diff --git a/osu.Desktop.VisualTests/Tests/TestCasePlayer.cs b/osu.Desktop.VisualTests/Tests/TestCasePlayer.cs
index 69b56ef17d..90d45fe7eb 100644
--- a/osu.Desktop.VisualTests/Tests/TestCasePlayer.cs
+++ b/osu.Desktop.VisualTests/Tests/TestCasePlayer.cs
@@ -46,10 +46,11 @@ namespace osu.Desktop.VisualTests.Tests
 
             Add(new Player()
             {
-                Beatmap = new Beatmap
-                {
-                    HitObjects = objects
-                }
+                Beatmap = new WorkingBeatmap(
+                    new Beatmap
+                    {
+                        HitObjects = objects
+                    })
             });
         }
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/Beatmaps/WorkingBeatmap.cs b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/WorkingBeatmap.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbf3b8f1e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game/Beatmaps/WorkingBeatmap.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+//Copyright (c) 2007-2016 ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>.
+//Licensed under the MIT Licence - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ppy/osu/master/LICENCE
+
+using System;
+using osu.Framework.Audio.Track;
+using osu.Game.Beatmaps.IO;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Beatmaps
+{
+    public class WorkingBeatmap : IDisposable
+    {
+        public readonly ArchiveReader Reader;
+        public readonly Beatmap Beatmap;
+
+        private AudioTrack track;
+        public AudioTrack Track
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                if (track == null)
+                {
+                    var trackData = Reader.ReadFile(Beatmap.Metadata.AudioFile);
+                    if (trackData != null)
+                        track = new AudioTrackBass(trackData);
+                }
+
+                return track;
+            }
+            set { track = value; }
+        }
+
+        public WorkingBeatmap(Beatmap beatmap, ArchiveReader reader = null)
+        {
+            Beatmap = beatmap;
+            Reader = reader;
+        }
+
+        private bool isDisposed;
+
+        protected virtual void Dispose(bool disposing)
+        {
+            if (!isDisposed)
+            {
+                track?.Dispose();
+                Reader?.Dispose();
+
+                isDisposed = true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        ~WorkingBeatmap()
+        {
+            Dispose(false);
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            Dispose(true);
+            GC.SuppressFinalize(this);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/osu.Game/Database/BeatmapDatabase.cs b/osu.Game/Database/BeatmapDatabase.cs
index 1b55b0eeaf..4c98d66757 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Database/BeatmapDatabase.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Database/BeatmapDatabase.cs
@@ -130,43 +130,46 @@ namespace osu.Game.Database
         {
             return ArchiveReader.GetReader(storage, beatmapSet.Path);
         }
-        
+
         public BeatmapSetInfo GetBeatmapSet(int id)
         {
             return Query<BeatmapSetInfo>().Where(s => s.BeatmapSetID == id).FirstOrDefault();
         }
-        
+
+        public WorkingBeatmap GetBeatmapData(BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo)
+        {
+            var beatmapSet = Query<BeatmapSetInfo>().Where(s => s.BeatmapSetID == beatmapInfo.BeatmapSetID).FirstOrDefault();
+            if (beatmapSet == null)
+                throw new InvalidOperationException($@"Beatmap set {beatmapInfo.BeatmapSetID} is not in the local database.");
+
+            var reader = GetReader(beatmapSet);
+
+            using (var stream = new StreamReader(reader.ReadFile(beatmapInfo.Path)))
+                return new WorkingBeatmap(BeatmapDecoder.GetDecoder(stream)?.Decode(stream), reader);
+        }
+
         public Beatmap GetBeatmap(BeatmapInfo beatmapInfo)
         {
-            var beatmapSet = Query<BeatmapSetInfo>()
-                .Where(s => s.BeatmapSetID == beatmapInfo.BeatmapSetID).FirstOrDefault();    
-            if (beatmapSet == null)
-                throw new InvalidOperationException(
-                    $@"Beatmap set {beatmapInfo.BeatmapSetID} is not in the local database.");
-            using (var reader = GetReader(beatmapSet))
-            using (var stream = new StreamReader(reader.ReadFile(beatmapInfo.Path)))
-            {
-                var decoder = BeatmapDecoder.GetDecoder(stream);
-                return decoder.Decode(stream);
-            }
+            using (WorkingBeatmap data = GetBeatmapData(beatmapInfo))
+                return data.Beatmap;
         }
-        
+
         public TableQuery<T> Query<T>() where T : class
         {
             return connection.Table<T>();
         }
-        
+
         public T GetWithChildren<T>(object id) where T : class
         {
             return connection.GetWithChildren<T>(id);
         }
-        
+
         public List<T> GetAllWithChildren<T>(Expression<Func<T, bool>> filter = null,
             bool recursive = true) where T : class
         {
             return connection.GetAllWithChildren<T>(filter, recursive);
         }
-        
+
         public T GetChildren<T>(T item, bool recursive = true)
         {
             if (item == null) return default(T);
diff --git a/osu.Game/GameModes/Play/Player.cs b/osu.Game/GameModes/Play/Player.cs
index 4e18f06f5b..2f948201ad 100644
--- a/osu.Game/GameModes/Play/Player.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/GameModes/Play/Player.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 //Copyright (c) 2007-2016 ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>.
 //Licensed under the MIT Licence - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ppy/osu/master/LICENCE
 
