diff --git a/backend/audiocache.go b/backend/audiocache.go
index 965d14d..ee9141d 100644
--- a/backend/audiocache.go
+++ b/backend/audiocache.go
@@ -59,6 +59,16 @@ func (a *AudioCache) PathForCachedFile(id string) string {
 	return ""
 }
 
+// PathForCachedFile returns the local filesystem path for a cached track,
+// including one that is in the process of downloading.
+// If it is not cached or downloading, it returns an empty string.
+func (a *AudioCache) PathForCachedOrDownloadingFile(id string) string {
+	if _, ok := a.entries[id]; ok {
+		return a.pathForID(id)
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
 // cacheFile begins downloading a file (if not already downloading) and stores it
 // to the cache directory under its ID as filename. The download is asynchronous.
 func (a *AudioCache) cacheFile(id, dlURL string) {
diff --git a/backend/playbackengine.go b/backend/playbackengine.go
index cd7a463..d1123ed 100644
--- a/backend/playbackengine.go
+++ b/backend/playbackengine.go
@@ -89,16 +89,17 @@ type playbackEngine struct {
 	replayGainCfg ReplayGainConfig
 
 	// registered callbacks
-	onSongChange     []func(nowPlaying mediaprovider.MediaItem, justScrobbledIfAny *mediaprovider.Track)
-	onPlayTimeUpdate []func(float64, float64, bool)
-	onLoopModeChange []func(LoopMode)
-	onVolumeChange   []func(int)
-	onSeek           []func()
-	onPaused         []func()
-	onStopped        []func()
-	onPlaying        []func()
-	onPlayerChange   []func()
-	onQueueChange    []func()
+	onBeforeSongChange []func(next mediaprovider.MediaItem)
+	onSongChange       []func(nowPlaying mediaprovider.MediaItem, justScrobbledIfAny *mediaprovider.Track)
+	onPlayTimeUpdate   []func(float64, float64, bool)
+	onLoopModeChange   []func(LoopMode)
+	onVolumeChange     []func(int)
+	onSeek             []func()
+	onPaused           []func()
+	onStopped          []func()
+	onPlaying          []func()
+	onPlayerChange     []func()
+	onQueueChange      []func()
 }
 
 func NewPlaybackEngine(
@@ -246,8 +247,7 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) SetLoopMode(loopMode LoopMode) {
 	if p.nowPlayingIdx >= 0 {
 		// TODO - don't need when going from LoopNone to LoopAll
 		// if not on last track
-		p.needToSetNextTrack = true
-		//p.setNextTrackBasedOnLoopMode(true)
+		p.handleNextTrackUpdated()
 	}
 
 	for _, cb := range p.onLoopModeChange {
@@ -368,7 +368,9 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) doLoaditems(items []mediaprovider.MediaItem, insertQueu
 		p.nowPlayingIdx = -1
 		p.playQueue = nil
 	}
-	p.needToSetNextTrack = len(items) > 0 && (insertQueueMode == InsertNext || (insertQueueMode == Append && p.nowPlayingIdx == len(p.playQueue)-1))
+	if nextChanged := len(items) > 0 && (insertQueueMode != Append || (p.nowPlayingIdx == len(p.playQueue)-1)); nextChanged {
+		defer p.handleNextTrackUpdated()
+	}
 
 	if shuffle {
 		rand.Shuffle(len(items), func(i, j int) { items[i], items[j] = items[j], items[i] })
@@ -380,10 +382,6 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) doLoaditems(items []mediaprovider.MediaItem, insertQueu
 	}
 	p.playQueue = append(p.playQueue[:insertIdx], append(items, p.playQueue[insertIdx:]...)...)
 
