diff --git a/rtpconn.go b/rtpconn.go
index 8aef4f3..59fb159 100644
--- a/rtpconn.go
+++ b/rtpconn.go
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ type rtpUpTrack struct {
 	firSeqno uint32
 
 	localCh    chan localTrackAction
-	writerDone chan struct{}
+	readerDone chan struct{}
 
 	mu        sync.Mutex
 	cname     string
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ type localTrackAction struct {
 func (up *rtpUpTrack) notifyLocal(add bool, track downTrack) {
 	select {
 	case up.localCh <- localTrackAction{add, track}:
-	case <-up.writerDone:
+	case <-up.readerDone:
 	}
 }
 
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ func newUpConn(c client, id string) (*rtpUpConnection, error) {
 			rate:       estimator.New(time.Second),
 			jitter:     jitter.New(remote.Codec().ClockRate),
 			localCh:    make(chan localTrackAction, 2),
-			writerDone: make(chan struct{}),
+			readerDone: make(chan struct{}),
 		}
 
 		conn.tracks = append(conn.tracks, track)
@@ -451,21 +451,16 @@ func newUpConn(c client, id string) (*rtpUpConnection, error) {
 	return conn, nil
 }
 
-type packetIndex struct {
-	seqno uint16
-	index uint16
-	delay uint32
-}
-
 func readLoop(conn *rtpUpConnection, track *rtpUpTrack) {
-	isvideo := track.track.Kind() == webrtc.RTPCodecTypeVideo
-	ch := make(chan packetIndex, 32)
-	defer close(ch)
-	go writeLoop(conn, track, ch)
+	writers := rtpWriterPool{conn: conn, track: track}
+	defer func() {
+		writers.close()
+		close(track.readerDone)
+	}()
 
+	isvideo := track.track.Kind() == webrtc.RTPCodecTypeVideo
 	buf := make([]byte, packetcache.BufSize)
 	var packet rtp.Packet
-	drop := 0
 	for {
 		bytes, err := track.track.Read(buf)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -496,145 +491,22 @@ func readLoop(conn *rtpUpConnection, track *rtpUpTrack) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if drop > 0 {
-			if packet.Marker {
-				// last packet in frame
-				drop = 0
-			} else {
-				drop--
-			}
-			continue
-		}
-
 		_, rate := track.rate.Estimate()
 		delay := uint32(rtptime.JiffiesPerSec / 1024)
 		if rate > 512 {
 			delay = rtptime.JiffiesPerSec / rate / 2
 		}
 
-		pi := packetIndex{packet.SequenceNumber, index, delay}
-		select {
-		case ch <- pi:
-		default:
-			// the writer is congested
-			if isvideo {
-				// keep dropping until the end of the frame
-				if isvideo && !packet.Marker {
-					drop = 7
-				}
-			} else {
-				// try again with half the delay on our side
-				timer := time.NewTimer(rtptime.ToDuration(
-					uint64(delay/2),
-					rtptime.JiffiesPerSec,
-				))
-				pi.delay = delay / 2
-				select {
-				case ch <- pi:
-					timer.Stop()
-				case <-timer.C:
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
+		writers.write(packet.SequenceNumber, index, delay,
+			isvideo, packet.Marker)
 
