diff --git a/src/custom_sfml_audio/fake_pitched_sound_stream.cpp b/src/custom_sfml_audio/fake_pitched_sound_stream.cpp
index 458acb8..2bef4a7 100644
--- a/src/custom_sfml_audio/fake_pitched_sound_stream.cpp
+++ b/src/custom_sfml_audio/fake_pitched_sound_stream.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ FakePitchedSoundStream::FakePitchedSoundStream(
     pitch(pitch_),
     sample(std::make_shared<sf::SoundBuffer>())
 {
-    if (not sample->loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(path_to_sample))) {
+    if (not sample->loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(path_to_sample))) {
         throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("Could not load audio sample : {}", path_to_sample.string()));
     }
     finish_initializing_the_sample();
diff --git a/src/custom_sfml_audio/open_music.cpp b/src/custom_sfml_audio/open_music.cpp
index d5e58ed..e1de517 100644
--- a/src/custom_sfml_audio/open_music.cpp
+++ b/src/custom_sfml_audio/open_music.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ OpenMusic::OpenMusic(const std::filesystem::path& filename) :
     m_file(),
     m_loopSpan(0, 0)
 {
-    if (not openFromFile(to_native_encoding(filename))) {
+    if (not openFromFile(to_sfml_string(filename))) {
         throw std::runtime_error("Could not open "+filename.string());
     }
 }
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ bool OpenMusic::openFromFile(const std::filesystem::path& filename) {
     stop();
 
     // Open the underlying sound file
-    if (!m_file.openFromFile(to_native_encoding(filename))) {
+    if (!m_file.openFromFile(to_sfml_string(filename))) {
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/editor_state.cpp b/src/editor_state.cpp
index 50e3e97..1762594 100644
--- a/src/editor_state.cpp
+++ b/src/editor_state.cpp
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ void EditorState::reload_jacket() {
 
     if (
         not std::filesystem::exists(jacket_path)
-        or not jacket->loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(jacket_path))
+        or not jacket->loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(jacket_path))
     ) {
         jacket.reset();
     } else {
@@ -1460,7 +1460,7 @@ void EditorState::reload_preview_audio() {
 
     const auto path = song_path->parent_path() / song.metadata.preview_file;
     preview_audio.emplace();
-    if (not preview_audio->openFromFile(to_native_encoding(path))) {
+    if (not preview_audio->openFromFile(to_sfml_string(path))) {
         preview_audio.reset();
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/ln_marker.hpp b/src/ln_marker.hpp
index 49f3588..596cd35 100644
--- a/src/ln_marker.hpp
+++ b/src/ln_marker.hpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ std::array<sf::Texture, number> load_tex_with_prefix(
         );
         std::filesystem::path texFile = folder / filename;
         sf::Texture tex;
-        if (!tex.loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(texFile))) {
+        if (!tex.loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(texFile))) {
             throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
                 "Unable to load texture folder {}, failed on texture {}",
                 folder.string(),
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index a3fa1dd..0662a3e 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ int main() {
          std::filesystem::directory_iterator(assets_folder / "textures" / "markers")) {
         if (folder.is_directory()) {
             sf::Texture markerPreview;
-            markerPreview.loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(folder.path() / "ma15.png"));
+            markerPreview.loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(folder.path() / "ma15.png"));
             markerPreview.setSmooth(true);
             markerPreviews.insert({folder, markerPreview});
         }
diff --git a/src/marker.cpp b/src/marker.cpp
index c1cc838..f5f63d1 100644
--- a/src/marker.cpp
+++ b/src/marker.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Marker::Marker(const std::filesystem::path& folder_):
     const auto emplace_back = [&](std::vector<sf::Texture>& vec, const std::string& file){
         auto& tex = vec.emplace_back();
         const auto path = folder / file;
-        if (not tex.loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(path))) {
+        if (not tex.loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(path))) {
             throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format(
                 "Unable to load marker {} - failed on image {}",
                 folder.string(),
diff --git a/src/playfield.cpp b/src/playfield.cpp
index 0103389..349ca27 100644
--- a/src/playfield.cpp
+++ b/src/playfield.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Playfield::Playfield(std::filesystem::path assets_folder) :
     long_note(assets_folder / "textures" / "long"),
     texture_path(assets_folder / texture_file)
 {
-    if (!base_texture.loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(texture_path))) {
+    if (!base_texture.loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(texture_path))) {
         std::cerr << "Unable to load texture " << texture_path;
         throw std::runtime_error("Unable to load texture " + texture_path.string());
     }
diff --git a/src/sound_effect.cpp b/src/sound_effect.cpp
index 1741747..c0e8525 100644
--- a/src/sound_effect.cpp
+++ b/src/sound_effect.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ SoundEffect::SoundEffect(std::filesystem::path path) :
     shouldPlay(false),
     buffer(),
     volume(10) {
-    if (!buffer.loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(path))) {
+    if (!buffer.loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(path))) {
         throw std::runtime_error("Unable to load sound : " + path.string());
     }
 
