Can you run a test in a terminal: gst-launch-0.10 audiotestsrc num-buffers=10 ! gnomevfssink location=[some url] Use the same url you used in SJ but add a filename, i.e. location=sftp://remote.server/home/foo/test -- 'Generic error' when destination is a remote system https://launchpad.net/malone/bugs/38556