diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 15666e19..3decff49 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ if (WIN32)
     target_include_directories(sndfile INTERFACE "${WIN_SNDFILE_PATH}/include")
 endif()
 
+# Export MoodyCamel's queue as a library
+add_library(readerwriterqueue INTERFACE)
+target_include_directories(readerwriterqueue INTERFACE "external/readerwriterqueue")
+
 # Export the compile_commands.json file
 set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
 
@@ -121,7 +125,7 @@ add_executable(sfizz sources/Main.cpp ${COMMON_SOURCES})
 if(UNIX)
     target_link_libraries(sfizz stdc++fs)
 endif(UNIX)
-target_link_libraries(sfizz absl::strings cxxopts sndfile absl::flat_hash_map)
+target_link_libraries(sfizz absl::strings cxxopts sndfile absl::flat_hash_map readerwriterqueue)
 
 ###############################
 # Test application
diff --git a/sources/FilePool.cpp b/sources/FilePool.cpp
index eb335b1f..08bd6562 100644
--- a/sources/FilePool.cpp
+++ b/sources/FilePool.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ std::optional<sfz::FilePool::FileInformation> sfz::FilePool::getFileInformation(
     SndfileHandle sndFile ( reinterpret_cast<const char*>(file.c_str()) );
     FileInformation returnedValue;
     returnedValue.end = static_cast<uint32_t>(sndFile.frames());
-
+    returnedValue.sampleRate = static_cast<double>(sndFile.samplerate());
     SF_INSTRUMENT instrumentInfo;
     sndFile.command(SFC_GET_INSTRUMENT, &instrumentInfo, sizeof(instrumentInfo));
 
@@ -27,4 +27,40 @@ std::optional<sfz::FilePool::FileInformation> sfz::FilePool::getFileInformation(
     // sndFile.command(SFC_GET_LOG_INFO, buffer, sizeof(buffer)) ;
     // DBG(buffer);
     return returnedValue;
+}
+
+void sfz::FilePool::enqueueLoading(Voice* voice, std::string_view sample, int numFrames)
+{
+    if (!loadingQueue.try_enqueue({ voice, sample, numFrames }))
+        DBG("Problem enqueuing a file read for file " << sample);
+}
+
+void sfz::FilePool::loadingThread()
+{
+    FileLoadingInformation fileToLoad;
+    while (true)
+    {
+        loadingQueue.wait_dequeue(fileToLoad);
+        if (fileToLoad.voice == nullptr)
+        {
+            DBG("Background thread error: voice is null.");
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        DBG("Background loading of: " << fileToLoad.sample);
+        std::filesystem::path file { rootDirectory / fileToLoad.sample };
+        if (!std::filesystem::exists(file))
+        {
+            DBG("Background thread: no file " << fileToLoad.sample << " exists.");
+            continue;
+        }
+        
+        SndfileHandle sndFile ( reinterpret_cast<const char*>(file.c_str()) );
+        auto fileLoaded = std::make_unique<StereoBuffer<float>>(fileToLoad.numFrames);
+        auto readBuffer = std::make_unique<Buffer<float>>(fileToLoad.numFrames * 2);
+        sndFile.readf(readBuffer->data(), fileToLoad.numFrames);
+        fileLoaded->readInterleaved<SIMDConfig::useSIMD>(readBuffer->data(), fileToLoad.numFrames);
+        fileToLoad.voice->setFileData(std::move(fileLoaded));
+    }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sources/FilePool.h b/sources/FilePool.h
index 3ab962b7..04c2f373 100644
--- a/sources/FilePool.h
+++ b/sources/FilePool.h
@@ -1,19 +1,26 @@
 #pragma once
 #include "StereoBuffer.h"
 #include "Defaults.h"
+#include "Voice.h"
 #include <sndfile.hh>
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <optional>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <absl/container/flat_hash_map.h>
 #include <map>
+#include <readerwriterqueue.h>
+#include <thread>
 
 namespace sfz
 {
 class FilePool
 {
 public:
-    FilePool() = default;
+    FilePool()
+    : fileLoadingThread(std::thread(&FilePool::loadingThread, this))
+    {
+
+    }
     void setRootDirectory(const std::filesystem::path& directory) { rootDirectory = directory; }
     size_t getNumPreloadedSamples() { return preloadedData.size(); }
 
@@ -22,11 +29,22 @@ public:
         uint32_t end { Default::sampleEndRange.getEnd() };
         uint32_t loopBegin { Default::loopRange.getStart() };
         uint32_t loopEnd { Default::loopRange.getEnd() };
+        double sampleRate { config::defaultSampleRate };
         std::shared_ptr<StereoBuffer<float>> preloadedData;
     };
     std::optional<FileInformation> getFileInformation(std::string_view filename);
+    void enqueueLoading(Voice* voice, std::string_view sample, int numFrames);
 private:
     std::filesystem::path rootDirectory;
+    struct FileLoadingInformation
+    {
+        Voice* voice;
+        std::string_view sample;
+        int numFrames;
+    };
+    moodycamel::BlockingReaderWriterQueue<FileLoadingInformation> loadingQueue;
+    void loadingThread();
+    std::thread fileLoadingThread;
     Buffer<float> tempReadBuffer { config::preloadSize * 2 };
     // std::map<std::string_view, std::shared_ptr<StereoBuffer<float>>> preloadedData;
     absl::flat_hash_map<std::string_view, std::shared_ptr<StereoBuffer<float>>> preloadedData;
diff --git a/sources/Synth.cpp b/sources/Synth.cpp
index 188179df..f910e882 100644
--- a/sources/Synth.cpp
+++ b/sources/Synth.cpp
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ bool sfz::Synth::loadSfzFile(const std::filesystem::path& filename)
         region->sampleEnd = std::min(region->sampleEnd, fileInformation->end);
         region->loopRange.shrinkIfSmaller(fileInformation->loopBegin, fileInformation->loopEnd);
         region->preloadedData = fileInformation->preloadedData;
+        region->sampleRate = fileInformation->sampleRate;
 
         for (auto note = region->keyRange.getStart(); note <= region->keyRange.getEnd(); note++)
             noteActivationLists[note].push_back(*currentRegion);
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ bool sfz::Synth::loadSfzFile(const std::filesystem::path& filename)
 
         currentRegion++;
     }
-    
+
     DBG("Removed " << regions.size() - std::distance(regions.begin(), lastRegion) - 1 << " out of " << regions.size() << " regions.");
     regions.resize(std::distance(regions.begin(), lastRegion) + 1);
     return parserReturned;
diff --git a/sources/Voice.h b/sources/Voice.h
index 7fdb7ecc..0f7207a1 100644
--- a/sources/Voice.h
+++ b/sources/Voice.h
@@ -1,10 +1,20 @@
 #pragma once
+#include "StereoBuffer.h"
+#include <atomic>
+#include <memory>
 
 namespace sfz
 {
 class Voice
 {
 public:
+    void setFileData(std::unique_ptr<StereoBuffer<float>> file)
+    {
+        fileData = std::move(file);
+        dataReady.store(true);
+    }
 private:
+    std::atomic<bool> dataReady;
+    std::unique_ptr<StereoBuffer<float>> fileData;
 };
 }
\ No newline at end of file