diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/ffmpeg_decoder.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/ffmpeg_decoder.cpp
index 12ea84a42..e2d54876f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/ffmpeg_decoder.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/ffmpeg_decoder.cpp
@@ -176,16 +176,16 @@ size_t FFmpeg_Decoder::readAVAudioData(void *data, size_t length)
     return dec;
 }
 
-bool FFmpeg_Decoder::open(const std::string &fname)
+void FFmpeg_Decoder::open(const std::string &fname)
 {
     close();
-    try
-    {
-        mDataStream = mResourceMgr->get(fname);
+    mDataStream = mResourceMgr->get(fname);
 
-        if((mFormatCtx=avformat_alloc_context()) == NULL)
-            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to allocate context");
+    if((mFormatCtx=avformat_alloc_context()) == NULL)
+        throw std::runtime_error("Failed to allocate context");
 
+    try
+    {
         mFormatCtx->pb = avio_alloc_context(NULL, 0, 0, this, readPacket, writePacket, seek);
         if(!mFormatCtx->pb || avformat_open_input(&mFormatCtx, fname.c_str(), NULL, NULL) != 0)
         {
@@ -250,16 +250,8 @@ bool FFmpeg_Decoder::open(const std::string &fname)
         mOutputChannelLayout = (*mStream)->codec->channel_layout;
         if(mOutputChannelLayout == 0)
             mOutputChannelLayout = av_get_default_channel_layout((*mStream)->codec->channels);
-
-        return true;
-    }
-    catch(std::exception &e)
-    {
-        std::cerr<< "Could not open audio file: "<<e.what() <<std::endl;
     }
-
-    if(mFormatCtx)
-    {
+    catch(...) {
         if(mStream)
             avcodec_close((*mStream)->codec);
         mStream = NULL;
@@ -273,8 +265,8 @@ bool FFmpeg_Decoder::open(const std::string &fname)
         mFormatCtx->pb = NULL;
 
         avformat_close_input(&mFormatCtx);
+        throw;
     }
-    return false;
 }
 
 void FFmpeg_Decoder::close()
@@ -316,13 +308,10 @@ std::string FFmpeg_Decoder::getName()
     return mFormatCtx->filename;
 }
 
-bool FFmpeg_Decoder::getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type)
+void FFmpeg_Decoder::getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type)
 {
     if(!mStream)
-    {
-        std::cerr<< "No audio stream info" <<std::endl;
-        return false;
-    }
+        throw std::runtime_error("No audio stream info");
 
     if(mOutputSampleFormat == AV_SAMPLE_FMT_U8)
         *type = SampleType_UInt8;
@@ -330,6 +319,11 @@ bool FFmpeg_Decoder::getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *
         *type = SampleType_Int16;
     else if(mOutputSampleFormat == AV_SAMPLE_FMT_FLT)
         *type = SampleType_Float32;
+    else
+    {
+        mOutputSampleFormat = AV_SAMPLE_FMT_S16;
+        *type = SampleType_Int16;
+    }
 
     if(mOutputChannelLayout == AV_CH_LAYOUT_MONO)
         *chans = ChannelConfig_Mono;
@@ -378,18 +372,10 @@ bool FFmpeg_Decoder::getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *
                           0,                              // logging level offset
                           NULL);                          // log context
         if(!mSwr)
-        {
-            std::cerr<< "Couldn't allocate SwrContext" <<std::endl;
-            return false;
-        }
+            throw std::runtime_error("Couldn't allocate SwrContext");
         if(swr_init(mSwr) < 0)
-        {
-            std::cerr<< "Couldn't initialize SwrContext" <<std::endl;
-            return false;
-        }
+            throw std::runtime_error("Couldn't initialize SwrContext");
     }
-
-    return true;
 }
 
 size_t FFmpeg_Decoder::read(char *buffer, size_t bytes)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/ffmpeg_decoder.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/ffmpeg_decoder.hpp
index 13eb41ae3..e06a68d64 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/ffmpeg_decoder.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/ffmpeg_decoder.hpp
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ namespace MWSound
         bool getAVAudioData();
         size_t readAVAudioData(void *data, size_t length);
 
-        bool open(const std::string &fname) override;
+        void open(const std::string &fname) override;
         void close() override;
 
         std::string getName() override;
-        bool getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type) override;
+        void getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type) override;
 
         size_t read(char *buffer, size_t bytes) override;
         void readAll(std::vector<char> &output) override;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/movieaudiofactory.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/movieaudiofactory.cpp
index 188514f85..497562516 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/movieaudiofactory.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/movieaudiofactory.cpp
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ namespace MWSound
     private:
         MWSound::MovieAudioDecoder* mDecoder;
 
-        bool open(const std::string &fname) override;
+        void open(const std::string &fname) override;
         void close() override;
         std::string getName() override;
-        bool getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type) override;
+        void getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type) override;
         size_t read(char *buffer, size_t bytes) override;
         size_t getSampleOffset() override;
     };
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ namespace MWSound
     };
 
