diff --git a/backend/app.js b/backend/app.js
index 7ffdb7a..0f2090e 100644
--- a/backend/app.js
+++ b/backend/app.js
@@ -205,54 +205,49 @@ async function wait(ms) {
 }
 
 async function checkMigrations() {
-    return new Promise(async resolve => {
-        // 3.5->3.6 migration
-        const files_to_db_migration_complete = true; // migration phased out! previous code: db.get('files_to_db_migration_complete').value();
-
-        if (!files_to_db_migration_complete) {
-            logger.info('Beginning migration: 3.5->3.6+')
-            runFilesToDBMigration().then(success => {
-                if (success) { logger.info('3.5->3.6+ migration complete!'); }
-                else { logger.error('Migration failed: 3.5->3.6+'); }
-            });
-        }
+    // 3.5->3.6 migration
+    const files_to_db_migration_complete = true; // migration phased out! previous code: db.get('files_to_db_migration_complete').value();
 
-        resolve(true);
-    });
+    if (!files_to_db_migration_complete) {
+        logger.info('Beginning migration: 3.5->3.6+')
+        const success = await runFilesToDBMigration()
+        if (success) { logger.info('3.5->3.6+ migration complete!'); }
+        else { logger.error('Migration failed: 3.5->3.6+'); }
+    }
+
+    return true;
 }
 
 async function runFilesToDBMigration() {
-    return new Promise(async resolve => {
-        try {
-            let mp3s = getMp3s();
-            let mp4s = getMp4s();
-
-            for (let i = 0; i < mp3s.length; i++) {
-                let file_obj = mp3s[i];
-                const file_already_in_db = db.get('files.audio').find({id: file_obj.id}).value();
-                if (!file_already_in_db) {
-                    logger.verbose(`Migrating file ${file_obj.id}`);
-                    db_api.registerFileDB(file_obj.id + '.mp3', 'audio');
-                }
+    try {
+        let mp3s = await getMp3s();
+        let mp4s = await getMp4s();
+
+        for (let i = 0; i < mp3s.length; i++) {
+            let file_obj = mp3s[i];
+            const file_already_in_db = db.get('files.audio').find({id: file_obj.id}).value();
+            if (!file_already_in_db) {
+                logger.verbose(`Migrating file ${file_obj.id}`);
+                await db_api.registerFileDB(file_obj.id + '.mp3', 'audio');
             }
+        }
 
-            for (let i = 0; i < mp4s.length; i++) {
-                let file_obj = mp4s[i];
-                const file_already_in_db = db.get('files.video').find({id: file_obj.id}).value();
-                if (!file_already_in_db) {
-                    logger.verbose(`Migrating file ${file_obj.id}`);
-                    db_api.registerFileDB(file_obj.id + '.mp4', 'video');
-                }
+        for (let i = 0; i < mp4s.length; i++) {
+            let file_obj = mp4s[i];
+            const file_already_in_db = db.get('files.video').find({id: file_obj.id}).value();
+            if (!file_already_in_db) {
+                logger.verbose(`Migrating file ${file_obj.id}`);
+                await db_api.registerFileDB(file_obj.id + '.mp4', 'video');
             }
-
-            // sets migration to complete
-            db.set('files_to_db_migration_complete', true).write();
-            resolve(true);
-        } catch(err) {
-            logger.error(err);
-            resolve(false);
         }
-    });
+
+        // sets migration to complete
+        db.set('files_to_db_migration_complete', true).write();
+        return true;
+    } catch(err) {
+        logger.error(err);
+        return false;
+    }
 }
 
 async function startServer() {
@@ -701,17 +696,17 @@ function generateEnvVarConfigItem(key) {
     return {key: key, value: process['env'][key]};
 }
 
-function getMp3s() {
+async function getMp3s() {
     let mp3s = [];
-    var files = utils.recFindByExt(audioFolderPath, 'mp3'); // fs.readdirSync(audioFolderPath);
+    var files = await utils.recFindByExt(audioFolderPath, 'mp3'); // fs.readdirSync(audioFolderPath);
     for (let i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
         let file = files[i];
         var file_path = file.substring(audioFolderPath.length, file.length);
 
-        var stats = fs.statSync(file);
+        var stats = await fs.stat(file);
 
         var id = file_path.substring(0, file_path.length-4);
-        var jsonobj = utils.getJSONMp3(id, audioFolderPath);
+        var jsonobj = await utils.getJSONMp3(id, audioFolderPath);
         if (!jsonobj) continue;
         var title = jsonobj.title;
         var url = jsonobj.webpage_url;
@@ -730,9 +725,9 @@ function getMp3s() {
     return mp3s;
 }
 
-function getMp4s(relative_path = true) {
+async function getMp4s(relative_path = true) {
     let mp4s = [];
-    var files = utils.recFindByExt(videoFolderPath, 'mp4');
+    var files = await utils.recFindByExt(videoFolderPath, 'mp4');
     for (let i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
         let file = files[i];
         var file_path = file.substring(videoFolderPath.length, file.length);
@@ -740,7 +735,7 @@ function getMp4s(relative_path = true) {
         var stats = fs.statSync(file);
 
         var id = file_path.substring(0, file_path.length-4);
-        var jsonobj = utils.getJSONMp4(id, videoFolderPath);
+        var jsonobj = await utils.getJSONMp4(id, videoFolderPath);
         if (!jsonobj) continue;
         var title = jsonobj.title;
         var url = jsonobj.webpage_url;
@@ -934,7 +929,7 @@ async function deleteAudioFile(name, customPath = null, blacklistMode = false) {
 
