diff --git a/src/commands/join.ts b/src/commands/join.ts
index b7951f4..e829467 100644
--- a/src/commands/join.ts
+++ b/src/commands/join.ts
@@ -2,24 +2,21 @@ import {
   SlashCommandBuilder,
   PermissionFlagsBits,
   ChannelType,
-  ChatInputCommandInteraction, // Import the specific _interaction type
-  GuildMember, // Import GuildMember type
-  VoiceBasedChannel, // Import VoiceBasedChannel type
+  ChatInputCommandInteraction,
+  GuildMember,
+  VoiceBasedChannel,
 } from "discord.js";
-import logger from "../utils/logger.js"; // Use default import
-import { BotClient } from "../index.js"; // Import the BotClient interface
-import { Player } from "shoukaku"; // Import the Player type explicitly
+import logger from "../utils/logger.js";
+import { BotClient } from "../index.js";
+import { Player } from "shoukaku";
 
 export default {
-  // Use export default for ES Modules
   data: new SlashCommandBuilder()
     .setName("join")
     .setDescription("Joins your current voice channel"),
   async execute(_interaction: ChatInputCommandInteraction, _client: BotClient) {
-    // Add types
     // Ensure command is run in a guild
     if (!_interaction.guildId || !_interaction.guild || !_interaction.channelId) {
-      // Reply might fail if _interaction is already replied/deferred, use editReply if needed
       return _interaction
         .reply({ content: "This command can only be used in a server.", ephemeral: true })
         .catch(() => {});
@@ -46,9 +43,8 @@ export default {
     const currentVoiceChannel = voiceChannel as VoiceBasedChannel;
 
     // 2. Check bot permissions
-    const permissions = currentVoiceChannel.permissionsFor(_client.user!); // Use non-null assertion for _client.user
+    const permissions = currentVoiceChannel.permissionsFor(_client.user!);
     if (!permissions?.has(PermissionFlagsBits.Connect)) {
-      // Optional chaining for permissions
       return _interaction.editReply("I need permission to **connect** to your voice channel!");
     }
     if (!permissions?.has(PermissionFlagsBits.Speak)) {
@@ -67,77 +63,65 @@ export default {
     }
 
     // 3. Get or create the player and connect using Shoukaku
-    // Correctly get player from the players map and type it
     let player: Player | undefined = shoukaku.players.get(_interaction.guildId);
 
-    if (!player) {
+    // First, ensure clean state by disconnecting if already connected
+    if (player) {
       try {
-        // Create player using the Shoukaku manager
+        logger.info(`Destroying existing player for guild ${_interaction.guildId} before reconnecting`);
+        await player.destroy();
+        player = undefined;
+      } catch (error) {
+        logger.warn(`Error destroying existing player: ${error}`);
+        // Continue with connection attempt anyway
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Attempt to join voice channel with retry logic
+    let attempts = 0;
+    const maxAttempts = 3;
+    
+    while (attempts < maxAttempts) {
+      attempts++;
+      try {
+        // Wait a short time between retries to allow Discord's voice state to update
+        if (attempts > 1) {
+          await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
+          logger.info(`Attempt ${attempts} to join voice channel ${currentVoiceChannel.id}`);
+        }
+        
         player = await shoukaku.joinVoiceChannel({
           guildId: _interaction.guildId,
           channelId: currentVoiceChannel.id,
-          shardId: _interaction.guild.shardId, // Get shardId from guild
+          shardId: _interaction.guild.shardId,
+          deaf: true // Set to true to avoid listening to voice data, saves bandwidth
         });
 