diff --git a/src/utf8_sfml.cpp b/src/utf8_sfml.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf3126d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utf8_sfml.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#include "utf8_sfml.hpp"
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <ios>
+#include "nowide/fstream.hpp"
+
+#include "utf8_strings.hpp"
+
+feis::UTF8FileStream::UTF8FileStream(const std::filesystem::path& file) :
+    nowide_stream(to_utf8_encoded_string(file)),
+    path(file)
+{}
+
+sf::Int64 feis::UTF8FileStream::read(void* data, sf::Int64 size) {
+    try {
+        nowide_stream.read(static_cast<char*>(data), size);
+    } catch (const std::ios_base::failure& e) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    return nowide_stream.gcount();
+}
+
+sf::Int64 feis::UTF8FileStream::seek(sf::Int64 position) {
+    try {
+        nowide_stream.seekg(position, std::ios_base::beg);
+        return nowide_stream.tellg();
+    } catch (const std::ios_base::failure& e) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+}
+
+sf::Int64 feis::UTF8FileStream::tell() {
+    try {
+        return nowide_stream.tellg();
+    } catch (const std::ios_base::failure& e) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+}
+
+sf::Int64 feis::UTF8FileStream::getSize() {
+    try {
+        return std::filesystem::file_size(path);
+    } catch(std::filesystem::filesystem_error const& ex) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+}
+
+bool feis::Music::open_from_file(const std::filesystem::path& file) {
+    file_stream.emplace(to_utf8_encoded_string(file));
+    return this->openFromStream(*file_stream);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utf8_sfml.hpp b/src/utf8_sfml.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d29eef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utf8_sfml.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/* UTF8-aware load_from_file functions for SFML objects,
+uses nowide under the hood */
+#pragma once
+
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <optional>
+
+#include <nowide/fstream.hpp>
+#include <SFML/Audio/Music.hpp>
+#include <SFML/Graphics/Texture.hpp>
+#include <SFML/System/InputStream.hpp>
+
+namespace feis {
+    class UTF8FileStream : public sf::InputStream {
+    public:
+        UTF8FileStream(const std::filesystem::path& file);
+        sf::Int64 read(void* data, sf::Int64 size) override;
+        sf::Int64 seek(sf::Int64 position) override;
+        sf::Int64 tell() override;
+        sf::Int64 getSize() override;
+    private:
+        nowide::ifstream nowide_stream;
+        std::filesystem::path path;
+    };
+
+    template<class T>
+    bool load_from_file(T& object, const std::filesystem::path& file) {
+        UTF8FileStream f{file};
+        return object.loadFromStream(f);
+    }
+
+    class Music : public sf::Music {
+    public:
+        bool open_from_file(const std::filesystem::path& file);
+    protected:
+        std::optional<UTF8FileStream> file_stream;
+    };
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utf8_strings.cpp b/src/utf8_strings.cpp
index 233e77a..0d17f16 100644
--- a/src/utf8_strings.cpp
+++ b/src/utf8_strings.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "utf8_strings.hpp"
+#include <SFML/System/String.hpp>
 
 std::string to_utf8_encoded_string(const std::u8string& u8s) {
     std::string result{u8s.cbegin(), u8s.cend()};
@@ -18,6 +19,12 @@ std::filesystem::path to_path(const std::string& utf8s) {
     return std::filesystem::path{to_u8string(utf8s)};
 }
 
-std::string to_native_encoding(const std::filesystem::path& path) {
+std::string to_sfml_string(const std::filesystem::path& path) {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    const auto string_path = to_utf8_encoded_string(path);
+    const auto sfml_string_path = sf::String::fromUtf8(string_path.begin(), string_path.end());
+    return sfml_string_path.toAnsiString();
+#else
     return path.string();
+#endif
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utf8_strings.hpp b/src/utf8_strings.hpp
index 9906e90..e4d7f15 100644
--- a/src/utf8_strings.hpp
+++ b/src/utf8_strings.hpp
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ std::string to_utf8_encoded_string(const std::u8string& u8s);
 std::string to_utf8_encoded_string(const std::filesystem::path& path);
 std::u8string to_u8string(const std::string& utf8s);
 std::filesystem::path to_path(const std::string& utf8s);
-std::string to_native_encoding(const std::filesystem::path& path);
\ No newline at end of file
+std::string to_sfml_string(const std::filesystem::path& path);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/widgets/blank_screen.cpp b/src/widgets/blank_screen.cpp
index 1399425..5c363aa 100644
--- a/src/widgets/blank_screen.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/blank_screen.cpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #include "utf8_strings.hpp"
 
 BlankScreen::BlankScreen(std::filesystem::path assets) : gris_de_fond(sf::Color(38, 38, 38)) {
-    if (!tex_FEIS_logo.loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(assets / "textures" / "FEIS_logo.png"))) {
+    if (!tex_FEIS_logo.loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(assets / "textures" / "FEIS_logo.png"))) {
         throw std::string("Unable to load assets/textures/FEIS_logo.png");
     }
     tex_FEIS_logo.setSmooth(true);
diff --git a/src/widgets/density_graph.cpp b/src/widgets/density_graph.cpp
index 1b7a7ea..b204c86 100644
--- a/src/widgets/density_graph.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/density_graph.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ DensityGraph::DensityGraph(std::filesystem::path assets, const config::Config& c
     texture_path(assets / texture_file),
     collision_zone(config.editor.collision_zone)
 {
-    if (!base_texture.loadFromFile(to_native_encoding(texture_path))) {
+    if (!base_texture.loadFromFile(to_sfml_string(texture_path))) {
         std::cerr << "Unable to load texture " << texture_path;
         throw std::runtime_error("Unable to load texture " + texture_path.string());
     }