diff --git a/spa/examples/example-control.c b/spa/examples/example-control.c
index 8132a9781..6a4709b26 100644
--- a/spa/examples/example-control.c
+++ b/spa/examples/example-control.c
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 #include <spa/param/param.h>
 #include <spa/param/props.h>
 #include <spa/param/audio/format-utils.h>
-#include <spa/control/control.h>
 #include <spa/utils/names.h>
 
 #define M_PI_M2 ( M_PI + M_PI )
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h b/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
index 822067897..1775b25a9 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 #include <spa/utils/defs.h>
+#include <spa/pod/pod.h>
 
 /** \page page_meta Metadata
  *
@@ -42,6 +43,8 @@ enum spa_meta_type {
 	SPA_META_VideoDamage,
 	SPA_META_Bitmap,
 	SPA_META_Cursor,
+	SPA_META_Control,	/**< metadata contains a spa_pod_sequence
+				  *  associated with the data */
 
 	SPA_META_LAST,		/**< not part of ABI/API */
 };
@@ -134,6 +137,11 @@ struct spa_meta_cursor {
 					  *  struct spa_meta_bitmap at the offset. */
 };
 
+/** a timed set of events associated with the buffer */
+struct spa_meta_control {
+	struct spa_pod_sequence sequence;
+};
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }  /* extern "C" */
 #endif
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/control/control.h b/spa/include/spa/control/control.h
index 09a3be215..b355259b4 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/control/control.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/control/control.h
@@ -39,8 +39,10 @@ extern "C" {
 /** Different Control types */
 enum spa_control_type {
 	SPA_CONTROL_Invalid,
-	SPA_CONTROL_Properties,
-	SPA_CONTROL_Midi,
+	SPA_CONTROL_Properties,		/**< data contains a SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_Props */
+	SPA_CONTROL_Midi,		/**< data contains a spa_pod_bytes with raw midi data */
+	SPA_CONTROL_OSC,		/**< data contains a spa_pod_bytes with an OSC packet */
+
 	SPA_CONTROL_LAST,		/**< not part of ABI */
 };
 
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/control/type-info.h b/spa/include/spa/control/type-info.h
index 5cad93361..ae3f149bf 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/control/type-info.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/control/type-info.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ static const struct spa_type_info spa_type_control[] = {
 	{ SPA_CONTROL_Invalid, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_CONTROL_BASE "Invalid", NULL },
 	{ SPA_CONTROL_Properties, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_CONTROL_BASE "Properties", NULL },
 	{ SPA_CONTROL_Midi, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_CONTROL_BASE "Midi", NULL },
+	{ SPA_CONTROL_OSC, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_CONTROL_BASE "OSC", NULL },
 	{ 0, 0, NULL, NULL },
 };
 
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/node/io.h b/spa/include/spa/node/io.h
index aee57c794..086be0046 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/node/io.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/node/io.h
@@ -46,8 +46,12 @@ enum spa_io_type {
 	SPA_IO_Range,		/**< expected byte range */
 	SPA_IO_Clock,		/**< area to update clock information */
 	SPA_IO_Latency,		/**< latency reporting */
-	SPA_IO_Control,		/**< area for control messages */
-	SPA_IO_Notify,		/**< area for notify messages */
+	SPA_IO_Control,		/**< area for control messages, control messages
+				  *  contain an input spa_pod_sequence of timed
+				  *  events. */
+	SPA_IO_Notify,		/**< area for notify messages, notify messages
+				  *  contain an output spa_pod_sequence of timed
+				  *  events to be sent to listeners. */
 	SPA_IO_Position,	/**< position information in the graph */
 	SPA_IO_RateMatch,	/**< rate matching between nodes */
 };
@@ -104,7 +108,7 @@ struct spa_io_latency {
 	uint64_t max;			/**< max latency */
 };
 
-/** control stream */
+/** control stream, io area for SPA_IO_Control and SPA_IO_Notify */
 struct spa_io_sequence {
 	struct spa_pod_sequence sequence;	/**< sequence of timed events */
 };
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-utils.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-utils.c
index 01406ca65..7cf1d0d23 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-utils.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-utils.c
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 #include <spa/pod/filter.h>
 #include <spa/support/system.h>
-#include <spa/control/control.h>
 
 #include "alsa-utils.h"
 
diff --git a/spa/plugins/audioconvert/audioconvert.c b/spa/plugins/audioconvert/audioconvert.c
index edae5f82b..42e077451 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/audioconvert/audioconvert.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/audioconvert/audioconvert.c
@@ -896,12 +896,6 @@ impl_node_port_enum_params(void *object, int seq,
 				SPA_PARAM_IO_size,	SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_io_buffers)));
 			break;
 		case 1:
-			param = spa_pod_builder_add_object(&b,
-				SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamIO, id,
-				SPA_PARAM_IO_id,   SPA_POD_Id(SPA_IO_Control),
-				SPA_PARAM_IO_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_io_sequence)));
-			break;
-		case 2:
 			param = spa_pod_builder_add_object(&b,
 				SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamIO, id,
 				SPA_PARAM_IO_id,   SPA_POD_Id(SPA_IO_RateMatch),
@@ -1032,9 +1026,6 @@ impl_node_port_set_io(void *object,
 	case SPA_IO_RateMatch:
 		res = spa_node_port_set_io(this->resample, direction, 0, id, data, size);
 		break;
-	case SPA_IO_Control:
-		res = spa_node_port_set_io(this->channelmix, direction, 0, id, data, size);
-		break;
 	default:
 		if (IS_MONITOR_PORT(this, direction, port_id))
 			target = this->fmt[SPA_DIRECTION_INPUT];
diff --git a/spa/plugins/audioconvert/channelmix.c b/spa/plugins/audioconvert/channelmix.c
index ec0daee01..65a524a2d 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/audioconvert/channelmix.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/audioconvert/channelmix.c
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <spa/param/audio/format-utils.h>
 #include <spa/param/param.h>
 #include <spa/pod/filter.h>
-#include <spa/control/control.h>
 #include <spa/debug/types.h>
 