         logger.info(
           `Created player and connected to voice channel ${currentVoiceChannel.name} (${currentVoiceChannel.id}) in guild ${_interaction.guild.name} (${_interaction.guildId})`,
         );
+        
+        // Connection was successful
         await _interaction.editReply(`Joined ${currentVoiceChannel.name}! Ready to play music.`);
+        return;
       } catch (error: unknown) {
-        // Type error as unknown
         const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
         logger.error(
-          `Failed to create/connect player for guild ${_interaction.guildId}: ${errorMessage}`,
+          `Attempt ${attempts}: Failed to connect to voice channel for guild ${_interaction.guildId}: ${errorMessage}`,
           error,
         );
-        // Attempt to leave voice channel if connection failed partially
-        shoukaku.leaveVoiceChannel(_interaction.guildId).catch((e: unknown) => {
-          // Type catch error
-          const leaveErrorMsg = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
-          logger.error(`Error leaving VC after failed join: ${leaveErrorMsg}`);
-        });
-        return _interaction.editReply("An error occurred while trying to join the voice channel.");
-      }
-    } else {
-      // If player exists, get the corresponding connection
-      const connection = shoukaku.connections.get(_interaction.guildId);
-
-      // Check if connection exists and if it's in a different channel
-      if (!connection || connection.channelId !== currentVoiceChannel.id) {
+        
+        // Clean up any partial connections on failure
         try {
-          // Rejoining should handle moving the bot
-          // Note: joinVoiceChannel might implicitly destroy the old player/connection if one exists for the guild.
-          // If issues arise, explicitly call leaveVoiceChannel first.
-          player = await shoukaku.joinVoiceChannel({
-            guildId: _interaction.guildId,
-            channelId: currentVoiceChannel.id,
-            shardId: _interaction.guild.shardId,
-          });
-
-          logger.info(
-            `Moved player to voice channel ${currentVoiceChannel.name} (${currentVoiceChannel.id}) in guild ${_interaction.guildId}`,
-          );
-          await _interaction.editReply(`Moved to ${currentVoiceChannel.name}!`);
-        } catch (error: unknown) {
-          // Type error as unknown
-          const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
-          logger.error(
-            `Failed to move player for guild ${_interaction.guildId}: ${errorMessage}`,
-            error,
-          );
-          return _interaction.editReply(
-            "An error occurred while trying to move to the voice channel.",
-          );
+          await shoukaku.leaveVoiceChannel(_interaction.guildId);
+        } catch (leaveError) {
+          // Ignore leave errors
+        }
+        
+        if (attempts === maxAttempts) {
+          return _interaction.editReply(`Failed to join voice channel after ${maxAttempts} attempts. Please try again later.`);
         }
-      } else {
-        // Already in the correct channel
-        await _interaction.editReply(`I'm already in ${currentVoiceChannel.name}!`);
       }
-      // Example of updating a manually managed text channel context (if needed)
-      // if (player.textChannelId !== _interaction.channelId) {
-      //    player.textChannelId = _interaction.channelId;
-      //    logger.debug(`Updated player text channel context to ${_interaction.channel?.name} (${_interaction.channelId}) in guild ${_interaction.guildId}`);
-      // }
     }
   },
 };
diff --git a/src/commands/play.ts b/src/commands/play.ts
index 29b8ae0..8ba3ea6 100644
--- a/src/commands/play.ts
+++ b/src/commands/play.ts
@@ -180,34 +180,75 @@ export default {
       player = shoukaku.players.get(_interaction.guildId) as GuildPlayer | undefined;
       const connection = shoukaku.connections.get(_interaction.guildId);
 
