diff --git a/scripts/download_testfiles.sh b/scripts/download_testfiles.sh
index ca52a65..7db2a86 100755
--- a/scripts/download_testfiles.sh
+++ b/scripts/download_testfiles.sh
@@ -1,82 +1,30 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/sh -e
 
-testfilespath="$1"
-
-# determine sequences for formatted output
+# define helper for colorful output
 red=$(tput setaf 1)
 green=$(tput setaf 2)
 yellow=$(tput setaf 3)
 blue=$(tput setaf 4)
 bold=$(tput bold)
 normal=$(tput sgr0)
-
 inform() {
     echo "${bold}==> ${blue}INFO:${normal} ${bold}${1}${normal}"
 }
-
 success() {
     echo "${bold}==> ${green}SUCCESS:${normal} ${bold}${1}${normal}"
 }
-
 fail() {
     echo "${bold}==> ${red}FAILURE:${normal} ${bold}${1}${normal}"
 }
 
-skipping() {
-    echo 'archive/files already exist -> skipping download'
-}
-
-download() {
-    title="$1" url="$2" filename="$3" destdir="$4"
-
-    inform "Downloading \"$title\" ..."
-    if [[ ! -d $destdir ]]; then
-        # actual download
-        pushd '/tmp'
-        if [[ ! -f $filename ]]; then
-            wget --output-document="$filename" "$url"
-            if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
-                fail "unable to download: \"$url\""
-                return
-            fi
-        else
-            skipping
-        fi
-        popd
-
-        # extraction
-        mkdir "$destdir"
-        pushd "$destdir"
-        case "$filename" in
-            *.zip)    unzip "/tmp/$filename";;
-            *)      fail "unable to extract archive: format \"${filename#*.}\" not supported"
-                    return;;
-        esac
-        if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
-            fail "unable to extract \"/tmp/$filename\""
-            return
-        fi
-        popd
-    else
-        skipping
-    fi
-}
-
-download_custom() {
-    title="$1" cmd="$2"
-
-    inform "Downloading \"$title\" ..."
-    if [[ ! -d $destdir ]]; then
-        # actual download
-        $cmd
-        if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
-            fail "unable to download \"$title\" with rsync"
-            return
-        fi
-    else
-        skipping
-    fi
-}
+# read args
+testfilespath="$1"
+testfileurl="$2"
+if [[ -z $testfilespath ]] || [[ -z $testfileurl ]]; then
+    echo "Usage: testfilepath testfileurl"
+    echo " testfilepath specifies the directory to store the downloaded files"
+    echo " testfileurl specifies the URL to the server hosting the test files"
+fi
 
 # enter testfiles directory
 if [[ -d $testfilespath ]]; then
@@ -86,29 +34,74 @@ else
     exit -1
 fi
 
-download \
-    'Matroska Test Suite - Wave 1' \
-    'http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/matroska/test_files/matroska_test_w1_1.zip?r=&ts=1454982254&use_mirror=netix' \
-    'matroska_test_w1_1.zip' \
-    'matroska_wave1'
+# define list of testfiles to be downloaded
+testfiles=(
+    'matroska_wave1/logo3_256x256.png'
+    'matroska_wave1/test1.mkv'
+    'matroska_wave1/test2.mkv'
+    'matroska_wave1/test3.mkv'
+    'matroska_wave1/test4.mkv'
+    'matroska_wave1/test5.mkv'
+    'matroska_wave1/test6.mkv'
+    'matroska_wave1/test7.mkv'
+    'matroska_wave1/test8.mkv'
+    'mtx-test-data/mkv/handbrake-chapters-2.mkv'
+    'mtx-test-data/mkv/tags.mkv'
+    'mp4/test1.m4a'
+    'mtx-test-data/aac/he-aacv2-ps.m4a'
+    'mtx-test-data/alac/othertest-itunes.m4a'
+    'mtx-test-data/mp3/id3-tag-and-xing-header.mp3'
+    'mtx-test-data/mp4/10-DanseMacabreOp.40.m4a'
+    'mtx-test-data/mp4/1080p-DTS-HD-7.1.mp4'
+    'mtx-test-data/mp4/dash/dragon-age-inquisition-H1LkM6IVlm4-video.mp4'
+    'mtx-test-data/ogg/qt4dance_medium.ogg'
+    'mtx-test-data/opus/v-opus.ogg'
+    'misc/multiple_id3v2_4_values.mp3'
+)
 
-destdir='mtx-test-data'
-download_custom \
-    'MTX Test Data' \
-    'rsync -rv --links --delete belgarath.bunkus.org::mtx-test-data mtx-test-data'
+# download the files
+missing=()
+for file in "${testfiles[@]}"; do
+    if [[ -f $file ]]; then
+        inform "Skipping already existing $file"
+        continue
+    fi
 
-destdir='samples.mplayerhq.hu'
-download_custom \
-    'MPlayer samples' \
-    'wget -r -np -R index.html* http://samples.mplayerhq.hu/A-codecs/lossless'
+    dir=${file%/*}
+    name=${file##*/}
+    url=$testfileurl/$file
 