 
-    bool MWSoundDecoderBridge::open(const std::string &fname)
+    void MWSoundDecoderBridge::open(const std::string &fname)
     {
-        return false;
+        throw std::runtime_error("Method not implemented");
     }
     void MWSoundDecoderBridge::close() {}
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ namespace MWSound
         return mDecoder->getStreamName();
     }
 
-    bool MWSoundDecoderBridge::getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type)
+    void MWSoundDecoderBridge::getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type)
     {
         *samplerate = mDecoder->getOutputSampleRate();
 
@@ -125,10 +125,8 @@ namespace MWSound
         else if (outputChannelLayout == AV_CH_LAYOUT_QUAD)
             *chans = ChannelConfig_Quad;
         else
-        {
-            std::cerr<< "Unsupported channel layout: "<<outputChannelLayout <<std::endl;
-            return false;
-        }
+            throw std::runtime_error("Unsupported channel layout: "+
+                                     std::to_string(outputChannelLayout));
 
         AVSampleFormat outputSampleFormat = mDecoder->getOutputSampleFormat();
         if (outputSampleFormat == AV_SAMPLE_FMT_U8)
@@ -141,11 +139,8 @@ namespace MWSound
         {
             char str[1024];
             av_get_sample_fmt_string(str, sizeof(str), outputSampleFormat);
-            std::cerr<< "Unsupported sample format: "<<str <<std::endl;
-            return false;
+            throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Unsupported sample format: ")+str);
         }
-
-        return true;
     }
 
     size_t MWSoundDecoderBridge::read(char *buffer, size_t bytes)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/openal_output.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/openal_output.cpp
index 89475ea48..829c001e5 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/openal_output.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/openal_output.cpp
@@ -411,10 +411,14 @@ bool OpenAL_SoundStream::init(bool getLoudnessData)
     ChannelConfig chans;
     SampleType type;
 
-    if(!mDecoder->getInfo(&mSampleRate, &chans, &type))
+    try {
+        mDecoder->getInfo(&mSampleRate, &chans, &type);
+        mFormat = getALFormat(chans, type);
+    }
+    catch(std::exception &e) {
+        std::cerr<< "Failed to get stream info: "<<e.what() <<std::endl;
         return false;
-    mFormat = getALFormat(chans, type);
-    if(!mFormat) return false;
+    }
 
     switch(type)
     {
@@ -946,35 +950,33 @@ std::pair<Sound_Handle,size_t> OpenAL_Output::loadSound(const std::string &fname
 {
     getALError();
 
-    DecoderPtr decoder = mManager.getDecoder();
-    // Workaround: Bethesda at some point converted some of the files to mp3, but the references were kept as .wav.
-    bool succeeded;
-    if(decoder->mResourceMgr->exists(fname))
-        succeeded = decoder->open(fname);
-    else
-    {
-        std::string file = fname;
-        std::string::size_type pos = file.rfind('.');
-        if(pos != std::string::npos)
-            file = file.substr(0, pos)+".mp3";
-        succeeded = decoder->open(file);
-    }
-
     std::vector<char> data;
     ALenum format;
     int srate;
 
-    if(succeeded)
-    {
-        ChannelConfig chans;
-        SampleType type;
-        if(decoder->getInfo(&srate, &chans, &type))
+    try {
+        DecoderPtr decoder = mManager.getDecoder();
+        // Workaround: Bethesda at some point converted some of the files to mp3, but the references were kept as .wav.
+        if(decoder->mResourceMgr->exists(fname))
+            decoder->open(fname);
+        else
         {
-            format = getALFormat(chans, type);
-            if(format) decoder->readAll(data);
+            std::string file = fname;
+            std::string::size_type pos = file.rfind('.');
+            if(pos != std::string::npos)
+                file = file.substr(0, pos)+".mp3";
+            decoder->open(file);
         }
+
+        ChannelConfig chans;
+        SampleType type;
+        decoder->getInfo(&srate, &chans, &type);
+        format = getALFormat(chans, type);
+        if(format) decoder->readAll(data);
+    }
+    catch(std::exception &e) {
+        std::cerr<< "Failed to load audio from "<<fname<<": "<<e.what() <<std::endl;
     }
-    decoder->close();
 
     if(data.empty())
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound_decoder.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound_decoder.hpp
index 57edb1393..34bae87d7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound_decoder.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound_decoder.hpp
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ namespace MWSound
     {
         const VFS::Manager* mResourceMgr;
 
-        virtual bool open(const std::string &fname) = 0;
+        virtual void open(const std::string &fname) = 0;
         virtual void close() = 0;
 
         virtual std::string getName() = 0;
-        virtual bool getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type) = 0;
+        virtual void getInfo(int *samplerate, ChannelConfig *chans, SampleType *type) = 0;
 
         virtual size_t read(char *buffer, size_t bytes) = 0;
         virtual void readAll(std::vector<char> &output);