FFmpeg's core architecture centers on its modular toolset and libraries for media processing. FFmpeg comprises tools like `ffmpeg` for format conversion, `ffplay` for playback, and `ffprobe` for analysis, alongside libraries such as `libavformat` for I/O and `libavcodec` for encoding/decoding. This structure enables handling diverse audio/video formats and network streaming. The system processes media through structures like `AVFormatContext` for stream management and `AVCodec` for decoding, as demonstrated in code examples for demuxing and decoding streams.

This architecture underpins FFmpeg's versatility in media workflows.