-	//if needToSetNext {
-	//	p.setNextTrack(p.nowPlayingIdx + 1)
-	//}
-
 	p.invokeNoArgCallbacks(p.onQueueChange)
 	return nil
 }
@@ -394,7 +392,9 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) LoadRadioStation(radio *mediaprovider.RadioStation, ins
 		p.nowPlayingIdx = -1
 		p.playQueue = nil
 	}
-	p.needToSetNextTrack = insertMode == InsertNext || (insertMode == Append && p.nowPlayingIdx == len(p.playQueue)-1)
+	if nextChanged := insertMode == InsertNext || (insertMode == Append && p.nowPlayingIdx == len(p.playQueue)-1); nextChanged {
+		p.handleNextTrackUpdated()
+	}
 	insertIdx := len(p.playQueue)
 	if insertMode == InsertNext {
 		insertIdx = p.nowPlayingIdx + 1
@@ -406,10 +406,6 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) LoadRadioStation(radio *mediaprovider.RadioStation, ins
 	copy(new[len(firstHalf)+1:], p.playQueue[insertIdx:])
 	p.playQueue = new
 
-	//if needToSetNext {
-	//	p.setNextTrack(p.nowPlayingIdx + 1)
-	//}
-
 	p.invokeNoArgCallbacks(p.onQueueChange)
 }
 
@@ -468,11 +464,10 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) UpdatePlayQueue(items []mediaprovider.MediaItem) error
 	if p.nowPlayingIdx >= 0 && newNowPlayingIdx == -1 {
 		return p.Stop()
 	}
-	p.needToSetNextTrack = p.nowPlayingIdx >= 0
+	if p.nowPlayingIdx >= 0 {
+		p.handleNextTrackUpdated()
+	}
 	p.nowPlayingIdx = newNowPlayingIdx
-	//if needToUpdateNext {
-	//	p.setNextTrackBasedOnLoopMode(false)
-	//}
 
 	p.invokeNoArgCallbacks(p.onQueueChange)
 	return nil
@@ -518,8 +513,7 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) RemoveTracksFromQueue(idxs []int) {
 		// when we receive new track event from player
 	} else if isNextPlayingTrackremoved {
 		if newNowPlaying < len(newQueue)-1 {
-			p.needToSetNextTrack = true
-			//p.setNextTrack(p.nowPlayingIdx + 1)
+			p.handleNextTrackUpdated()
 		} else {
 			// no next track to play
 			p.setNextTrack(-1)
@@ -620,8 +614,7 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) handleOnTrackChange() {
 	p.sendNowPlayingScrobble() // Must come before invokeOnChangeCallbacks b/c track may immediately be scrobbled
 	p.invokeOnSongChangeCallbacks()
 	p.handleTimePosUpdate(false)
-	p.cacheNextTracks()
-	p.setNextTrackBasedOnLoopMode(false)
+	p.handleNextTrackUpdated()
 }
 
 func (p *playbackEngine) handleOnStopped() {
@@ -638,25 +631,35 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) handleOnStopped() {
 	p.nowPlayingIdx = -1
 }
 
-func (p *playbackEngine) setNextTrackBasedOnLoopMode(onLoopModeChange bool) {
+// to be invoked as soon as the next item in the queue that should play changes
+func (p *playbackEngine) handleNextTrackUpdated() {
+	p.cacheNextTracks()
+	p.needToSetNextTrack = true
+	for _, cb := range p.onBeforeSongChange {
+		var item mediaprovider.MediaItem
+		if idx := p.nextPlayingIndex(); idx >= 0 {
+			item = p.playQueue[idx]
+		}
+		cb(item)
+	}
+}
+
+func (p *playbackEngine) nextPlayingIndex() int {
 	switch p.loopMode {
 	case LoopNone:
-		if p.nowPlayingIdx < len(p.playQueue)-1 {
-			p.setNextTrack(p.nowPlayingIdx + 1)
-		} else if onLoopModeChange {
-			// prev was LoopOne - need to erase next track
-			p.setNextTrack(-1)
+		if p.nowPlayingIdx >= len(p.playQueue)-1 {
+			return -1
 		}
+		return p.nowPlayingIdx + 1
 	case LoopOne:
-		p.setNextTrack(p.nowPlayingIdx)
+		return p.nowPlayingIdx
 	case LoopAll:
 		if p.nowPlayingIdx >= len(p.playQueue)-1 {
-			p.setNextTrack(0)
-		} else if !onLoopModeChange {
-			// if onloopmodechange, prev mode was LoopNone and next track is already set
-			p.setNextTrack(p.nowPlayingIdx + 1)
+			return 0
 		}
+		return p.nowPlayingIdx + 1
 	}
+	return -1 // unreached
 }
 
