diff --git a/cmd/gonicembed/main.go b/cmd/gonicembed/main.go
index 1c03703..440371b 100644
--- a/cmd/gonicembed/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gonicembed/main.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ type config struct {
 	assetPathPrefix string
 }
 
-func processAsset(c config, ew *errWriter, path string) error {
+func processAsset(c *config, ew *errWriter, path string) error {
 	info, err := os.Stat(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("stating asset: %w", err)
@@ -107,8 +107,7 @@ func processAsset(c config, ew *errWriter, path string) error {
 	return ew.err
 }
 
-//nolint:errcheck
-func processAssets(c config, files []string) error {
+func processAssets(c *config, files []string) error {
 	out, err := os.Create(c.outPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("creating out path: %w", err)
@@ -144,7 +143,7 @@ func main() {
 	if *outPath == "" {
 		log.Fatalln("invalid arguments. see -h")
 	}
-	c := config{
+	c := &config{
 		packageName:     *pkgName,
 		outPath:         *outPath,
 		tagList:         *tagList,
diff --git a/server/ctrladmin/ctrl.go b/server/ctrladmin/ctrl.go
index f5557ce..7e0b694 100644
--- a/server/ctrladmin/ctrl.go
+++ b/server/ctrladmin/ctrl.go
@@ -236,7 +236,8 @@ type Flash struct {
 	Type    FlashType
 }
 
-//nolint:gochecknoinits
+//nolint:gochecknoinits // for now I think it's nice that our types and their
+// gob registrations are next to each other, in case there's more added later)
 func init() {
 	gob.Register(&Flash{})
 }
diff --git a/server/ctrladmin/handlers_playlist.go b/server/ctrladmin/handlers_playlist.go
index 6d3c53b..88d0c5f 100644
--- a/server/ctrladmin/handlers_playlist.go
+++ b/server/ctrladmin/handlers_playlist.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (c *Controller) ServeUploadPlaylist(r *http.Request) *Response {
 }
 
 func (c *Controller) ServeUploadPlaylistDo(r *http.Request) *Response {
-	if err := r.ParseMultipartForm((1 << 10) * 24); nil != err {
+	if err := r.ParseMultipartForm((1 << 10) * 24); err != nil {
 		return &Response{
 			err:  "couldn't parse mutlipart",
 			code: 500,
diff --git a/server/ctrlsubsonic/ctrl_test.go b/server/ctrlsubsonic/ctrl_test.go
index 4748c0c..ed0189d 100644
--- a/server/ctrlsubsonic/ctrl_test.go
+++ b/server/ctrlsubsonic/ctrl_test.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func runQueryCases(t *testing.T, h handlerSubsonic, cases []*queryCase) {
 			// convert test name to query case path
 			snake := testCamelExpr.ReplaceAllString(t.Name(), "${1}_${2}")
 			lower := strings.ToLower(snake)
-			relPath := strings.Replace(lower, "/", "_", -1)
+			relPath := strings.ReplaceAll(lower, "/", "_")
 			absExpPath := path.Join(testDataDir, relPath)
 			// read case to differ with handler result
 			expected, err := jd.ReadJsonFile(absExpPath)
diff --git a/server/db/model.go b/server/db/model.go
index 16db3fe..adb8b32 100644
--- a/server/db/model.go
+++ b/server/db/model.go
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Package db provides database helpers and models
-//nolint:lll
+//nolint:lll // struct tags get very long and can't be split
 package db
 
 // see this db fiddle to mess around with the schema
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func splitInt(in, sep string) []int {
-	if len(in) == 0 {
+	if in == "" {
 		return []int{}
 	}
 	parts := strings.Split(in, sep)
diff --git a/server/encode/encode.go b/server/encode/encode.go
index 6c1023d..8dbca82 100644
--- a/server/encode/encode.go
+++ b/server/encode/encode.go
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	buffLen = 4096
+	buffLen    = 4096
+	ffmpegPath = "/usr/bin/ffmpeg"
 )
 
 type Profile struct {
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ func Profiles() map[string]Profile {
 }
 
 // copy command output to http response body using io.copy (simpler, but may increase ttfb)
-//nolint:deadcode,unused
+//nolint:deadcode,unused // function may be switched later
 func copyCmdOutput(out, cache io.Writer, pipeReader io.Reader) {
 	// set up a multiwriter to feed the command output
 	// to both cache file and http response
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ func copyCmdOutput(out, cache io.Writer, pipeReader io.Reader) {
 }
 
 // copy command output to http response manually with a buffer (should reduce ttfb)
-//nolint:deadcode,unused
+//nolint:deadcode,unused // function may be switched later
 func writeCmdOutput(out, cache io.Writer, pipeReader io.ReadCloser) {
 	buffer := make([]byte, buffLen)
 	for {
@@ -94,7 +95,8 @@ func ffmpegCommand(filePath string, profile Profile, bitrate string) *exec.Cmd {
 		)
 	}
 	args = append(args, "-f", profile.Format, "-")
-	return exec.Command("/usr/bin/ffmpeg", args...) //nolint:gosec
+	return exec.Command(ffmpegPath, args...) //nolint:gosec // can't see a way for this be abused
+	// but please do let me know if you see otherwise
 }
 
 func Encode(out io.Writer, trackPath, cachePath string, profile Profile, bitrate string) error {
diff --git a/server/jukebox/jukebox.go b/server/jukebox/jukebox.go
index be9a959..dbce097 100644
--- a/server/jukebox/jukebox.go
+++ b/server/jukebox/jukebox.go
@@ -180,15 +180,13 @@ func (j *Jukebox) doUpdateSpeaker(su updateSpeaker) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	j.Lock()
-	{
-		j.info = &strmInfo{}
-		j.info.strm = streamer.(beep.StreamSeekCloser)
-		j.info.ctrlStrmr.Streamer = beep.Resample(
-			4, format.SampleRate,
-			j.sr, j.info.strm,
-		)
-		j.info.format = format
-	}
+	j.info = &strmInfo{}
+	j.info.strm = streamer.(beep.StreamSeekCloser)
+	j.info.ctrlStrmr.Streamer = beep.Resample(
+		4, format.SampleRate,
+		j.sr, j.info.strm,
+	)
+	j.info.format = format
 	j.Unlock()
 	speaker.Play(beep.Seq(&j.info.ctrlStrmr, beep.Callback(func() {
 		j.speaker <- updateSpeaker{su.index + 1}