diff --git a/src/audio/codec.rs b/src/audio/codec.rs
index 2cd1ff1..f31e5a0 100644
--- a/src/audio/codec.rs
+++ b/src/audio/codec.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,35 @@
+use std::{
+    io::{Read, Write},
+    process::{Child, ChildStdin, ChildStdout, Command, Stdio},
+};
+
 use crate::utils::Error;
 
-pub fn init() -> Result<(), Error> {
-    unimplemented!()
+pub struct DecoderContext {
+    process: Child,
+    encoded_in: ChildStdin,
+    frames_out: ChildStdout,
+}
+
+pub fn init() -> Result<DecoderContext, Error> {
+    let mut decoder = Command::new("ffmpeg")
+        .args(["-hide_banner", "-i", "-", "-f", "s16le", "-"])
+        .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+        .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+        .stderr(Stdio::null())
+        .spawn()?;
+    let encoded_in = decoder.stdin.take().unwrap();
+    let frames_out = decoder.stdout.take().unwrap();
+    Ok(DecoderContext {
+        process: decoder,
+        encoded_in,
+        frames_out,
+    })
+}
+
+impl DecoderContext {
+    pub fn append_chunk(&mut self, chunk: Vec<u8>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        self.encoded_in.write_all(chunk.as_slice())?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/audio/mod.rs b/src/audio/mod.rs
index d5814cf..e933d69 100644
--- a/src/audio/mod.rs
+++ b/src/audio/mod.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use std::{
 
 use std::sync::mpsc::Receiver;
 
-use pipewire::spa::pod::Pod;
+use codec::DecoderContext;
 
 use crate::{config::Settings, player::PlayerEvent, utils::Error};
 
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ pub struct SoundManager {
     player_chan: Sender<PlayerEvent>,
     sample_in: Sender<Vec<u8>>,
     pw_signal_in: pipewire::channel::Sender<Vec<u8>>,
+    decoder_context: DecoderContext,
+    playing: bool,
 }
 
 pub fn init(
diff --git a/src/audio/sound_mgr.rs b/src/audio/sound_mgr.rs
index 4fe86ba..9f831c0 100644
--- a/src/audio/sound_mgr.rs
+++ b/src/audio/sound_mgr.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use std::{
     sync::{
-        mpsc::{channel, Receiver, Sender},
+        mpsc::{channel, Receiver, Sender, TryRecvError},
         Arc,
     },
     thread,
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ impl SoundManager {
             };
         });
         let decoder_context = codec::init()?;
+
         Ok(SoundManager {
             settings,
             error_chan,
@@ -38,14 +39,26 @@ impl SoundManager {
             player_chan,
             sample_in,
             pw_signal_in,
+            decoder_context,
+            playing: true,
         })
     }
     pub fn begin(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         loop {
-            match self.audio_controls.recv()? {
-                AudioEvent::DecodeChunk(chunk) => (),
-                _ => unimplemented!(),
-            }
+            self.handle_events()?;
         }
     }
+
+    fn handle_events(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let event = match self.audio_controls.try_recv() {
+            Err(err) if err == TryRecvError::Empty => return Ok(()),
+            Ok(e) => e,
+            Err(err) => return Err(Box::new(err)),
+        };
+        match event {
+            AudioEvent::DecodeChunk(chunk) => self.decoder_context.append_chunk(chunk)?,
+            _ => unimplemented!(),
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/player/current.rs b/src/player/current.rs
index 2850e2e..5e0e193 100644
--- a/src/player/current.rs
+++ b/src/player/current.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ pub struct Metadata {
     pub cover: DynamicImage,
     pub size: u32,
     pub bytes_received: u32,
-    pub bytes_handled: u32,
 }
 
 impl Metadata {
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ impl Metadata {
             cover: default_cover(),
             size: 0,
             bytes_received: 0,
-            bytes_handled: 0,
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/player/mod.rs b/src/player/mod.rs
index b9ae20f..7a7d3a1 100644
--- a/src/player/mod.rs
+++ b/src/player/mod.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ pub enum PlayerEvent {
     UserQuit,
     PlayNext,
     AddAudioChunk(Vec<u8>),
+    AudioChunkQueued(u32),
 }
 
 pub struct Player {
diff --git a/src/player/player.rs b/src/player/player.rs
index 1f40985..6fb2888 100644
--- a/src/player/player.rs
+++ b/src/player/player.rs
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ impl Player {
                 PlayerEvent::PlayNext => self.play_next()?,
                 PlayerEvent::UpdateCover(cover) => self.tui_root.update_cover(cover),
                 PlayerEvent::AddAudioChunk(chunk) => self.recv_chunk(chunk)?,
+
                 _ => unimplemented!(),
             }
         }
@@ -100,19 +101,8 @@ impl Player {
     }
 
     fn recv_chunk(&mut self, chunk: Vec<u8>) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        if self.tui_root.metadata.bytes_received - self.tui_root.metadata.bytes_handled
-            > AUDIO_FILE_BUFFER
-        {
-            // requeue the new chunk since we don't need it decoded just yet. Mostly for massive hr+ files
-            self.player_chan_in
-                .send(PlayerEvent::AddAudioChunk(chunk))?;
-            return Ok(());
-        }
         self.tui_root.metadata.bytes_received += chunk.len() as u32;
         self.audio_chan.send(AudioEvent::DecodeChunk(chunk))?;
-        if self.tui_root.metadata.bytes_pending() {
-            self.fetch_audio_chunk()?;
-        }
         Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
index 831b56a..90cc172 100644
--- a/src/utils.rs
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-use std::io::Cursor;
-
 use image::DynamicImage;
 use pipewire::spa::{
     param::audio::AudioInfoRaw,
@@ -7,6 +5,7 @@ use pipewire::spa::{
     sys::{SPA_PARAM_EnumFormat, SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_Format},
 };
 use rand::{distributions::Alphanumeric, thread_rng, Rng};
+use std::io::Cursor;
 
 pub type Error = Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>;