 #include "channelmix-ops.h"
@@ -90,7 +89,6 @@ struct port {
 	struct spa_param_info params[8];
 
 	struct spa_io_buffers *io;
-	struct spa_io_sequence *control;
 
 	bool have_format;
 	struct spa_audio_info format;
@@ -604,12 +602,6 @@ impl_node_port_enum_params(void *object, int seq,
 				SPA_PARAM_IO_id,   SPA_POD_Id(SPA_IO_Buffers),
 				SPA_PARAM_IO_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_io_buffers)));
 			break;
-		case 1:
-			param = spa_pod_builder_add_object(&b,
-				SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamIO, id,
-				SPA_PARAM_IO_id,   SPA_POD_Id(SPA_IO_Control),
-				SPA_PARAM_IO_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_io_sequence)));
-			break;
 		default:
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -800,9 +792,6 @@ impl_node_port_set_io(void *object,
 	case SPA_IO_Buffers:
 		port->io = data;
 		break;
-	case SPA_IO_Control:
-		port->control = data;
-		break;
 	default:
 		return -ENOENT;
 	}
@@ -848,22 +837,6 @@ static int impl_node_port_reuse_buffer(void *object, uint32_t port_id, uint32_t
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int process_control(struct impl *this, struct port *port, struct spa_pod_sequence *sequence)
-{
-	struct spa_pod_control *c;
-
-	SPA_POD_SEQUENCE_FOREACH(sequence, c) {
-		switch (c->type) {
-		case SPA_CONTROL_Properties:
-			apply_props(this, (const struct spa_pod *) &c->value);
-			break;
-		default:
-			break;
-                }
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int impl_node_process(void *object)
 {
 	struct impl *this = object;
@@ -884,9 +857,6 @@ static int impl_node_process(void *object)
 
 	spa_log_trace_fp(this->log, NAME " %p: status %d %d", this, inio->status, outio->status);
 
-	if (outport->control)
-		process_control(this, outport, &outport->control->sequence);
-
 	if (outio->status == SPA_STATUS_HAVE_DATA)
 		goto done;
 
diff --git a/spa/plugins/audioconvert/test-source.c b/spa/plugins/audioconvert/test-source.c
index 745e1fa40..95234736b 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/audioconvert/test-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/audioconvert/test-source.c
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <spa/param/audio/format-utils.h>
 #include <spa/param/param.h>
 #include <spa/pod/filter.h>
-#include <spa/control/control.h>
 #include <spa/debug/types.h>
 
 #define NAME "test-source"
diff --git a/spa/plugins/audiomixer/audiomixer.c b/spa/plugins/audiomixer/audiomixer.c
index f99ef4b85..2624c6945 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/audiomixer/audiomixer.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/audiomixer/audiomixer.c
@@ -416,12 +416,6 @@ impl_node_port_enum_params(void *object, int seq,
 				SPA_PARAM_IO_id,   SPA_POD_Id(SPA_IO_Buffers),
 				SPA_PARAM_IO_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_io_buffers)));
 			break;
-		case 1:
-			param = spa_pod_builder_add_object(&b,
-				SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamIO, id,
-				SPA_PARAM_IO_id,   SPA_POD_Id(SPA_IO_Control),
-				SPA_PARAM_IO_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_io_sequence)));
-			break;
 		default:
 			return 0;
 		}
diff --git a/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-source.c b/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-source.c
index a957873a5..8b263a346 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-source.c
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
 #include <spa/param/video/format-utils.h>
 #include <spa/param/param.h>
 #include <spa/pod/filter.h>
-#include <spa/control/control.h>
 #include <spa/debug/pod.h>
 
 #include "v4l2.h"
diff --git a/spa/tests/test-cpp.cpp b/spa/tests/test-cpp.cpp
index ff78b20bf..911466873 100644
--- a/spa/tests/test-cpp.cpp
+++ b/spa/tests/test-cpp.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include <spa/buffer/alloc.h>
 #include <spa/buffer/buffer.h>
 #include <spa/buffer/meta.h>
-#include <spa/control/control.h>
 #include <spa/debug/buffer.h>
 #include <spa/debug/dict.h>
 #include <spa/debug/format.h>
diff --git a/src/examples/export-sink.c b/src/examples/export-sink.c
index 167d0a8f0..781e6d70a 100644
--- a/src/examples/export-sink.c
+++ b/src/examples/export-sink.c
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 #include <spa/param/props.h>
 #include <spa/node/utils.h>
 #include <spa/node/io.h>
-#include <spa/control/control.h>
 #include <spa/pod/filter.h>
 #include <spa/debug/format.h>
 #include <spa/debug/pod.h>
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.c b/src/pipewire/stream.c
index 4f5a959cc..3466d9145 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.c
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include <spa/node/utils.h>
 #include <spa/utils/ringbuffer.h>
 #include <spa/pod/filter.h>
-#include <spa/control/control.h>
 #include <spa/debug/format.h>
 #include <spa/debug/types.h>
 #include <spa/debug/pod.h>