-mkdir -p misc && pushd misc
-download_custom \
-    'ID3v2.4 with multiple strings' \
-    'wget https://trac.ffmpeg.org/raw-attachment/ticket/6949/multiple_id3v2_4_values.mp3'
-popd
+    inform "Downloading file $file from $url"
+    mkdir -p "$dir"
+    pushd "$dir"
+    if ! wget --output-document="$name" "$url"; then
+        rm "$name"
+        missing+=("$file")
+        fail "Unable to download $file"
+    fi
+    popd
+done
+
+# summarize missing files
+if [[ ! -z $missing ]]; then
+    echo
+    fail "The following files could not be downloaded:"
+    for file in "${missing[@]}"; do
+        echo "$file"
+    done
+    exit 1
+fi
 
 # convert FLAC files for FLAC tests with ffmpeg
+inform "Creating further testfiles with ffmpeg"
 mkdir -p flac
-[[ ! -f flac/test.flac ]] && ffmpeg -i mtx-test-data/alac/othertest-itunes.m4a -c:a flac flac/test.flac # raw FLAC stream
-[[ ! -f flac/test.ogg ]] && ffmpeg -i flac/test.flac -c:a copy flac/test.ogg # FLAC in Ogg
+# raw FLAC stream
+[[ ! -f flac/test.flac ]] \
+    && ffmpeg -i mtx-test-data/alac/othertest-itunes.m4a -c:a flac flac/test.flac \
+    || inform "Skipping already existing flac/test.flac"
+# FLAC in Ogg
+[[ ! -f flac/test.ogg ]] \
+    && ffmpeg -i flac/test.flac -c:a copy flac/test.ogg \
+    || inform "Skipping already existing flac/test.ogg"
+
+success "All testfiles downloaded/converted!"
diff --git a/scripts/download_various_files.sh b/scripts/download_various_files.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4dca756
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/download_various_files.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# downloads various test files from other projects which are re-used in the tagparser testsuite
+# note: only a small amount of those files is actually used by the tagparser testsuite
+#       (to download only required files, see download_testfiles.sh)
+
+# define helper for colorful output
+red=$(tput setaf 1)
+green=$(tput setaf 2)
+yellow=$(tput setaf 3)
+blue=$(tput setaf 4)
+bold=$(tput bold)
+normal=$(tput sgr0)
+inform() {
+    echo "${bold}==> ${blue}INFO:${normal} ${bold}${1}${normal}"
+}
+success() {
+    echo "${bold}==> ${green}SUCCESS:${normal} ${bold}${1}${normal}"
+}
+fail() {
+    echo "${bold}==> ${red}FAILURE:${normal} ${bold}${1}${normal}"
+}
+skipping() {
+    echo 'archive/files already exist -> skipping download'
+}
+
+# read args
+testfilespath="$1"
+
+# define helper for downloads
+download() {
+    title="$1" url="$2" filename="$3" destdir="$4"
+
+    inform "Downloading \"$title\" ..."
+    if [[ ! -d $destdir ]]; then
+        # actual download
+        pushd '/tmp'
+        if [[ ! -f $filename ]]; then
+            wget --output-document="$filename" "$url"
+            if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
+                fail "unable to download: \"$url\""
+                return
+            fi
+        else
+            skipping
+        fi
+        popd
+
+        # extraction
+        mkdir "$destdir"
+        pushd "$destdir"
+        case "$filename" in
+            *.zip)    unzip "/tmp/$filename";;
+            *)      fail "unable to extract archive: format \"${filename#*.}\" not supported"
+                    return;;
+        esac
+        if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
+            fail "unable to extract \"/tmp/$filename\""
+            return
+        fi
+        popd
+    else
+        skipping
+    fi
+}
+download_custom() {
+    title="$1" cmd="$2"
+
+    inform "Downloading \"$title\" ..."
+    if [[ ! -d $destdir ]]; then
+        # actual download
+        $cmd
+        if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
+            fail "unable to download \"$title\" with rsync"
+            return
+        fi
+    else
+        skipping
+    fi
+}
+
+# enter testfiles directory
+if [[ -d $testfilespath ]]; then
+    cd "$testfilespath"
+else
+    fail "specified testfiles directory does not exist"
+    exit -1
+fi
+
+download \
+    'Matroska Test Suite - Wave 1' \
+    'http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/matroska/test_files/matroska_test_w1_1.zip?r=&ts=1454982254&use_mirror=netix' \
+    'matroska_test_w1_1.zip' \
+    'matroska_wave1'
+
+destdir='mtx-test-data'
+download_custom \
+    'MTX Test Data' \
+    'rsync -rv --links --delete belgarath.bunkus.org::mtx-test-data mtx-test-data'
+
+destdir='samples.mplayerhq.hu'
+download_custom \
+    'MPlayer samples' \
+    'wget -r -np -R index.html* http://samples.mplayerhq.hu/A-codecs/lossless'
+
+mkdir -p misc && pushd misc
+download_custom \
+    'ID3v2.4 with multiple strings' \
+    'wget https://trac.ffmpeg.org/raw-attachment/ticket/6949/multiple_id3v2_4_values.mp3'
+popd
diff --git a/scripts/update_testfiles.sh b/scripts/list_required_testfiles.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/update_testfiles.sh
rename to scripts/list_required_testfiles.sh