diff --git a/web/src/lib/task-manager/workers/ffmpeg.ts b/web/src/lib/task-manager/workers/ffmpeg.ts
index de586dc3..7568fb8a 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/task-manager/workers/ffmpeg.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/task-manager/workers/ffmpeg.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,15 @@
 import LibAVWrapper from "$lib/libav";
-
 import type { FileInfo } from "$lib/types/libav";
 
-const error = (code: string) => {
-    self.postMessage({
-        cobaltFFmpegWorker: {
-            error: `error.${code}`,
-        }
-    })
-}
-
 const ffmpeg = async (variant: string, files: File[], args: string[], output: FileInfo) => {
-    if (!(files && output && args)) return;
+    if (!(files && output && args)) {
+        self.postMessage({
+            cobaltFFmpegWorker: {
+                error: "queue.ffmpeg.no_args",
+            }
+        });
+        return;
+    }
 
     const ff = new LibAVWrapper((progress) => {
         self.postMessage({
@@ -29,23 +27,41 @@ const ffmpeg = async (variant: string, files: File[], args: string[], output: Fi
 
     ff.init({ variant });
 
+    const error = (code: string) => {
+        self.postMessage({
+            cobaltFFmpegWorker: {
+                error: code,
+            }
+        });
+        ff.terminate();
+    }
+
     try {
         // probing just the first file in files array (usually audio) for duration progress
         const probeFile = files[0];
-        if (!probeFile) return error("couldn't probe one of files");
+        if (!probeFile) {
+            return error("queue.ffmpeg.probe_failed");
+        }
 
-        const file_info = await ff.probe(probeFile).catch((e) => {
-            if (e?.message?.toLowerCase().includes("out of memory")) {
-                console.error("uh oh! out of memory");
+        let file_info;
+
+        try {
+            file_info = await ff.probe(probeFile);
+        } catch (e) {
+            console.error("error from ffmpeg worker @ file_info:");
+            if (e instanceof Error && e?.message?.toLowerCase().includes("out of memory")) {
                 console.error(e);
 
-                error("remux.out_of_resources");
-                self.close();
+                error("queue.ffmpeg.out_of_memory");
+                return self.close();
+            } else {
+                console.error(e);
+                return error("queue.ffmpeg.probe_failed");
             }
-        });
+        }
 
         if (!file_info?.format) {
-            return error("remux.corrupted");
+            return error("queue.ffmpeg.no_input_format");
         }
 
         self.postMessage({
@@ -58,27 +74,27 @@ const ffmpeg = async (variant: string, files: File[], args: string[], output: Fi
 
         for (const file of files) {
             if (!file.type) {
-                // TODO: better & more appropriate error code
-                return error("remux.corrupted");
+                return error("queue.ffmpeg.no_input_type");
             }
         }
 
-        const render = await ff
-            .render({
+        let render;
+
+        try {
+            render = await ff.render({
                 files,
                 output,
                 args,
-            })
-            .catch((e) => {
-                console.error("uh-oh! render error");
-                console.error(e);
-                // TODO: better error codes, there are more reasons for a crash
-                error("remux.out_of_resources");
             });
+        } catch (e) {
+            console.error("error from the ffmpeg worker @ render:");
+            console.error(e);
+            // TODO: more granular error codes
+            return error("queue.ffmpeg.crashed");
+        }
 
         if (!render) {
-            console.log("not a valid file");
-            return error("incorrect input or output");
+            return error("queue.ffmpeg.no_render");
         }
 
         await ff.terminate();
@@ -89,8 +105,9 @@ const ffmpeg = async (variant: string, files: File[], args: string[], output: Fi
             }
         });
     } catch (e) {
-        console.log(e);
-        return error("remux.crashed");
+        console.error("error from the ffmpeg worker:")
+        console.error(e);
+        return error("queue.ffmpeg.crashed");
     }
 }