diff --git a/src/main/java/codes/ztereohype/ztereomusic/command/commands/Play.java b/src/main/java/codes/ztereohype/ztereomusic/command/commands/Play.java
index 327b00f..6a8149e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/codes/ztereohype/ztereomusic/command/commands/Play.java
+++ b/src/main/java/codes/ztereohype/ztereomusic/command/commands/Play.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import codes.ztereohype.ztereomusic.audio.TrackManager;
 import codes.ztereohype.ztereomusic.audio.TrackManagers;
 import codes.ztereohype.ztereomusic.command.Command;
 import codes.ztereohype.ztereomusic.command.CommandMeta;
+import codes.ztereohype.ztereomusic.networking.YoutubeSearch;
 import com.sedmelluq.discord.lavaplayer.player.AudioLoadResultHandler;
 import com.sedmelluq.discord.lavaplayer.player.AudioPlayerManager;
 import com.sedmelluq.discord.lavaplayer.tools.FriendlyException;
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ import net.dv8tion.jda.api.entities.*;
 import net.dv8tion.jda.api.events.message.MessageReceivedEvent;
 import net.dv8tion.jda.api.managers.AudioManager;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
@@ -52,11 +54,16 @@ public class Play implements Command {
         Matcher matchedUrls = urlPattern.matcher(mergedArgs);
         boolean urlFound = matchedUrls.find();
 
+        // todo: clean up this bullshit try catch thing
         String identifier;
         if (!urlFound) {
             // youtube api shit
-            messageEvent.getMessage().reply("please send a youtube link").queue();
-            return;
+            try {
+                identifier = YoutubeSearch.getVideoUrl(mergedArgs);
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                e.printStackTrace();
+                identifier = "error";
+            }
         } else {
             // set identifier to the parsed url
             identifier = mergedArgs;
diff --git a/src/main/java/codes/ztereohype/ztereomusic/networking/YoutubeSearch.java b/src/main/java/codes/ztereohype/ztereomusic/networking/YoutubeSearch.java
index 8b85d03..b972509 100644
--- a/src/main/java/codes/ztereohype/ztereomusic/networking/YoutubeSearch.java
+++ b/src/main/java/codes/ztereohype/ztereomusic/networking/YoutubeSearch.java
@@ -1,9 +1,41 @@
 package codes.ztereohype.ztereomusic.networking;
 
+import codes.ztereohype.ztereomusic.ZtereoMUSIC;
+import net.shadew.json.Json;
+import net.shadew.json.JsonNode;
+import net.shadew.json.JsonPath;
+import net.shadew.json.JsonSyntaxException;
+
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 
 public class YoutubeSearch {
-    public String getVideoUrl(String title) throws IOException {
-        return "WIP";
+    public static String getVideoUrl(String title) throws IOException {
+        String apiKey = ZtereoMUSIC.getInstance().getConfig().getPropreties().get("yt_api_key");
+        String query;
+
+        title = (title.contains(" ")) ? title.replace(" ","+") : title;
+        query = "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/search?part=snippet&q=%22"+title+"%22&type=video&key="+apiKey;
+
+        // todo: add safety here, sounds a bit unsafe to me tbh but idk
+        InputStream inputStream = new URL(query).openStream();
+        String jsonResponse = new String(inputStream.readAllBytes(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+
+        //todo: clean up this bullshit try/catch shit and error
+        Json json = Json.json();
+        JsonNode parsedResponse;
+        JsonPath path = JsonPath.parse("items[0].id.videoId");
+        String videoId;
+        try {
+            parsedResponse = json.parse(jsonResponse);
+            videoId = parsedResponse.query(path).asString();
+        } catch (JsonSyntaxException e) {
+            e.printStackTrace();
+            videoId = "error";
+        }
+
+        return videoId;
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}