diff --git a/src/SongUpdate.cxx b/src/SongUpdate.cxx
index 0d22ff1d8..9887da507 100644
--- a/src/SongUpdate.cxx
+++ b/src/SongUpdate.cxx
@@ -41,18 +41,16 @@
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_DATABASE
 
-Song *
+SongPtr
 Song::LoadFile(Storage &storage, const char *path_utf8,
 	       Directory &parent) noexcept
 {
 	assert(!uri_has_scheme(path_utf8));
 	assert(strchr(path_utf8, '\n') == nullptr);
 
-	Song *song = NewFile(path_utf8, parent);
-	if (!song->UpdateFile(storage)) {
-		song->Free();
+	auto song = NewFile(path_utf8, parent);
+	if (!song->UpdateFile(storage))
 		return nullptr;
-	}
 
 	return song;
 }
@@ -102,19 +100,17 @@ Song::UpdateFile(Storage &storage) noexcept
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_ARCHIVE
 
-Song *
+SongPtr
 Song::LoadFromArchive(ArchiveFile &archive, const char *name_utf8,
 		      Directory &parent) noexcept
 {
 	assert(!uri_has_scheme(name_utf8));
 	assert(strchr(name_utf8, '\n') == nullptr);
 
-	Song *song = NewFile(name_utf8, parent);
+	auto song = NewFile(name_utf8, parent);
 
-	if (!song->UpdateFileInArchive(archive)) {
-		song->Free();
+	if (!song->UpdateFileInArchive(archive))
 		return nullptr;
-	}
 
 	return song;
 }
diff --git a/src/db/plugins/simple/Directory.cxx b/src/db/plugins/simple/Directory.cxx
index 62d3a6075..e4a279dc1 100644
--- a/src/db/plugins/simple/Directory.cxx
+++ b/src/db/plugins/simple/Directory.cxx
@@ -164,13 +164,13 @@ Directory::LookupDirectory(const char *uri) noexcept
 }
 
 void
-Directory::AddSong(Song *song) noexcept
+Directory::AddSong(SongPtr song) noexcept
 {
 	assert(holding_db_lock());
 	assert(song != nullptr);
 	assert(song->parent == this);
 
-	songs.push_back(*song);
+	songs.push_back(*song.release());
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/db/plugins/simple/Directory.hxx b/src/db/plugins/simple/Directory.hxx
index c8a429e4f..540cfec3c 100644
--- a/src/db/plugins/simple/Directory.hxx
+++ b/src/db/plugins/simple/Directory.hxx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #ifndef MPD_DIRECTORY_HXX
 #define MPD_DIRECTORY_HXX
 
+#include "Ptr.hxx"
 #include "util/Compiler.h"
 #include "db/Visitor.hxx"
 #include "db/PlaylistVector.hxx"
@@ -242,7 +243,7 @@ public:
 	 * Add a song object to this directory.  Its "parent" attribute must
 	 * be set already.
 	 */
-	void AddSong(Song *song) noexcept;
+	void AddSong(SongPtr song) noexcept;
 
 	/**
 	 * Remove a song object from this directory (which effectively
diff --git a/src/db/plugins/simple/DirectorySave.cxx b/src/db/plugins/simple/DirectorySave.cxx
index 40b71f9eb..1349f7b7e 100644
--- a/src/db/plugins/simple/DirectorySave.cxx
+++ b/src/db/plugins/simple/DirectorySave.cxx
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ directory_load(TextFile &file, Directory &directory)
 						  directory);
 			song->audio_format = audio_format;
 
-			directory.AddSong(song);
+			directory.AddSong(std::move(song));
 		} else if ((p = StringAfterPrefix(line, PLAYLIST_META_BEGIN))) {
 			const char *name = p;
 			playlist_metadata_load(file, directory.playlists, name);
diff --git a/src/db/plugins/simple/Ptr.hxx b/src/db/plugins/simple/Ptr.hxx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b649b6395
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/db/plugins/simple/Ptr.hxx
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2003-2019 The Music Player Daemon Project
+ * http://www.musicpd.org
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+ * with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+#ifndef MPD_SONG_PTR_HXX
+#define MPD_SONG_PTR_HXX
+
+#include "Disposer.hxx"
+
+#include <memory>
+
+using SongPtr = std::unique_ptr<Song, SongDisposer>;
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.cxx b/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.cxx
index 409c2c440..b43ab60f7 100644
--- a/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.cxx
+++ b/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.cxx
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Song::~Song() noexcept
 {
 }
 
-static Song *
+static SongPtr
 song_alloc(const char *uri, Directory &parent) noexcept
 {
 	size_t uri_length;
@@ -49,15 +49,16 @@ song_alloc(const char *uri, Directory &parent) noexcept
 	uri_length = strlen(uri);
 	assert(uri_length);
 
-	return NewVarSize<Song>(sizeof(Song::uri),
-				uri_length + 1,
-				uri, uri_length, parent);
+	auto *song = NewVarSize<Song>(sizeof(Song::uri),
+				      uri_length + 1,
+				      uri, uri_length, parent);
+	return SongPtr(song);
 }
 