         // get ID from JSON
 
-        var jsonobj = utils.getJSONMp3(name, filePath);
+        var jsonobj = await utils.getJSONMp3(name, filePath);
         let id = null;
         if (jsonobj) id = jsonobj.id;
 
@@ -1009,7 +1004,7 @@ async function deleteVideoFile(name, customPath = null, blacklistMode = false) {
 
         // get ID from JSON
 
-        var jsonobj = utils.getJSONMp4(name, filePath);
+        var jsonobj = await utils.getJSONMp4(name, filePath);
         let id = null;
         if (jsonobj) id = jsonobj.id;
 
@@ -1038,22 +1033,6 @@ async function deleteVideoFile(name, customPath = null, blacklistMode = false) {
     }
 }
 
-// replaces .webm with appropriate extension
-function getTrueFileName(unfixed_path, type) {
-    let fixed_path = unfixed_path;
-
-    const new_ext = (type === 'audio' ? 'mp3' : 'mp4');
-    let unfixed_parts = unfixed_path.split('.');
-    const old_ext = unfixed_parts[unfixed_parts.length-1];
-
-
-    if (old_ext !== new_ext) {
-        unfixed_parts[unfixed_parts.length-1] = new_ext;
-        fixed_path = unfixed_parts.join('.');
-    }
-    return fixed_path;
-}
-
 /**
  * @param {'audio' | 'video'} type
  * @param {string[]} fileNames
@@ -2214,7 +2193,7 @@ app.post('/api/getSubscription', optionalJwt, async (req, res) => {
             let appended_base_path = path.join(base_path, (subscription.isPlaylist ? 'playlists' : 'channels'), subscription.name, '/');
             let files;
             try {
-                files = utils.recFindByExt(appended_base_path, 'mp4');
+                files = await utils.recFindByExt(appended_base_path, 'mp4');
             } catch(e) {
                 files = null;
                 logger.info('Failed to get folder for subscription: ' + subscription.name + ' at path ' + appended_base_path);
diff --git a/backend/db.js b/backend/db.js
index c46cfd8..81524aa 100644
--- a/backend/db.js
+++ b/backend/db.js
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ async function importUnregisteredFiles() {
     // run through check list and check each file to see if it's missing from the db
     dirs_to_check.forEach(dir_to_check => {
         // recursively get all files in dir's path
-        const files = utils.getDownloadedFilesByType(dir_to_check.basePath, dir_to_check.type);
+        const files = await utils.getDownloadedFilesByType(dir_to_check.basePath, dir_to_check.type);
 
         files.forEach(file => {
             // check if file exists in db, if not add it
diff --git a/backend/utils.js b/backend/utils.js
index 73156f3..d7ac82d 100644
--- a/backend/utils.js
+++ b/backend/utils.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const config_api = require('./config');
 
 const is_windows = process.platform === 'win32';
 
+// replaces .webm with appropriate extension
 function getTrueFileName(unfixed_path, type) {
     let fixed_path = unfixed_path;
 
@@ -19,21 +20,21 @@ function getTrueFileName(unfixed_path, type) {
     return fixed_path;
 }
 
-function getDownloadedFilesByType(basePath, type) {
+async function getDownloadedFilesByType(basePath, type) {
     // return empty array if the path doesn't exist
-    if (!fs.existsSync(basePath)) return [];
+    if (!(await fs.pathExists(basePath))) return [];
 
     let files = [];
     const ext = type === 'audio' ? 'mp3' : 'mp4';
-    var located_files = recFindByExt(basePath, ext);
+    var located_files = await recFindByExt(basePath, ext);
     for (let i = 0; i < located_files.length; i++) {
         let file = located_files[i];
         var file_path = file.substring(basePath.includes('\\') ? basePath.length+1 : basePath.length, file.length);
 
-        var stats = fs.statSync(file);
+        var stats = await fs.stat(file);
 
         var id = file_path.substring(0, file_path.length-4);
-        var jsonobj = getJSONByType(type, id, basePath);
+        var jsonobj = await getJSONByType(type, id, basePath);
         if (!jsonobj) continue;
         var title = jsonobj.title;
         var url = jsonobj.webpage_url;
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ function fixVideoMetadataPerms(name, type, customPath = null) {
                                                    : config_api.getConfigItem('ytdl_video_folder_path');
 
     const ext = type === 'audio' ? '.mp3' : '.mp4';
-    
+
     const files_to_fix = [
         // JSONs
         path.join(customPath, name + '.info.json'),
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ function deleteJSONFile(name, type, customPath = null) {
 }
 
 
-function recFindByExt(base,ext,files,result)
+async function recFindByExt(base,ext,files,result)
 {
     files = files || fs.readdirSync(base)
     result = result || []
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ function recFindByExt(base,ext,files,result)
             var newbase = path.join(base,file)
             if ( fs.statSync(newbase).isDirectory() )
             {
-                result = recFindByExt(newbase,ext,fs.readdirSync(newbase),result)
+                result = await recFindByExt(newbase,ext,fs.readdirSync(newbase),result)
             }
             else
             {