+      // Check if we need to join or move to a different channel
       if (!player || !connection || connection.channelId !== currentVoiceChannel.id) {
-        // If player/connection doesn't exist or bot is in wrong channel, join/move
-        try {
-          player = (await shoukaku.joinVoiceChannel({
-            guildId: _interaction.guildId,
-            channelId: currentVoiceChannel.id,
-            shardId: _interaction.guild.shardId,
-          })) as GuildPlayer; // Cast to extended type
-          logger.info(
-            `Joined/Moved to voice channel ${currentVoiceChannel.name} (${currentVoiceChannel.id}) for play command.`,
-          );
-          // Initialize queue if it's a new player
-          if (!player.queue) {
-            player.queue = [];
+        // If existing player, destroy it for a clean slate
+        if (player) {
+          try {
+            logger.info(`Destroying existing player for guild ${_interaction.guildId} before reconnecting`);
+            await player.destroy();
+            player = undefined;
+          } catch (error) {
+            logger.warn(`Error destroying existing player: ${error}`);
+            // Continue with connection attempt anyway
+          }
+        }
+
+        // Attempt to join voice channel with retry logic
+        let attempts = 0;
+        const maxAttempts = 3;
+        let joinSuccess = false;
+        
+        while (attempts < maxAttempts && !joinSuccess) {
+          attempts++;
+          try {
+            // Wait a short time between retries to allow Discord's voice state to update
+            if (attempts > 1) {
+              await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
+              logger.info(`Attempt ${attempts} to join voice channel ${currentVoiceChannel.id}`);
+            }
+            
+            player = (await shoukaku.joinVoiceChannel({
+              guildId: _interaction.guildId,
+              channelId: currentVoiceChannel.id,
+              shardId: _interaction.guild.shardId,
+              deaf: true // Set to true to avoid listening to voice data, saves bandwidth
+            })) as GuildPlayer;
+            
+            // Initialize queue if it's a new player
+            if (!player.queue) {
+              player.queue = [];
+            }
+            player.textChannelId = _interaction.channelId; // Store text channel context
+            
+            logger.info(
+              `Joined/Moved to voice channel ${currentVoiceChannel.name} (${currentVoiceChannel.id}) for play command.`,
+            );
+            
+            joinSuccess = true;
+          } catch (joinError: unknown) {
+            const errorMsg = joinError instanceof Error ? joinError.message : String(joinError);
+            logger.error(
+              `Attempt ${attempts}: Failed to join voice channel for guild ${_interaction.guildId}: ${errorMsg}`,
+              joinError,
+            );
+            
+            // Clean up any partial connections on failure
+            try {
+              await shoukaku.leaveVoiceChannel(_interaction.guildId);
+            } catch (leaveError) {
+              // Ignore leave errors
+            }
+            
+            if (attempts === maxAttempts) {
+              return _interaction.editReply(
+                "Failed to join the voice channel after multiple attempts. Please try again later."
+              );
+            }
           }
-          player.textChannelId = _interaction.channelId; // Store text channel context
-        } catch (joinError: unknown) {
-          const errorMsg = joinError instanceof Error ? joinError.message : String(joinError);
-          logger.error(
-            `Failed to join/move player for guild ${_interaction.guildId}: ${errorMsg}`,
-            joinError,
-          );
-          shoukaku.leaveVoiceChannel(_interaction.guildId).catch(() => {}); // Attempt cleanup
-          return _interaction.editReply(
-            "An error occurred while trying to join the voice channel.",
-          );
         }
       } else {
+        // We already have a player connected to the right channel
         // Ensure queue exists if player was retrieved
         if (!player.queue) {
           player.queue = [];
@@ -271,10 +312,9 @@ export default {
           responseEmbed
             .setTitle("Track Added to Queue")
             .setDescription(`[${track.info.title}](${track.info.uri})`)
-            // Ensure player exists before accessing queue
             .addFields({
               name: "Position in queue",
-              value: `${player.queue.length + 1}`,
+              value: `${player?.queue?.length ?? 0 + 1}`,  // Add null checks
               inline: true,
             });
           if (track.info.artworkUrl) responseEmbed.setThumbnail(track.info.artworkUrl); // Use artworkUrl
@@ -298,7 +338,7 @@ export default {
             .setDescription(`[${track.info.title}](${track.info.uri})`)
             .addFields({
               name: "Position in queue",
-              value: `${player.queue.length + 1}`,
+              value: `${player?.queue?.length ?? 0 + 1}`,  // Add null checks
               inline: true,
             });
           if (track.info.artworkUrl) responseEmbed.setThumbnail(track.info.artworkUrl);