diff --git a/mpvplayer/handler.go b/mpvplayer/handler.go
index d00a6f1..a700877 100644
--- a/mpvplayer/handler.go
+++ b/mpvplayer/handler.go
@@ -25,33 +25,23 @@ func (p *Player) EventLoop() {
 		} else if evt.Event_Id == mpv.EVENT_PROPERTY_CHANGE {
 			// one of our observed properties changed. which one is probably extractable from evt.Data.. somehow.
 
-			position, err := p.instance.GetProperty("playback-time", mpv.FORMAT_INT64)
+			position, err := p.getPropertyInt64("playback-time")
 			if err != nil {
 				p.logger.Printf("mpv.EventLoop (%s): GetProperty %s -- %s", evt.Event_Id.String(), "playback-time", err.Error())
 			}
-			duration, err := p.instance.GetProperty("duration", mpv.FORMAT_INT64)
+			duration, err := p.getPropertyInt64("duration")
 			if err != nil {
 				p.logger.Printf("mpv.EventLoop (%s): GetProperty %s -- %s", evt.Event_Id.String(), "duration", err.Error())
 			}
-			volume, err := p.instance.GetProperty("volume", mpv.FORMAT_INT64)
+			volume, err := p.getPropertyInt64("volume")
 			if err != nil {
 				p.logger.Printf("mpv.EventLoop (%s): GetProperty %s -- %s", evt.Event_Id.String(), "volume", err.Error())
 			}
 
-			if position == nil {
-				position = int64(0)
-			}
-			if duration == nil {
-				duration = int64(0)
-			}
-			if volume == nil {
-				volume = int64(0)
-			}
-
 			statusData := StatusData{
-				Volume:   volume.(int64),
-				Position: position.(int64),
-				Duration: duration.(int64),
+				Volume:   volume,
+				Position: position,
+				Duration: duration,
 			}
 			p.remoteState.timePos = float64(statusData.Position)
 			p.sendGuiDataEvent(EventStatus, statusData)
diff --git a/mpvplayer/helpers.go b/mpvplayer/helpers.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..891e79f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mpvplayer/helpers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package mpvplayer
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+
+	"github.com/spezifisch/go-mpv"
+)
+
+func (p *Player) getPropertyInt64(name string) (int64, error) {
+	value, err := p.instance.GetProperty(name, mpv.FORMAT_INT64)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	} else if value == nil {
+		return 0, errors.New("nil value")
+	}
+	return value.(int64), err
+}
+
+func (p *Player) getPropertyBool(name string) (bool, error) {
+	value, err := p.instance.GetProperty(name, mpv.FORMAT_FLAG)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	} else if value == nil {
+		return false, errors.New("nil value")
+	}
+	return value.(bool), err
+}
diff --git a/mpvplayer/player.go b/mpvplayer/player.go
index 644c63d..0c536bf 100644
--- a/mpvplayer/player.go
+++ b/mpvplayer/player.go
@@ -84,16 +84,6 @@ func (p *Player) mpvEngineEventHandler(instance *mpv.Mpv) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (p *Player) getPropertyInt64(name string) (int64, error) {
-	value, err := p.instance.GetProperty(name, mpv.FORMAT_INT64)
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, err
-	} else if value == nil {
-		return 0, errors.New("nil value")
-	}
-	return value.(int64), err
-}
-
 func (p *Player) Quit() {
 	p.mpvEvents <- nil
 	p.instance.TerminateDestroy()
@@ -156,26 +146,26 @@ func (p *Player) temporaryStop() error {
 }
 
 func (p *Player) IsSongLoaded() (bool, error) {
-	idle, err := p.instance.GetProperty("idle-active", mpv.FORMAT_FLAG)
-	return !idle.(bool), err
+	idle, err := p.getPropertyBool("idle-active")
+	return !idle, err
 }
 
 func (p *Player) IsPaused() (bool, error) {
-	pause, err := p.instance.GetProperty("pause", mpv.FORMAT_FLAG)
-	return pause.(bool), err
+	pause, err := p.getPropertyBool("pause")
+	return pause, err
 }
 
 func (p *Player) IsPlaying() (playing bool, err error) {
-	if idle, err := p.instance.GetProperty("idle-active", mpv.FORMAT_FLAG); err != nil {
-	} else if paused, err := p.instance.GetProperty("pause", mpv.FORMAT_FLAG); err != nil {
+	if idle, err := p.getPropertyBool("idle-active"); err != nil {
+	} else if paused, err := p.getPropertyBool("pause"); err != nil {
 	} else {
-		playing = !idle.(bool) && !paused.(bool)
+		playing = !idle && !paused
 	}
 	return
 }
 
 func (p *Player) Test() {
-	res, err := p.instance.GetProperty("idle-active", mpv.FORMAT_FLAG)
+	res, err := p.getPropertyBool("idle-active")
 	p.logger.Printf("res %v err %v", res, err)
 }