), pipeline)
+    .await
 }
 
 /// Import a file with configurable options for incremental scanning
@@ -119,6 +122,7 @@ pub async fn import_file_with_options(
   storage: &DynStorageBackend,
   path: &Path,
   options: &ImportOptions,
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<ImportResult> {
   let path = path.canonicalize()?;
 
@@ -128,8 +132,12 @@ pub async fn import_file_with_options(
 
   validate_path_in_roots(storage, &path).await?;
 
-  let media_type = MediaType::from_path(&path)
-    .ok_or_else(|| PinakesError::UnsupportedMediaType(path.clone()))?;
+  let media_type = if let Some(pl) = pipeline {
+    pl.resolve_media_type(&path).await
+  } else {
+    MediaType::from_path(&path)
+  }
+  .ok_or_else(|| PinakesError::UnsupportedMediaType(path.clone()))?;
 
   let current_mtime = get_file_mtime(&path);
 
@@ -169,7 +177,9 @@ pub async fn import_file_with_options(
   let file_meta = std::fs::metadata(&path)?;
   let file_size = file_meta.len();
 
-  let extracted = {
+  let extracted = if let Some(pl) = pipeline {
+    pl.extract_metadata(&path, &media_type).await?
+  } else {
     let path_clone = path.clone();
     let media_type_clone = media_type.clone();
     tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
@@ -189,7 +199,15 @@ pub async fn import_file_with_options(
   let media_id = MediaId::new();
 
   // Generate thumbnail for image types
-  let thumb_path = {
+  let thumb_path = if let Some(pl) = pipeline {
+    pl.generate_thumbnail(
+      media_id,
+      &path,
+      &media_type,
+      &thumbnail::default_thumbnail_dir(),
+    )
+    .await?
+  } else {
     let source = path.clone();
     let thumb_dir = thumbnail::default_thumbnail_dir();
     let media_type_clone = media_type.clone();
@@ -218,6 +236,9 @@ pub async fn import_file_with_options(
   let is_markdown =
     media_type == MediaType::Builtin(BuiltinMediaType::Markdown);
 
+  // Capture media type debug string before moving into MediaItem
+  let media_type_debug = format!("{media_type:?}");
+
   let item = MediaItem {
     id: media_id,
     path: path.clone(),
@@ -299,6 +320,15 @@ pub async fn import_file_with_options(
   )
   .await?;
 
+  if let Some(pl) = pipeline {
+    let payload = serde_json::json!({
+        "media_id": media_id.to_string(),
+        "path": path.to_string_lossy(),
+        "media_type": media_type_debug,
+    });
+    pl.emit_event("MediaImported", &payload);
+  }
+
   info!(media_id = %media_id, path = %path.display(), "imported media file");
 
   Ok(ImportResult {
@@ -349,6 +379,7 @@ pub async fn import_directory(
   storage: &DynStorageBackend,
   dir: &Path,
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<Vec<std::result::Result<ImportResult, PinakesError>>> {
   import_directory_with_options(
     storage,
@@ -356,6 +387,7 @@ pub async fn import_directory(
     ignore_patterns,
     DEFAULT_IMPORT_CONCURRENCY,
     &ImportOptions::default(),
+    pipeline,
   )
   .await
 }
@@ -372,6 +404,7 @@ pub async fn import_directory_with_concurrency(
   dir: &Path,
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
   concurrency: usize,
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<Vec<std::result::Result<ImportResult, PinakesError>>> {
   import_directory_with_options(
     storage,
@@ -379,6 +412,7 @@ pub async fn import_directory_with_concurrency(
     ignore_patterns,
     concurrency,
     &ImportOptions::default(),
+    pipeline,
   )
   .await
 }
@@ -395,11 +429,13 @@ pub async fn import_directory_with_options(
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
   concurrency: usize,
   options: &ImportOptions,
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<Vec<std::result::Result<ImportResult, PinakesError>>> {
   let concurrency = concurrency.clamp(1, 256);
   let dir = dir.to_path_buf();
   let patterns = ignore_patterns.to_vec();
   let options = options.clone();
+  let pipeline = pipeline.cloned();
 
   let entries: Vec<PathBuf> = {
     let dir = dir.clone();
@@ -425,9 +461,11 @@ pub async fn import_directory_with_options(
     let storage = Arc::clone(storage);
     let path = entry_path.clone();
     let opts = options.clone();
+    let pl = pipeline.clone();
 
     join_set.spawn(async move {
-      let result = import_file_with_options(&storage, &path, &opts).await;
+      let result =
+        import_file_with_options(&storage, &path, &opts, pl.as_ref()).await;
       (path, result)
     });
 
diff --git a/crates/pinakes-core/src/scan.rs b/crates/pinakes-core/src/scan.rs
index 8fe459f..ce43896 100644
--- a/crates/pinakes-core/src/scan.rs
+++ b/crates/pinakes-core/src/scan.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@ use notify::{PollWatcher, RecursiveMode, Watcher};
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 use tracing::{info, warn};
 
