diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 71d34ae0..cd45e814 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 * adds option to hide unreadable files
 * adds option where to place folders (top, inplace, bottom)
 * adds markdown support for custom header and footer files
+* adds video and audio preview via HTML5 elements (no fallback, works best in Chrome)
 * removes server side file manipulation extensions `dropbox`, `delete` and `rename`
 * fixes QR code URI origin (issue [#287](https://github.com/lrsjng/h5ai/issues/287))
 * improves preview GUI
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/css/inc/preview-aud.less b/src/_h5ai/client/css/inc/preview-aud.less
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..223c2c62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/css/inc/preview-aud.less
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+
+#pv-aud-audio {
+	position: absolute;
+
+	max-width: 100%;
+	max-height: 100%;
+
+	box-shadow: 0 0 8px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
+}
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/css/styles.less b/src/_h5ai/client/css/styles.less
index b2fba482..73113a4b 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/css/styles.less
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/css/styles.less
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@
 @import "inc/tree";
 @import "inc/qrcode";
 @import "inc/preview";
+@import "inc/preview-aud";
 @import "inc/preview-img";
 @import "inc/preview-txt";
+@import "inc/preview-vid";
 @import "inc/notify";
 
 @import "inc/content";
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview-aud.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview-aud.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1a7ab57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview-aud.js
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+
+modulejs.define('ext/preview-audio', ['_', '$', 'moment', 'core/settings', 'core/event', 'ext/preview'], function (_, $, moment, allsettings, event, preview) {
+
+	var settings = _.extend({
+			enabled: false,
+			types: []
+		}, allsettings['preview-aud']),
+
+		preloadAudio = function (src, callback) {
+
+			var $audio = $('<audio/>')
+				.one('loadedmetadata', function () {
+
+					callback($audio);
+					// setTimeout(function () { callback($img); }, 1000); // for testing
+				})
+				.attr('autoplay', 'autoplay')
+				.attr('controls', 'controls')
+				.attr('src', src);
+		},
+
+		onEnter = function (items, idx) {
+
+			var currentItems = items,
+				currentIdx = idx,
+				currentItem = items[idx],
+
+				onAdjustSize = function () {
+
+					var $content = $('#pv-content'),
+						$audio = $('#pv-aud-audio');
+
+					if ($audio.length) {
+
+						$audio.css({
+							'left': '' + (($content.width()-$audio.width())*0.5) + 'px',
+							'top': '' + (($content.height()-$audio.height())*0.5) + 'px'
+						});
+
+						preview.setLabels([
+							currentItem.label,
+							moment(0).add('seconds', $audio[0].duration).format('m:ss')
+						]);
+					}
+				},
+
+				onIdxChange = function (rel) {
+
+					currentIdx = (currentIdx + rel + currentItems.length) % currentItems.length;
+					currentItem = currentItems[currentIdx];
+
+					var spinnerTimeout = setTimeout(function () { preview.showSpinner(true); }, 200);
+
+					if ($('#pv-aud-audio').length) {
+						$('#pv-aud-audio')[0].pause();
+					}
+					preloadAudio(currentItem.absHref, function ($preloaded_audio) {
+
+						clearTimeout(spinnerTimeout);
+						preview.showSpinner(false);
+
+						$('#pv-content').fadeOut(100, function () {
+
+							$('#pv-content').empty().append($preloaded_audio.attr('id', 'pv-aud-audio')).fadeIn(200);
+
+							// small timeout, so $preloaded_audio is visible and therefore $preloaded_audio.width is available
+							setTimeout(function () {
+								onAdjustSize();
+
+								preview.setIndex(currentIdx + 1, currentItems.length);
+								preview.setRawLink(currentItem.absHref);
+							}, 10);
+						});
+					});
+				};
+
+			onIdxChange(0);
+			preview.setOnIndexChange(onIdxChange);
+			preview.setOnAdjustSize(onAdjustSize);
+			preview.enter();
+		},
+
+		initItem = function (item) {
+
+			if (item.$view && _.indexOf(settings.types, item.type) >= 0) {
+				item.$view.find('a').on('click', function (event) {
+
+					event.preventDefault();
+
+					var matchedEntries = _.compact(_.map($('#items .item'), function (item) {
+
+						item = $(item).data('item');
+						return _.indexOf(settings.types, item.type) >= 0 ? item : null;
+					}));
+
+					onEnter(matchedEntries, _.indexOf(matchedEntries, item));
+				});
+			}
+		},
+
+		onLocationChanged = function (item) {
+
+			_.each(item.content, initItem);
+		},
+
+		onLocationRefreshed = function (item, added, removed) {
+
+			_.each(added, initItem);
+		},
+
+		init = function () {
+
+			if (!settings.enabled) {
+				return;
+			}
+
+			event.sub('location.changed', onLocationChanged);
+			event.sub('location.refreshed', onLocationRefreshed);
+		};
+
+	init();
+});
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview-vid.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview-vid.js
index 4377c4cb..d9cef55c 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview-vid.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview-vid.js
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ modulejs.define('ext/preview-vid', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/event', 'ex
 				})
 				.attr('autoplay', 'autoplay')
 				.attr('controls', 'controls')
-				.attr('preload', 'auto')
 				.attr('src', src);
 		},
 
@@ -35,9 +34,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/preview-vid', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/event', 'ex
 
 						$vid.css({
 							'left': '' + (($content.width()-$vid.width())*0.5) + 'px',
-							'top': '' + (($content.height()-$vid.height())*0.5) + 'px',
-							'max-width': $content.width(),
-							'height': $content.height()
+							'top': '' + (($content.height()-$vid.height())*0.5) + 'px'
 						});
 
 						preview.setLabels([
@@ -64,6 +61,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/preview-vid', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/event', 'ex
 						preview.showSpinner(false);
 
 						$('#pv-content').fadeOut(100, function () {
+
 							$('#pv-content').empty().append($preloaded_vid.attr('id', 'pv-vid-video')).fadeIn(200);
 
 							// small timeout, so $preloaded_vid is visible and therefore $preloaded_vid.width is available
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview.js
index 962eb87d..fa4cc1a3 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/preview.js
@@ -63,9 +63,10 @@ modulejs.define('ext/preview', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/resource', 'cor
 
 		onEnter = function () {
 
-			$(window).on('keydown', onKeydown);
 			$('#pv-content').empty();
+			setLabels([]);
 			$('#pv-overlay').stop(true, true).fadeIn(200);
+			$(window).on('keydown', onKeydown);
 
 			adjustSize();
 		},
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/preview', ['_', '$', 'core/settings', 'core/resource', 'cor
 			$(window).off('keydown', onKeydown);
 			$('#pv-overlay').stop(true, true).fadeOut(200, function () {
 				$('#pv-content').empty();
+				setLabels([]);
 			});
 		},
 
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json b/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
index 6c679cd1..6d2edf01 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
+++ b/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
@@ -198,6 +198,16 @@ Options
 		"idSite": 1
 	},
 
+	/*
+	Play a audio preview on click.
+
+	- types: array of types
+	*/
+	"preview-aud": {
+		"enabled": true,
+		"types": ["aud"]
+	},
+
 	/*
 	Show an image preview on click.
 
@@ -250,7 +260,7 @@ Options
 	},
 
 	/*
-	Show a video preview on click.
+	Play a video preview on click.
 
 	- types: array of types
 	*/