 func (p *playbackEngine) setTrack(idx int, next bool, startTime float64) error {
@@ -841,7 +844,7 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) handleTimePosUpdate(seeked bool) {
 	isNearEnd := meta.Type != mediaprovider.MediaItemTypeRadioStation && s.TimePos > float64(meta.Duration)-10
 	if p.needToSetNextTrack && isNearEnd {
 		p.needToSetNextTrack = false
-		p.setNextTrackBasedOnLoopMode(false)
+		p.setNextTrack(p.nextPlayingIndex())
 	}
 	if p.callbacksDisabled {
 		return
diff --git a/backend/playbackmanager.go b/backend/playbackmanager.go
index 21abcd9..3b7c2fe 100644
--- a/backend/playbackmanager.go
+++ b/backend/playbackmanager.go
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ type RemotePlaybackDevice struct {
 	new      func() (player.BasePlayer, error)
 }
 
+var zeroWaveformImage *WaveformImage
+
+func init() {
+	zeroWaveformImage = NewWaveformImage()
+	GenerateWaveformImage(&WaveformData{}, zeroWaveformImage, color.White)
+}
+
 func NewPlaybackManager(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	s *ServerManager,
@@ -81,30 +88,68 @@ func (p *PlaybackManager) addOnTrackChangeHook() {
 		p.lastPlayTime = curTime
 	})
 
+	var nextWaveformImgLock sync.Mutex
+	var nextWaveformImg *WaveformImage
+	var nextWaveformImgID string
+	var cancel context.CancelFunc
+
+	p.engine.onBeforeSongChange = append(p.engine.onBeforeSongChange, func(item mediaprovider.MediaItem) {
+		if p.cache != nil && item != nil && item.Metadata().Type == mediaprovider.MediaItemTypeTrack {
+			log.Println("preparing waveform image for next track ", item.Metadata().ID)
+			nextWaveformImgLock.Lock()
+			if cancel != nil {
+				cancel()
+			}
+			nextWaveformImgLock.Unlock()
+			id := item.Metadata().ID
+			path := p.cache.PathForCachedOrDownloadingFile(id)
+			go func() {
+				ctx, cncl := context.WithCancel(p.engine.ctx)
+				nextWaveformImgLock.Lock()
+				cancel = cncl
+				nextWaveformImgLock.Unlock()
+				wd, err := GetWaveformDataForFile(ctx, path, func() bool {
+					return p.cache.PathForCachedFile(id) != ""
+				})
+				if err != nil {
+					log.Println(err.Error())
+				} else {
+					im := NewWaveformImage()
+					GenerateWaveformImage(wd, im, color.White)
+
+					if ctx.Err() != nil {
+						log.Println("canceled")
+					}
+					log.Println("have waveform image for track %s", item.Metadata().ID)
+					nextWaveformImgLock.Lock()
+					defer nextWaveformImgLock.Unlock()
+					nextWaveformImg = im
+					nextWaveformImgID = item.Metadata().ID
+				}
+			}()
+		}
+	})
+
 	p.OnSongChange(func(item mediaprovider.MediaItem, _ *mediaprovider.Track) {
 		// Autoplay if enabled and we are on the last track
 		if p.autoplay && p.NowPlayingIndex() == len(p.engine.playQueue)-1 {
 			p.enqueueAutoplayTracks()
 		}
 
-		// TODO: make more permanent
-		if p.cache != nil && item != nil {
-			go func() {
-				if path := p.cache.PathForCachedFile(item.Metadata().ID); path != "" {
-					wd, err := GetWaveformDataForFile(context.Background(), path)
-					if err != nil {
-						log.Println(err.Error())
-					} else {
-						im := NewWaveformImage()
-						GenerateWaveformImage(wd, im, color.White)
-						for _, cb := range p.onWaveformImgUpdate {
-							cb(im)
-						}
-					}
-				} else {
-					log.Println("no cached file for waveform image")
-				}
-			}()
+		if item != nil {
+			log.Println("Playing track ", item.Metadata().ID)
+			var im *WaveformImage
+			nextWaveformImgLock.Lock()
+			if nextWaveformImgID == item.Metadata().ID {
+				im = nextWaveformImg
+			}
+			nextWaveformImgLock.Unlock()
+			if im == nil {
+				im = zeroWaveformImage
+			}
+			for _, cb := range p.onWaveformImgUpdate {
+				cb(im)
+			}
 		}
 