-using System.Collections.Generic;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps;
 using osu.Game.Beatmaps.Objects;
@@ -12,6 +11,9 @@ using osu.Game.GameModes.Play.Osu;
 using osu.Game.GameModes.Play.Taiko;
 using osu.Framework;
 using osu.Game.Database;
+using osu.Framework.Timing;
+using osu.Framework.GameModes;
+using osu.Framework.Audio.Track;
 
 namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
 {
@@ -20,10 +22,29 @@ namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
         protected override BackgroundMode CreateBackground() => new BackgroundModeCustom(@"Backgrounds/bg4");
 
         public BeatmapInfo BeatmapInfo;
-        public Beatmap Beatmap;
+        public WorkingBeatmap Beatmap;
 
         public PlayMode PlayMode;
 
+        protected override IFrameBasedClock Clock => playerClock;
+
+        private InterpolatingFramedClock playerClock;
+        private IAdjustableClock sourceClock;
+
+        protected override void Dispose(bool isDisposing)
+        {
+            Beatmap?.Dispose();
+            base.Dispose(isDisposing);
+        }
+
+        protected override bool OnExiting(GameMode next)
+        {
+            //eagerly dispose as the finalizer runs too late right now.
+            Beatmap?.Dispose();
+
+            return base.OnExiting(next);
+        }
+
         public override void Load(BaseGame game)
         {
             base.Load(game);
@@ -31,7 +52,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
             try
             {
                 if (Beatmap == null)
-                    Beatmap = ((OsuGame)game).Beatmaps.GetBeatmap(BeatmapInfo);
+                    Beatmap = ((OsuGame)game).Beatmaps.GetBeatmapData(BeatmapInfo);
             }
             catch
             {
@@ -40,6 +61,22 @@ namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
                 return;
             }
 
+            AudioTrack track = Beatmap.Track;
+
+            if (track != null)
+            {
+                game.Audio.Track.SetExclusive(track);
+                sourceClock = track;
+            }
+
+            sourceClock = (IAdjustableClock)Beatmap.Track ?? new StopwatchClock();
+            playerClock = new InterpolatingFramedClock(sourceClock);
+
+            Schedule(() =>
+            {
+                sourceClock.Start();
+            });
+
             HitRenderer hitRenderer;
             ScoreOverlay scoreOverlay;
 
@@ -50,7 +87,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
 
                     hitRenderer = new OsuHitRenderer
                     {
-                        Objects = Beatmap.HitObjects,
+                        Objects = Beatmap.Beatmap.HitObjects,
                         Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
                         Origin = Anchor.Centre
                     };
@@ -60,7 +97,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
 
                     hitRenderer = new TaikoHitRenderer
                     {
-                        Objects = Beatmap.HitObjects,
+                        Objects = Beatmap.Beatmap.HitObjects,
                         Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
                         Origin = Anchor.Centre
                     };
@@ -70,7 +107,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
 
                     hitRenderer = new CatchHitRenderer
                     {
-                        Objects = Beatmap.HitObjects,
+                        Objects = Beatmap.Beatmap.HitObjects,
                         Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
                         Origin = Anchor.Centre
                     };
@@ -80,7 +117,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
 
                     hitRenderer = new ManiaHitRenderer
                     {
-                        Objects = Beatmap.HitObjects,
+                        Objects = Beatmap.Beatmap.HitObjects,
                         Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
                         Origin = Anchor.Centre
                     };
@@ -96,5 +133,11 @@ namespace osu.Game.GameModes.Play
                 scoreOverlay,
             };
         }
+
+        protected override void Update()
+        {
+            base.Update();
+            playerClock.ProcessFrame();
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/osu.Game/osu.Game.csproj b/osu.Game/osu.Game.csproj
index f044ef9a6e..82fb8f7292 100644
--- a/osu.Game/osu.Game.csproj
+++ b/osu.Game/osu.Game.csproj
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Compile Include="Beatmaps\Beatmap.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Beatmaps\WorkingBeatmap.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Beatmaps\Drawable\BeatmapSetHeader.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Beatmaps\Drawable\DifficultyIcon.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Beatmaps\Drawable\Panel.cs" />