-use crate::{error::Result, import, storage::DynStorageBackend};
+use crate::{
+  error::Result,
+  import,
+  plugin::PluginPipeline,
+  storage::DynStorageBackend,
+};
 
 /// Status of a directory scan operation.
 pub struct ScanStatus {
@@ -122,6 +127,7 @@ pub async fn scan_directory(
   storage: &DynStorageBackend,
   dir: &Path,
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<ScanStatus> {
   scan_directory_with_options(
     storage,
@@ -129,6 +135,7 @@ pub async fn scan_directory(
     ignore_patterns,
     None,
     &ScanOptions::default(),
+    pipeline,
   )
   .await
 }
@@ -154,13 +161,21 @@ pub async fn scan_directory_incremental(
   storage: &DynStorageBackend,
   dir: &Path,
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<ScanStatus> {
   let options = ScanOptions {
     incremental: true,
     force_full:  false,
   };
-  scan_directory_with_options(storage, dir, ignore_patterns, None, &options)
-    .await
+  scan_directory_with_options(
+    storage,
+    dir,
+    ignore_patterns,
+    None,
+    &options,
+    pipeline,
+  )
+  .await
 }
 
 /// Scans a directory with progress reporting.
@@ -184,6 +199,7 @@ pub async fn scan_directory_with_progress(
   dir: &Path,
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
   progress: Option<&ScanProgress>,
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<ScanStatus> {
   scan_directory_with_options(
     storage,
@@ -191,6 +207,7 @@ pub async fn scan_directory_with_progress(
     ignore_patterns,
     progress,
     &ScanOptions::default(),
+    pipeline,
   )
   .await
 }
@@ -207,6 +224,7 @@ pub async fn scan_directory_with_options(
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
   progress: Option<&ScanProgress>,
   scan_options: &ScanOptions,
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<ScanStatus> {
   info!(
       dir = %dir.display(),
@@ -230,8 +248,9 @@ pub async fn scan_directory_with_options(
     storage,
     dir,
     ignore_patterns,
-    8, // Default concurrency
+    8, // default concurrency
     &import_options,
+    pipeline,
   )
   .await?;
 
@@ -301,12 +320,14 @@ pub async fn scan_directory_with_options(
 pub async fn scan_all_roots(
   storage: &DynStorageBackend,
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<Vec<ScanStatus>> {
   scan_all_roots_with_options(
     storage,
     ignore_patterns,
     None,
     &ScanOptions::default(),
+    pipeline,
   )
   .await
 }
@@ -328,12 +349,20 @@ pub async fn scan_all_roots(
 pub async fn scan_all_roots_incremental(
   storage: &DynStorageBackend,
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<Vec<ScanStatus>> {
   let options = ScanOptions {
     incremental: true,
     force_full:  false,
   };
-  scan_all_roots_with_options(storage, ignore_patterns, None, &options).await
+  scan_all_roots_with_options(
+    storage,
+    ignore_patterns,
+    None,
+    &options,
+    pipeline,
+  )
+  .await
 }
 
 /// Scans all root directories with progress reporting.
@@ -355,12 +384,14 @@ pub async fn scan_all_roots_with_progress(
   storage: &DynStorageBackend,
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
   progress: Option<&ScanProgress>,
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<Vec<ScanStatus>> {
   scan_all_roots_with_options(
     storage,
     ignore_patterns,
     progress,
     &ScanOptions::default(),
+    pipeline,
   )
   .await
 }
@@ -386,6 +417,7 @@ pub async fn scan_all_roots_with_options(
   ignore_patterns: &[String],
   progress: Option<&ScanProgress>,
   scan_options: &ScanOptions,
+  pipeline: Option<&Arc<PluginPipeline>>,
 ) -> Result<Vec<ScanStatus>> {
   let roots = storage.list_root_dirs().await?;
   let mut statuses = Vec::new();
@@ -397,6 +429,7 @@ pub async fn scan_all_roots_with_options(
       ignore_patterns,
       progress,
       scan_options,
+      pipeline,
     )
     .await
     {
@@ -536,7 +569,7 @@ pub async fn watch_and_import(
       && !crate::import::should_ignore(&path, &ignore_patterns)
     {
       info!(path = %path.display(), "detected file change, importing");
-      if let Err(e) = import::import_file(&storage, &path).await {
+      if let Err(e) = import::import_file(&storage, &path, None).await {
         warn!(path = %path.display(), error = %e, "failed to import changed file");
       }
     }