diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/AudioPlayer.as b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/AudioPlayer.as
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04a9481d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/AudioPlayer.as
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+//
+// $Id$
+
+package com.threerings.flash.media {
+
+/**
+ * Implemented by audio-playing backends.
+ */
+public interface AudioPlayer extends MediaPlayer
+{
+    // surely we'll think of something unique to audio. :)
+}
+}
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/FlvVideoPlayer.as b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/FlvVideoPlayer.as
index 80ba6b52..04ce72e6 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/FlvVideoPlayer.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/FlvVideoPlayer.as
@@ -282,9 +282,7 @@ public class FlvVideoPlayer extends EventDispatcher
     protected function updateState (newState :int) :void
     {
         const oldState :int = _state;
-
         _state = newState;
-        dispatchEvent(new ValueEvent(MediaPlayerCodes.STATE, newState));
 
         if (_state == MediaPlayerCodes.STATE_PLAYING) {
             _positionChecker.start();
@@ -295,6 +293,8 @@ public class FlvVideoPlayer extends EventDispatcher
                 handlePositionCheck(null);
             }
         }
+
+        dispatchEvent(new ValueEvent(MediaPlayerCodes.STATE, newState));
     }
 
     protected const log :Log = Log.getLog(this);
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/Mp3AudioPlayer.as b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/Mp3AudioPlayer.as
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..49b3337d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/flash/media/Mp3AudioPlayer.as
@@ -0,0 +1,212 @@
+//
+// $Id: SoundPlayer.as 10500 2008-08-07 19:14:38Z mdb $
+
+package com.threerings.flash.media {
+
+import flash.errors.IOError;
+
+import flash.events.Event;
+import flash.events.EventDispatcher;
+import flash.events.IOErrorEvent;
+import flash.events.ProgressEvent;
+import flash.events.TimerEvent;
+
+import flash.media.Sound;
+import flash.media.SoundChannel;
+import flash.media.SoundTransform;
+
+import flash.net.URLRequest;
+
+import flash.utils.Timer;
+
+import com.threerings.util.Log;
+import com.threerings.util.ValueEvent;
+
+public class Mp3AudioPlayer extends EventDispatcher
+    implements AudioPlayer
+{
+    public function Mp3AudioPlayer (loop :Boolean = false)
+    {
+        trace(".............. v3");
+        _loop = loop;
+
+        _positionChecker = new Timer(25);
+        _positionChecker.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, handlePositionCheck);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Load and immediately start playing some audio!
+     */
+    public function load (url :String) :void
+    {
+        _isComplete = false;
+        _lastPosition = 0;
+        _sound = new Sound();
+        _sound.addEventListener(Event.ID3, handleId3); // TODO
+        _sound.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.IO_ERROR, handleError);
+        _sound.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, handleSoundComplete);
+        _sound.load(new URLRequest(url));
+        play();
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function getState () :int
+    {
+        return _state;
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function play () :void
+    {
+        play0();
+        updateState(
+            (_chan != null) ? MediaPlayerCodes.STATE_PLAYING : MediaPlayerCodes.STATE_PAUSED);
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function pause () :void
+    {
+        handlePositionCheck(null); // update _lastPosition and dispatch an event
+        pause0();
+        updateState(MediaPlayerCodes.STATE_PAUSED);
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function getDuration () :Number
+    {
+        if (_sound == null) {
+            return NaN;
+        }
+        return _sound.length / 1000;
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function getPosition () :Number
+    {
+        if (_chan == null) {
+            return _lastPosition;
+        }
+        return _chan.position / 1000;
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function seek (position :Number) :void
+    {
+        _lastPosition = position;
+        if (_state == MediaPlayerCodes.STATE_PLAYING) {
+            pause0();
+            play0();
+
+        } else {
+            handlePositionCheck(null);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function setVolume (volume :Number) :void
+    {
+        _volume = Math.max(0, Math.min(1, volume));
+        if (_chan != null) {
+            _chan.soundTransform = new SoundTransform(_volume);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function getVolume () :Number
+    {
+        return _volume;
+    }
+
+    // from AudioPlayer
+    public function unload () :void
+    {
+        if (_sound != null) {
+            try {
+                _sound.close();
+            } catch (err :IOError) {
+                // ignore
+            }
+        }
+        pause0();
+        _positionChecker.reset();
+        _lastPosition = NaN;
+    }
+
+    protected function play0 () :void
+    {
+        pause0();
+        _chan = _sound.play(_lastPosition * 1000, _loop ? int.MAX_VALUE : 0,
+            new SoundTransform(_volume));
+        if (_chan == null) {
+            Log.getLog(this).warning("All sound channels are in use; " +
+                "unable to play sound.");
+        }
+    }
+
+    protected function pause0 () :void
+    {
+        if (_chan != null) {
+            _chan.stop();
+            _chan = null;
+        }
+    }
+
+    protected function handlePositionCheck (event :TimerEvent) :void
+    {
+        if (!_isComplete) {
+            dispatchEvent(new ValueEvent(MediaPlayerCodes.DURATION, getDuration()));
+        }
+        _lastPosition = getPosition();
+        dispatchEvent(new ValueEvent(MediaPlayerCodes.POSITION, _lastPosition));
+    }
+
+    protected function updateState (newState :int) :void
+    {
+        _state = newState;
+
+        if (_state == MediaPlayerCodes.STATE_PLAYING) {
+            _positionChecker.start();
+
+        } else {
+            _positionChecker.reset();
+            // pause() ends up checking the position one last time before dispatching state..
+        }
+
+        dispatchEvent(new ValueEvent(MediaPlayerCodes.STATE, newState));
+    }
+
+    protected function handleId3 (event :Event) :void
+    {
+        trace("got ID3: Duration is now : " + _sound.length);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     */
+    protected function handleSoundComplete (event :Event) :void
+    {
+        handlePositionCheck(null); // also updates duration
+        _isComplete = true;
+    }
+
+    protected function handleError (event :IOErrorEvent) :void
+    {
+        dispatchEvent(new ValueEvent(MediaPlayerCodes.ERROR, event.text));
+    }
+
+    protected var _sound :Sound;
+
+    protected var _chan :SoundChannel;
+
+    protected var _loop :Boolean;
+
+    protected var _state :int = MediaPlayerCodes.STATE_UNREADY;
+
+    protected var _volume :Number = 1;
+
+    protected var _isComplete :Boolean;
+
+    protected var _lastPosition :Number = NaN;
+
+    protected var _positionChecker :Timer;
+}
+}