 		if runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
diff --git a/backend/util/filestreamer.go b/backend/util/filestreamer.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..545ed51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/util/filestreamer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package util
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"log"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type FileStreamerServer struct {
+	Path       string
+	IsComplete func() bool
+	listener   net.Listener
+	server     *http.Server
+	done       chan struct{}
+}
+
+// NewFileStreamerServer creates a new server but doesn't start it yet.
+func NewFileStreamerServer(path string, isComplete func() bool) (*FileStreamerServer, error) {
+	listener, err := net.Listen("tcp", ":0")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	fs := &FileStreamerServer{
+		Path:       path,
+		IsComplete: isComplete,
+		listener:   listener,
+		done:       make(chan struct{}),
+	}
+
+	mux := http.NewServeMux()
+	mux.HandleFunc("/stream", fs.streamHandler)
+
+	fs.server = &http.Server{
+		Handler: mux,
+	}
+
+	return fs, nil
+}
+
+// Addr returns the server address (host:port).
+func (fs *FileStreamerServer) Addr() string {
+	_, port, _ := net.SplitHostPort(fs.listener.Addr().String())
+	return "http://localhost:" + port + "/stream"
+}
+
+// Serve starts serving and waits for a single request to complete.
+func (fs *FileStreamerServer) Serve() error {
+	go func() {
+		_ = fs.server.Serve(fs.listener)
+	}()
+
+	<-fs.done // wait for the handler to finish
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 3*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	return fs.server.Shutdown(ctx)
+}
+
+// Handler that streams the file using chunked transfer encoding.
+func (fs *FileStreamerServer) streamHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	defer close(fs.done) // signal Serve() to shut down after this request
+
+	file, err := os.Open(fs.Path)
+	if err != nil {
+		http.Error(w, "could not open file", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		return
+	}
+	defer file.Close()
+
+	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/octet-stream")
+	w.Header().Set("Transfer-Encoding", "chunked")
+	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+
+	flusher, canFlush := w.(http.Flusher)
+
+	buf := make([]byte, 4096)
+	for {
+		n, err := file.Read(buf)
+		if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+			log.Printf("read error: %v", err)
+			break
+		}
+
+		if n > 0 {
+			_, err := w.Write(buf[:n])
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Printf("client write error: %v", err)
+				break
+			}
+			if canFlush {
+				flusher.Flush()
+			}
+		}
+
+		if n == 0 && fs.IsComplete() {
+			break
+		}
+
+		// Wait for more content to be written to the source file
+		if n == 0 {
+			time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/backend/waveformimage.go b/backend/waveformimage.go
index 201f4a3..26edad4 100644
--- a/backend/waveformimage.go
+++ b/backend/waveformimage.go
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"image"
 	"image/color"
 	"io"
+	"log"
 	"math"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
+	"github.com/dweymouth/supersonic/backend/util"
 	"github.com/go-audio/audio"
 	"github.com/go-audio/wav"
 	"github.com/supersonic-app/go-mpv"
@@ -71,10 +73,20 @@ func GenerateWaveformImage(data *WaveformData, imgbuf *WaveformImage, c color.Co
 	}
 }
 
-func GetWaveformDataForFile(ctx context.Context, fpath string) (*WaveformData, error) {
+func GetWaveformDataForFile(ctx context.Context, fpath string, fileIsDone func() bool) (*WaveformData, error) {
 	dir := filepath.Dir(fpath)
 	transcodeFile := filepath.Join(dir, filepath.Base(fpath)+"_waveform.wav")
 
+	if !fileIsDone() {
+		srv, err := util.NewFileStreamerServer(fpath, fileIsDone)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		fpath = srv.Addr()
+		log.Println("streaming file to MPV at ", fpath)
+		go srv.Serve()
+	}
+
 	err := convertToWav(ctx, fpath, transcodeFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -82,6 +94,7 @@ func GetWaveformDataForFile(ctx context.Context, fpath string) (*WaveformData, e
 
 	f, err := os.Open(transcodeFile)
 	if err != nil {
+		log.Println("error opening transcoded file")
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
@@ -199,7 +212,6 @@ func convertToWav(ctx context.Context, inPath, outPath string) error {
 
 	m.Command([]string{"loadfile", inPath, "replace"})
 
-	//log.Println("generating wav file from %s using MPV", inPath)
 	return mpvWaitForIdle(ctx, m)
 }