diff --git a/core/metadata.py b/core/metadata.py
index db36e81..ca13195 100755
--- a/core/metadata.py
+++ b/core/metadata.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from mutagen.easyid3 import EasyID3
 from mutagen.id3 import ID3, APIC
 from mutagen.mp4 import MP4, MP4Cover
+import sys
 
 # urllib2 is urllib.request in python3
 try:
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ def compare(file, metadata):
     return already_tagged
 
 def embed(music_file, meta_tags, output_ext):
+    if sys.version_info < (3, 0): 
+        music_file = music_file.encode('utf-8')
     if meta_tags is None:
         print('Could not find meta-tags')
     elif output_ext == '.m4a':
diff --git a/core/misc.py b/core/misc.py
index ba41320..628c5af 100755
--- a/core/misc.py
+++ b/core/misc.py
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ def feed_tracks(file, tracks):
 # generate filename of the song to be downloaded
 def generate_filename(title):
     # IMO python2 sucks dealing with unicode
-    title = fix_encoding(title, decode=True)
+    title = fix_encoding(title)
+    title = fix_decoding(title)
     title = title.replace(' ', '_')
     # slugify removes any special characters
     filename = slugify(title, ok='-_()[]{}', lower=False)
@@ -99,11 +100,14 @@ def generate_search_URL(song):
     return URL
 
 # fix encoding issues in python2
-def fix_encoding(query, decode=False):
+def fix_encoding(query):
     if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
         query = query.encode('utf-8')
-        if decode:
-            query = query.decode('utf-8')
+    return query
+
+def fix_decoding(query):
+    if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
+        query = query.decode('utf-8')
     return query
 
 def grace_quit():
diff --git a/spotdl.py b/spotdl.py
index 79e7fec..a0d53e8 100755
--- a/spotdl.py
+++ b/spotdl.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def generate_YouTube_URL(raw_song):
     # generate direct search YouTube URL
     searchURL = misc.generate_search_URL(song)
     item = urllib2.urlopen(searchURL).read()
-    item = unicode(item, 'utf-8')
+    #item = unicode(item, 'utf-8')
     items_parse = BeautifulSoup(item, "html.parser")
     check = 1
     if args.manual:
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ def download_song(content):
 def convert_song(music_file):
     # skip conversion if input_ext == output_ext
     if not args.input_ext == args.output_ext:
+        music_file = music_file.encode('utf-8')
         print('Converting ' + music_file + args.input_ext + ' to ' + args.output_ext[1:])
         if args.avconv:
             convert_with_avconv(music_file)
@@ -225,7 +226,9 @@ def check_exists(music_file, raw_song, islist):
             os.remove("Music/" + file)
             continue
         # check if any file with similar name is already present in Music/
-        if file.startswith(misc.generate_filename(music_file)):
+        dfile = misc.fix_decoding(file)
+        umfile = misc.fix_decoding(misc.generate_filename(music_file))
+        if dfile.startswith(umfile):
             # check if the already downloaded song has correct metadata
             already_tagged = metadata.compare(file, generate_metadata(raw_song))
             # if not, remove it and download again without prompt
@@ -299,6 +302,7 @@ def grab_single(raw_song, number=None):
     print(get_YouTube_title(content, number))
     # generate file name of the song to download
     music_file = misc.generate_filename(content.title)
+    music_file = misc.fix_decoding(music_file)
     if not check_exists(music_file, raw_song, islist=islist):
         download_song(content)
         print('')