diff --git a/spotdl/command_line/arguments.py b/spotdl/command_line/arguments.py
index fa34f64..c7c7d28 100644
--- a/spotdl/command_line/arguments.py
+++ b/spotdl/command_line/arguments.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ if os.path.isfile(spotdl.config.DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE):
 else:
     saved_config = {"spotify-downloader": {}}
 
-_CONFIG_BASE = spotdl.util.merge(
+_CONFIG_BASE = spotdl.util.merge_copy(
     spotdl.config.DEFAULT_CONFIGURATION,
     saved_config,
 )
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ class ArgumentHandler:
             configured_args = parser.parse_args().__dict__
 
         defaults = config_base["spotify-downloader"]
-        args = spotdl.util.merge(defaults, args)
+        args = spotdl.util.merge_copy(defaults, args)
 
         self.parser = parser
         self.args = args
diff --git a/spotdl/metadata_search.py b/spotdl/metadata_search.py
index a1964b4..b01ea1f 100644
--- a/spotdl/metadata_search.py
+++ b/spotdl/metadata_search.py
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ class MetadataSearch:
         search_query = spotdl.metadata.format_string(self.yt_search_format, spotify_metadata)
         youtube_video = self._best_on_youtube_search_for_type_spotify(search_query)
         youtube_metadata = self.providers["youtube"].from_url(youtube_video["url"])
-        metadata = spotdl.util.merge(
+        metadata = spotdl.util.merge_copy(
             youtube_metadata,
             spotify_metadata
         )
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ class MetadataSearch:
         youtube_metadata = self._on_youtube_for_type_youtube(self.track)
         search_query = spotdl.metadata.format_string("{track-name}", youtube_metadata)
         spotify_metadata = self._on_spotify_for_type_query(search_query)
-        metadata = spotdl.util.merge(
+        metadata = spotdl.util.merge_copy(
             youtube_metadata,
             spotify_metadata
         )
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ class MetadataSearch:
         )
         spotify_metadata.start()
         youtube_metadata = self._on_youtube_for_type_query(search_query)
-        metadata = spotdl.util.merge(
+        metadata = spotdl.util.merge_copy(
             youtube_metadata,
             spotify_metadata.join()
         )
diff --git a/spotdl/util.py b/spotdl/util.py
index fb1b01d..081a734 100644
--- a/spotdl/util.py
+++ b/spotdl/util.py
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ class ThreadWithReturnValue(threading.Thread):
         return self._return
 
 
+def merge_copy(base, overrider):
+    return merge(base.copy(), overrider)
+
 def merge(base, overrider):
     """ Override base dict with an overrider dict, recursively. """
     for key, value in overrider.items():