let's try this

src/anm2/anm2_sounds.cpp

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ namespace anm2ed::anm2
     labels.emplace_back(localize.get(BASIC_NONE));
     for (auto& [id, sound] : content.sounds)
     {
-      auto pathString = sound.path.string();
+      auto pathString = filesystem::path_to_utf8(sound.path);
       labels.emplace_back(std::vformat(localize.get(FORMAT_SOUND), std::make_format_args(id, pathString)));
     }
     return labels;

src/dialog.cpp

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <cstdlib>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <format>
 
 #include "filesystem_.h"
@@ -22,11 +23,14 @@ namespace anm2ed::dialog
 
     if (filelist && filelist[0] && strlen(filelist[0]) > 0)
     {
-      self->path = filelist[0];
+      self->path = anm2ed::util::filesystem::path_from_utf8(filelist[0]);
       self->selectedFilter = filter;
     }
     else
+    {
       self->selectedFilter = -1;
+      self->path.clear();
+    }
   }
 }
 

src/imgui/taskbar.cpp

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 #include <imgui/imgui.h>
 
+#include "filesystem_.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "math_.h"
 #include "render.h"
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ using namespace anm2ed::types;
 using namespace anm2ed::canvas;
 using namespace anm2ed::util;
 using namespace glm;
+namespace filesystem = anm2ed::util::filesystem;
 
 namespace anm2ed::imgui
 {
@@ -874,7 +876,7 @@ namespace anm2ed::imgui
 
       if (dialog.is_selected(dialog::FFMPEG_PATH_SET))
       {
-        ffmpegPath = dialog.path.string();
+        ffmpegPath = filesystem::path_to_utf8(dialog.path);
         dialog.reset();
       }
 
@@ -892,7 +894,7 @@ namespace anm2ed::imgui
 
       if (dialog.is_selected(dialogType))
       {
-        path = dialog.path.string();
+        path = filesystem::path_to_utf8(dialog.path);
         dialog.reset();
       }
 

src/imgui/window/sounds.cpp

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace anm2ed::imgui
       auto behavior = [&]()
       {
         int id{};
-        auto pathString = path.string();
+        auto pathString = filesystem::path_to_utf8(path);
         if (anm2.sound_add(document.directory_get(), path, id))
         {
           selection = {id};
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ namespace anm2ed::imgui
         {
           anm2::Sound& sound = anm2.content.sounds[id];
           sound.reload(document.directory_get());
-          auto pathString = sound.path.string();
+          auto pathString = filesystem::path_to_utf8(sound.path);
           toasts.push(std::vformat(localize.get(TOAST_RELOAD_SOUND), std::make_format_args(id, pathString)));
           logger.info(
               std::vformat(localize.get(TOAST_RELOAD_SOUND, anm2ed::ENGLISH), std::make_format_args(id, pathString)));
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ namespace anm2ed::imgui
         auto& id = *selection.begin();
         anm2::Sound& sound = anm2.content.sounds[id];
         sound = anm2::Sound(document.directory_get(), path);
-        auto pathString = sound.path.string();
+        auto pathString = filesystem::path_to_utf8(sound.path);
         toasts.push(std::vformat(localize.get(TOAST_REPLACE_SOUND), std::make_format_args(id, pathString)));
         logger.info(
             std::vformat(localize.get(TOAST_REPLACE_SOUND, anm2ed::ENGLISH), std::make_format_args(id, pathString)));
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ namespace anm2ed::imgui
             bool isValid = sound.is_valid();
             auto& soundIcon = isValid ? resources.icons[icon::SOUND] : resources.icons[icon::NONE];
             auto tintColor = !isValid ? ImVec4(1.0f, 0.25f, 0.25f, 1.0f) : ImVec4(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
-            auto pathString = sound.path.string();
+            auto pathString = filesystem::path_to_utf8(sound.path);
 
             ImGui::SetNextItemSelectionUserData(id);
             ImGui::SetNextItemStorageID(id);

src/resource/audio.cpp

@@ -3,8 +3,13 @@
 #include <SDL3/SDL_filesystem.h>
 #include <SDL3/SDL_properties.h>
 #include <SDL3/SDL_stdinc.h>
+#include <cstdio>
 #include <utility>
 
+#include "filesystem_.h"
+
+namespace filesystem = anm2ed::util::filesystem;
+
 namespace anm2ed::resource
 {
   MIX_Mixer* Audio::mixer_get()
@@ -17,16 +22,25 @@ namespace anm2ed::resource
   {
     if (path.empty()) return;
 
-    size_t fileSize = 0;
-    void* fileData = SDL_LoadFile(path.string().c_str(), &fileSize);
-    if (!fileData || fileSize == 0)
+    filesystem::File file(path, "rb");
+    if (!file) return;
+
+    if (std::fseek(file.get(), 0, SEEK_END) != 0) return;
+    auto size = std::ftell(file.get());
+    if (size <= 0)
     {
-      if (fileData) SDL_free(fileData);
       return;
     }
+    std::rewind(file.get());
 
-    data.assign(static_cast<unsigned char*>(fileData), static_cast<unsigned char*>(fileData) + fileSize);
-    SDL_free(fileData);
+    data.resize(static_cast<std::size_t>(size));
+    auto read = std::fread(data.data(), 1, data.size(), file.get());
+    if (read == 0)
+    {
+      data.clear();
+      return;
+    }
+    data.resize(read);
 
     SDL_IOStream* io = SDL_IOFromConstMem(data.data(), data.size());
     if (!io)