-Song *
+SongPtr
 Song::NewFrom(DetachedSong &&other, Directory &parent) noexcept
 {
-	Song *song = song_alloc(other.GetURI(), parent);
+	SongPtr song(song_alloc(other.GetURI(), parent));
 	song->tag = std::move(other.WritableTag());
 	song->mtime = other.GetLastModified();
 	song->start_time = other.GetStartTime();
@@ -65,10 +66,10 @@ Song::NewFrom(DetachedSong &&other, Directory &parent) noexcept
 	return song;
 }
 
-Song *
+SongPtr
 Song::NewFile(const char *path, Directory &parent) noexcept
 {
-	return song_alloc(path, parent);
+	return SongPtr(song_alloc(path, parent));
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.hxx b/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.hxx
index 34f5161ea..23056cbbf 100644
--- a/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.hxx
+++ b/src/db/plugins/simple/Song.hxx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #ifndef MPD_SONG_HXX
 #define MPD_SONG_HXX
 
+#include "Ptr.hxx"
 #include "Chrono.hxx"
 #include "tag/Tag.hxx"
 #include "AudioFormat.hxx"
@@ -95,30 +96,27 @@ struct Song {
 	Song(const char *_uri, size_t uri_length, Directory &parent) noexcept;
 	~Song() noexcept;
 
-	gcc_malloc gcc_returns_nonnull
-	static Song *NewFrom(DetachedSong &&other, Directory &parent) noexcept;
+	static SongPtr NewFrom(DetachedSong &&other, Directory &parent) noexcept;
 
 	/** allocate a new song with a local file name */
-	gcc_malloc gcc_returns_nonnull
-	static Song *NewFile(const char *path_utf8, Directory &parent) noexcept;
+	static SongPtr NewFile(const char *path_utf8, Directory &parent) noexcept;
 
 	/**
 	 * allocate a new song structure with a local file name and attempt to
 	 * load its metadata.  If all decoder plugin fail to read its meta
 	 * data, nullptr is returned.
 	 */
-	gcc_malloc
-	static Song *LoadFile(Storage &storage, const char *name_utf8,
-			      Directory &parent) noexcept;
+	static SongPtr LoadFile(Storage &storage, const char *name_utf8,
+				Directory &parent) noexcept;
 
 	void Free() noexcept;
 
 	bool UpdateFile(Storage &storage) noexcept;
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_ARCHIVE
-	static Song *LoadFromArchive(ArchiveFile &archive,
-				     const char *name_utf8,
-				     Directory &parent) noexcept;
+	static SongPtr LoadFromArchive(ArchiveFile &archive,
+				       const char *name_utf8,
+				       Directory &parent) noexcept;
 	bool UpdateFileInArchive(ArchiveFile &archive) noexcept;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/db/update/Archive.cxx b/src/db/update/Archive.cxx
index 35a1f0ad9..7e37febcc 100644
--- a/src/db/update/Archive.cxx
+++ b/src/db/update/Archive.cxx
@@ -82,11 +82,11 @@ UpdateWalk::UpdateArchiveTree(ArchiveFile &archive, Directory &directory,
 		//add file
 		Song *song = LockFindSong(directory, name);
 		if (song == nullptr) {
-			song = Song::LoadFromArchive(archive, name, directory);
-			if (song != nullptr) {
+			auto new_song = Song::LoadFromArchive(archive, name, directory);
+			if (!new_song) {
 				{
 					const ScopeDatabaseLock protect;
-					directory.AddSong(song);
+					directory.AddSong(std::move(new_song));
 				}
 
 				modified = true;
diff --git a/src/db/update/Container.cxx b/src/db/update/Container.cxx
index 35881ac48..9e5f67dc7 100644
--- a/src/db/update/Container.cxx
+++ b/src/db/update/Container.cxx
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ UpdateWalk::UpdateContainerFile(Directory &directory,
 		}
 
 		for (auto &vtrack : v) {
-			Song *song = Song::NewFrom(std::move(vtrack),
-						   *contdir);
+			auto song = Song::NewFrom(std::move(vtrack), *contdir);
 
 			// shouldn't be necessary but it's there..
 			song->mtime = info.mtime;
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ UpdateWalk::UpdateContainerFile(Directory &directory,
 
 			{
 				const ScopeDatabaseLock protect;
-				contdir->AddSong(song);
+				contdir->AddSong(std::move(song));
 			}
 
 			modified = true;
diff --git a/src/db/update/UpdateSong.cxx b/src/db/update/UpdateSong.cxx
index 6b6ff4173..c5c032618 100644
--- a/src/db/update/UpdateSong.cxx
+++ b/src/db/update/UpdateSong.cxx
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ UpdateWalk::UpdateSongFile2(Directory &directory,
 	if (song == nullptr) {
 		FormatDebug(update_domain, "reading %s/%s",
 			    directory.GetPath(), name);
-		song = Song::LoadFile(storage, name, directory);
-		if (song == nullptr) {
+		auto new_song = Song::LoadFile(storage, name, directory);
+		if (!new_song) {
 			FormatDebug(update_domain,
 				    "ignoring unrecognized file %s/%s",
 				    directory.GetPath(), name);
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ UpdateWalk::UpdateSongFile2(Directory &directory,
 
 		{
 			const ScopeDatabaseLock protect;
-			directory.AddSong(song);
+			directory.AddSong(std::move(new_song));
 		}
 
 		modified = true;