diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 1d19495..0ce6009 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2380,6 +2380,7 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "futures",
  "libmpv",
+ "serde_json",
  "tokio",
  "tokio-stream",
  "tubest-common",
diff --git a/common/src/lib.rs b/common/src/lib.rs
index d0d62cc..3c20df8 100644
--- a/common/src/lib.rs
+++ b/common/src/lib.rs
@@ -1 +1,47 @@
+use std::time::Duration;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
 pub const PROG_NAME: &str = "tubest";
+const DEFAULT_SEEK: Duration = Duration::from_secs(30);
+
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub enum Action {
+    Media(MediaAction),
+}
+
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub enum MediaAction {
+    Enqueue {
+        path: String,
+        replace: bool,
+    },
+    Pause,
+    Unpause,
+    FastForward(Duration),
+    Rewind(Duration),
+    Next,
+    Stop,
+}
+
+impl Action {
+    pub fn from_line(line: &str) -> Self {
+        let split: Vec<&str> = line.split_whitespace().collect();
+        match &split[..] {
+            ["pause", ..] => Action::Media(MediaAction::Pause),
+            ["unpause", ..] => Action::Media(MediaAction::Unpause),
+            ["rewind", ..] => {
+                if split.len() > 1 {
+                    // TODO
+                }
+                Action::Media(MediaAction::Rewind(DEFAULT_SEEK))
+            },
+            ["forward", ..] => {
+                // TODO: as above
+                Action::Media(MediaAction::FastForward(DEFAULT_SEEK))
+            },
+            ["next" | "skip", ..] => Action::Media(MediaAction::Next),
+            ["stop", ..] => Action::Media(MediaAction::Stop),
+            _ => Action::Media(MediaAction::Enqueue { path: line.to_string(), replace: true }),
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/driver/Cargo.toml b/driver/Cargo.toml
index 83237c2..d95fa70 100644
--- a/driver/Cargo.toml
+++ b/driver/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@ edition = "2021"
 tubest-common.workspace = true
 futures.workspace = true
 libmpv.workspace = true
+serde_json.workspace = true
 tokio.workspace = true
 tokio-stream.workspace = true
diff --git a/driver/src/bin/driver.rs b/driver/src/bin/driver.rs
index b48140f..fb05cf3 100644
--- a/driver/src/bin/driver.rs
+++ b/driver/src/bin/driver.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use std::process::Stdio;
 use tokio::io::{AsyncBufReadExt, AsyncRead, BufReader};
 use tokio::process::Command;
 use tokio_stream::wrappers::LinesStream;
+use tubest_common::*;
 
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> {
@@ -33,9 +34,45 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> {
     mpv.load_config(home.join(".config/mpv/mpv.conf").to_str().unwrap())
         .unwrap();
 
+    // TODO: handle other cases of combined.next().await appropriately
     while let Some(Ok(line)) = combined.next().await {
-        mpv.playlist_load_files(&[(&line, FileState::AppendPlay, None)])
-            .expect("couldn't load path");
+        // TODO: remove ? and unwrap so stuff is nonfatal
+        let cmd: Action = serde_json::from_str(line.trim())?;
+        do_action(&mpv, cmd).unwrap();
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn do_action(mpv: &Mpv, cmd: Action) -> Result<(), libmpv::Error> {
+    match cmd {
+        Action::Media(mcmd) => match mcmd {
+            MediaAction::Enqueue { path, replace } => {
+                let action = if replace {
+                    FileState::Replace
+                } else {
+                    FileState::AppendPlay
+                };
+                mpv.playlist_load_files(&[(&path, action, None)])?;
+            }
+            MediaAction::Pause => {
+                mpv.pause()?;
+            }
+            MediaAction::Unpause => {
+                mpv.unpause()?;
+            }
+            MediaAction::FastForward(duration) => {
+                mpv.seek_forward(duration.as_secs_f64())?;
+            }
+            MediaAction::Rewind(duration) => {
+                mpv.seek_backward(duration.as_secs_f64())?;
+            }
+            MediaAction::Next => {
+                mpv.playlist_next_weak()?;
+            }
+            MediaAction::Stop => {
+                mpv.playlist_clear()?;
+            }
+        }
     }
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/matrix/src/bin/matrix.rs b/matrix/src/bin/matrix.rs
index c5c6181..3bbae74 100644
--- a/matrix/src/bin/matrix.rs
+++ b/matrix/src/bin/matrix.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use matrix_sdk::{
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
-use tubest_common::PROG_NAME;
+use tubest_common::{Action, PROG_NAME};
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
 struct Config {
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>> {
             SyncRoomMessageEvent::Original(orig) => {
                 let body = orig.content.body();
                 // TODO: my own IPC wrapper
-                println!("{}", body);
+                println!("{}", serde_json::to_string(&Action::from_line(body)).unwrap());
                 eprintln!("{}", body);
             }
             SyncRoomMessageEvent::Redacted(_) => {}