diff --git a/headphones/__init__.py b/headphones/__init__.py
index 8a4637bc..5fec6b34 100644
--- a/headphones/__init__.py
+++ b/headphones/__init__.py
@@ -218,6 +218,8 @@ ENCODEROUTPUTFORMAT = None
 ENCODERQUALITY = None
 ENCODERVBRCBR = None
 ENCODERLOSSLESS = False
+ENCODER_MULTICORE = False
+ENCODER_MULTICORE_COUNT = 0
 DELETE_LOSSLESS_FILES = False
 PROWL_ENABLED = True
 PROWL_PRIORITY = 1
@@ -337,7 +339,7 @@ def initialize():
                 NZBSORG, NZBSORG_UID, NZBSORG_HASH, NZBSRUS, NZBSRUS_UID, NZBSRUS_APIKEY, OMGWTFNZBS, OMGWTFNZBS_UID, OMGWTFNZBS_APIKEY, \
                 NZB_DOWNLOADER, TORRENT_DOWNLOADER, PREFERRED_WORDS, REQUIRED_WORDS, IGNORED_WORDS, LASTFM_USERNAME, \
                 INTERFACE, FOLDER_PERMISSIONS, FILE_PERMISSIONS, ENCODERFOLDER, ENCODER_PATH, ENCODER, XLDPROFILE, BITRATE, SAMPLINGFREQUENCY, \
-                MUSIC_ENCODER, ADVANCEDENCODER, ENCODEROUTPUTFORMAT, ENCODERQUALITY, ENCODERVBRCBR, ENCODERLOSSLESS, DELETE_LOSSLESS_FILES, \
+                MUSIC_ENCODER, ADVANCEDENCODER, ENCODEROUTPUTFORMAT, ENCODERQUALITY, ENCODERVBRCBR, ENCODERLOSSLESS, ENCODER_MULTICORE, ENCODER_MULTICORE_COUNT, DELETE_LOSSLESS_FILES, \
                 PROWL_ENABLED, PROWL_PRIORITY, PROWL_KEYS, PROWL_ONSNATCH, PUSHOVER_ENABLED, PUSHOVER_PRIORITY, PUSHOVER_KEYS, PUSHOVER_ONSNATCH, MIRRORLIST, \
                 TWITTER_ENABLED, TWITTER_ONSNATCH, TWITTER_USERNAME, TWITTER_PASSWORD, TWITTER_PREFIX, \
                 PUSHBULLET_ENABLED, PUSHBULLET_APIKEY, PUSHBULLET_DEVICEID, PUSHBULLET_ONSNATCH, \
@@ -534,6 +536,8 @@ def initialize():
         ENCODERQUALITY = check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'encoderquality', 2)
         ENCODERVBRCBR = check_setting_str(CFG, 'General', 'encodervbrcbr', 'cbr')
         ENCODERLOSSLESS = bool(check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'encoderlossless', 1))
+        ENCODER_MULTICORE = bool(check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'encoder_multicore', 0))
+        ENCODER_MULTICORE_COUNT = max(0, check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'encoder_multicore_count', 0))
         DELETE_LOSSLESS_FILES = bool(check_setting_int(CFG, 'General', 'delete_lossless_files', 1))
 
         PROWL_ENABLED = bool(check_setting_int(CFG, 'Prowl', 'prowl_enabled', 0))
@@ -1006,6 +1010,8 @@ def config_write():
     new_config['General']['encoderquality'] = ENCODERQUALITY
     new_config['General']['encodervbrcbr'] = ENCODERVBRCBR
     new_config['General']['encoderlossless'] = int(ENCODERLOSSLESS)
+    new_config['General']['encoder_multicore'] = int(ENCODER_MULTICORE)
+    new_config['General']['encoder_multicore_count'] = int(ENCODER_MULTICORE_COUNT)
     new_config['General']['delete_lossless_files'] = int(DELETE_LOSSLESS_FILES)
 
     new_config['General']['mirror'] = MIRROR
diff --git a/headphones/music_encoder.py b/headphones/music_encoder.py
index e37f2d43..a46d5f90 100644
--- a/headphones/music_encoder.py
+++ b/headphones/music_encoder.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import os
 import headphones
 import shutil
 import time
+import multiprocessing
 
 import subprocess
 from headphones import logger
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ def encode(albumPath):
 
     i=0
     encoder_failed = False
+    jobs = []
 
     for music in musicFiles:        
         infoMusic=MediaFile(music)
@@ -131,15 +133,45 @@ def encode(albumPath):
                     encode = True
         # encode
         if encode:
-            if not command(encoder,music,musicTempFiles[i],albumPath):
-                encoder_failed = True
-                break
+            job = (encoder, music, musicTempFiles[i], albumPath)
+            jobs.append(job)
         else:
             musicFiles[i] = None
             musicTempFiles[i] = None
 
         i=i+1
 
+    # Encode music files
+    if len(jobs) > 0:
+        if headphones.ENCODER_MULTICORE:
+            if headphones.ENCODER_MULTICORE_COUNT == 0:
+                processes = multiprocessing.cpu_count()
+            else:
+                processes = headphones.ENCODER_MULTICORE_COUNT
+
+            logger.debug("Multi-core encoding enabled, %d processes" % processes)
+        else:
+            processes = 1
+
+        # Use multiprocessing only if it's worth the overhead. and if it is
+        # enabled. If not, then use the old fashioned way.
+        if processes > 1:
+            pool = multiprocessing.Pool(processes=processes)
+            results = pool.map_async(command_map, jobs)
+
+            # No new processes will be created, so close it and wait for all
+            # processes to finish
+            pool.close()
+            pool.join()
+
+            # Retrieve the results
+            results = results.get()
+        else:
+            results = map(command_map, jobs)
+
+        # The results are either True or False, so determine if one is False
+        encoder_failed = not all(results)
+
     musicFiles = filter(None, musicFiles)
     musicTempFiles = filter(None, musicTempFiles)
 
@@ -187,7 +219,10 @@ def encode(albumPath):
         logger.info('Encoding for folder %s is not required' % (albumPath.decode(headphones.SYS_ENCODING, 'replace')))
     
     return musicFinalFiles
-    
+
+def command_map(args):
+    return command(*args)
+
 def command(encoder,musicSource,musicDest,albumPath):
 
     cmd=[]