diff --git a/src/airsonic_ui/audio.cljs b/src/airsonic_ui/audio.cljs
index 16f79ca..973a6ae 100644
--- a/src/airsonic_ui/audio.cljs
+++ b/src/airsonic_ui/audio.cljs
@@ -3,11 +3,33 @@
 
 ;; TODO: Manage multiple songs, buffering, stopping, progress notification...
 
-(def current-audio (atom nil))
+(defonce current-audio (atom nil))
+
+(defn ->status
+  "Takes an audio object and returns a map describing its current status"
+  [elem]
+  {:ended? (.-ended elem)
+   :loop? (.-loop elem)
+   :muted? (.-muted elem)
+   :paused? (.-paused elem)
+   :current-src (.-currentSrc elem)
+   :current-time (.-currentTime elem)})
+
+; explanation of these events: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Apps/Fundamentals/Audio_and_video_delivery/Cross-browser_audio_basics
+(defn attach-listeners! [el]
+  (doseq [event ["loadstart" "progress" "play" "timeupdate" "pause"]]
+    (.addEventListener el event #(re-frame/dispatch [:audio-update (->status el)]))))
+
 
 (re-frame/reg-fx
  :play-song
  (fn [song-url]
    (let [audio (js/Audio. song-url)]
      (reset! current-audio audio)
+     (attach-listeners! audio)
      (.play audio))))
+
+(re-frame/reg-fx
+ :pause-song
+ (fn [_]
+   (some-> @current-audio .pause)))
diff --git a/src/airsonic_ui/events.cljs b/src/airsonic_ui/events.cljs
index 9782914..f6a3a65 100644
--- a/src/airsonic_ui/events.cljs
+++ b/src/airsonic_ui/events.cljs
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@
 (re-frame/reg-event-db
  ::api-success
  (fn [db [_ k response]]
-   (println "api response" response)
-   ;; we "unwrap" the responses
+   ; we "unwrap" the responses
    (assoc db :response (-> response :subsonic-response k))))
 
 (re-frame/reg-event-db
@@ -67,10 +66,23 @@
 (re-frame/reg-event-fx
  ::play-song
  (fn [{:keys [db]} [_ song]]
+   ; sets up the db and starts to play a song
    (let [song-url (api/url "stream" (merge {:id (:id song)}
                                            (:login db)))]
-     (println "Requesting to stream song at" song-url)
-     {:play-song song-url})))
+     {:play-song song-url
+      :db (assoc-in db [:currently-playing :item] song)})))
+
+(re-frame/reg-event-fx
+ ::pause-song
+ (fn [_ _]
+   ; pauses the current song
+   {:pause-song nil}))
+
+(re-frame/reg-event-db
+ :audio-update
+ (fn [db [_ status]]
+   ; we receive this from the player once it's playing
+   (assoc-in db [:currently-playing :status] status)))
 
 ;; routing
 
diff --git a/src/airsonic_ui/subs.cljs b/src/airsonic_ui/subs.cljs
index 893c6e3..a692098 100644
--- a/src/airsonic_ui/subs.cljs
+++ b/src/airsonic_ui/subs.cljs
@@ -23,3 +23,9 @@
  ::current-content
  (fn [db]
    (-> db :response)))
+
+(re-frame/reg-sub
+ ; returns info on the current song as is (basically the metadata you can read from the file system)
+ ::currently-playing
+ (fn [db]
+   (-> db :currently-playing)))
diff --git a/src/airsonic_ui/views.cljs b/src/airsonic_ui/views.cljs
index 8c151eb..6dd69c9 100644
--- a/src/airsonic_ui/views.cljs
+++ b/src/airsonic_ui/views.cljs
@@ -63,6 +63,29 @@
    [:h2 (str (:artist content) " - " (:name content))]
    [song-list (:song content)]])
 
+;; currently playing / coming next / audio controls...
+
+(defn current-song-info [{:keys [item status]}]
+  [:div
+   [:b "Currently playing: "]
+   [:div (:artist item) " - " (:title item)]
+   [:div (:current-time status) "s / " (:duration item) "s"]])
+
+(defn playback-controls []
+  [:div
+   [:button "previous"]
+   [:button "play / pause"]
+   [:button "next"]
+   [:label [:input {:type "checkbox"}] "shuffle"]
+   [:label [:input {:type "checkbox"}] "repeat"]])
+
+(defn bottom-bar []
+  [:div
+   (if-let [currently-playing @(re-frame/subscribe [::subs/currently-playing])]
+     [current-song-info currently-playing]
+     [:span "Currently no song selected"])
+   [playback-controls]])
+
 ;; putting everything together
 
 (defn app [route params query]
@@ -73,7 +96,8 @@
      (case route
        ::routes/main [album-list content]
        ::routes/album-view [album-detail content])
-     [:a {:on-click #(re-frame/dispatch [::events/initialize-db]) :href "#"} "Logout"]]))
+     [:a {:on-click #(re-frame/dispatch [::events/initialize-db]) :href "#"} "Logout"]
+     [bottom-bar]]))
 
 (defn main-panel []
   (let [[route params query] @(re-frame/subscribe [::subs/current-route])]