diff --git a/backend/db.js b/backend/db.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f612d24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/db.js
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+var logger = null;
+var db = null;
+var users_db = null;
+function setDB(input_db, input_users_db) { db = input_db; users_db = input_users_db } 
+function setLogger(input_logger) { logger = input_logger; }
+
+function initialize(input_db, input_users_db, input_logger) {
+    setDB(input_db, input_users_db);
+    setLogger(input_logger);
+}
+
+function registerFileDB(file_path, type, multiUserMode = null, sub = null) {
+    const file_id = file_path.substring(0, file_path.length-4);
+    const file_object = generateFileObject(file_id, type, multiUserMode && multiUserMode.file_path);
+    if (!file_object) {
+        logger.error(`Could not find associated JSON file for ${type} file ${file_id}`);
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // add additional info
+    file_object['uid'] = uuid();
+    file_object['registered'] = Date.now();
+    path_object = path.parse(file_object['path']);
+    file_object['path'] = path.format(path_object);
+
+    if (multiUserMode) {
+        if (!sub) {
+            const user_uid = multiUserMode.user;
+            users_db.get('users').find({uid: user_uid}).get(`files.${type}`)
+                .remove({
+                    path: file_object['path']
+                }).write();
+
+            users_db.get('users').find({uid: user_uid}).get(`files.${type}`)
+                .push(file_object)
+                .write();
+        } else {
+            
+        }
+    } else if (!sub) {
+        // remove existing video if overwriting
+        db.get(`files.${type}`)
+        .remove({
+            path: file_object['path']
+        }).write();
+
+        db.get(`files.${type}`)
+            .push(file_object)
+            .write();
+    } else if (sub) {
+        if (multi)
+    } else {
+        // this should never be used
+        logger.error('Failed to determine file type during video DB registration.');
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    return file_object['uid'];
+}
+
+function generateFileObject(id, type, customPath = null) {
+    var jsonobj = (type === 'audio') ? getJSONMp3(id, customPath, true) : getJSONMp4(id, customPath, true);
+    if (!jsonobj) {
+        return null;
+    }
+    const ext = (type === 'audio') ? '.mp3' : '.mp4'
+    const file_path = getTrueFileName(jsonobj['_filename'], type); // path.join(type === 'audio' ? audioFolderPath : videoFolderPath, id + ext);
+    // console.
+    var stats = fs.statSync(path.join(__dirname, file_path));
+
+    var title = jsonobj.title;
+    var url = jsonobj.webpage_url;
+    var uploader = jsonobj.uploader;
+    var upload_date = jsonobj.upload_date;
+    upload_date = upload_date ? `${upload_date.substring(0, 4)}-${upload_date.substring(4, 6)}-${upload_date.substring(6, 8)}` : 'N/A';
+
+    var size = stats.size;
+
+    var thumbnail = jsonobj.thumbnail;
+    var duration = jsonobj.duration;
+    var isaudio = type === 'audio';
+    var file_obj = new File(id, title, thumbnail, isaudio, duration, url, uploader, size, file_path, upload_date);
+    return file_obj;
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+    initialize: initialize,
+    registerFileDB: registerFileDB
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/subscriptions.js b/backend/subscriptions.js
index 811c771..01cacb8 100644
--- a/backend/subscriptions.js
+++ b/backend/subscriptions.js
@@ -323,6 +323,8 @@ async function getVideosForSub(sub, user_uid = null) {
                 resolve(true);
             }
         });
+    }, err => {
+        logger.error(err);
     });
 }
 
@@ -337,6 +339,9 @@ function handleOutputJSON(sub, sub_db, output_json, reset_videos = false) {
 
         // add to db
         sub_db.get('videos').push(output_json).write();
+    } else {
+        // TODO: make multiUserMode obj
+        db_api.registerFileDB(output_json['_filename'], sub.type, multiUserMode, sub);
     }
 }