-func writeLoop(conn *rtpUpConnection, track *rtpUpTrack, ch <-chan packetIndex) {
-	defer close(track.writerDone)
-
-	buf := make([]byte, packetcache.BufSize)
-	var packet rtp.Packet
-
-	local := make([]downTrack, 0)
-
-	firSent := false
-
-	for {
 		select {
 		case action := <-track.localCh:
-			if action.add {
-				local = append(local, action.track)
-				firSent = false
-				track.mu.Lock()
-				ntp := track.srNTPTime
-				rtp := track.srRTPTime
-				cname := track.cname
-				track.mu.Unlock()
-				if ntp != 0 {
-					action.track.setTimeOffset(ntp, rtp)
-				}
-				if cname != "" {
-					action.track.setCname(cname)
-				}
-			} else {
-				found := false
-				for i, t := range local {
-					if t == action.track {
-						local = append(local[:i],
-							local[i+1:]...)
-						found = true
-						break
-					}
-				}
-				if !found {
-					log.Printf("Deleting unknown track!")
-				}
-			}
-		case pi, ok := <-ch:
-			if !ok {
-				return
-			}
-
-			bytes := track.cache.GetAt(pi.seqno, pi.index, buf)
-			if bytes == 0 {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			err := packet.Unmarshal(buf[:bytes])
+			err := writers.add(action.track, action.add)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Printf("%v", err)
-				continue
-			}
-
-			var delay time.Duration
-			if len(local) > 0 {
-				delay = rtptime.ToDuration(
-					uint64(pi.delay/uint32(len(local))),
-					rtptime.JiffiesPerSec,
-				)
-			}
-
-			kfNeeded := false
-			for _, l := range local {
-				err := l.WriteRTP(&packet)
-				if err != nil {
-					if err == ErrKeyframeNeeded {
-						kfNeeded = true
-					} else if err != io.ErrClosedPipe {
-						log.Printf("WriteRTP: %v", err)
-					}
-					continue
-				}
-				l.Accumulate(uint32(bytes))
-				if delay > 0 {
-					time.Sleep(delay)
-				}
-			}
-
-			if kfNeeded {
-				err := conn.sendFIR(track, !firSent)
-				if err == ErrUnsupportedFeedback {
-					err := conn.sendPLI(track)
-					if err != nil &&
-						err != ErrUnsupportedFeedback &&
-						err != ErrRateLimited {
-						log.Printf("sendPLI: %v", err)
-					}
-				} else if err != nil && err != ErrRateLimited {
-					log.Printf("sendFIR: %v", err)
-				}
-				firSent = true
+				log.Printf("add/remove track: %v", err)
 			}
+		default:
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/rtpwriter.go b/rtpwriter.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..777ea8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rtpwriter.go
@@ -0,0 +1,321 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"log"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/pion/rtp"
+
+	"sfu/packetcache"
+	"sfu/rtptime"
+)
+
+// packetIndex is a request to send a packet from the cache.
+type packetIndex struct {
+	// the packet's seqno
+	seqno uint16
+	// the index in the cache
+	index uint16
+	// the expected delay until the next packet, in jiffies
+	delay uint32
+}
+
+// An rtpWriterPool is a set of rtpWriters
+type rtpWriterPool struct {
+	conn    *rtpUpConnection
+	track   *rtpUpTrack
+	writers []*rtpWriter
+	count   int
+}
+
+// sqrt computes the integer square root
+func sqrt(n int) int {
+	if n < 2 {
+		return n
+	}
+
+	s := sqrt(n/2) * 2
+	l := s + 1
+	if l*l > n {
+		return s
+	} else {
+		return l
+	}
+}
+
+// add adds or removes a track from a writer pool
+func (wp *rtpWriterPool) add(track downTrack, add bool) error {
+	n := 4
+	if wp.count > 16 {
+		n = sqrt(wp.count)
+	}
+
+	i := 0
+	for i < len(wp.writers) {
+		w := wp.writers[i]
+		err := w.add(track, add, n)
+		if err == nil {
+			if add {
+				wp.count++
+			} else {
+				if wp.count > 0 {
+					wp.count--
+				} else {
+					log.Printf("Negative writer count!")
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
+		} else if err == ErrWriterDead {
+			wp.del(wp.writers[i])
+		} else {
+			i++
+		}
+	}
+
+	if add {
+		writer := newRtpWriter(wp.conn, wp.track)
+		wp.writers = append(wp.writers, writer)
+		err := writer.add(track, true, n)
+		if err == nil {
+			wp.count++
+		}
+		return err
+	} else {
+		return errors.New("deleting unknown track")
+	}
+}
+
+// del deletes a writer.
+func (wp *rtpWriterPool) del(w *rtpWriter) bool {
+	for i, ww := range wp.writers {
+		if ww == w {
+			close(w.ch)
+			wp.writers = append(wp.writers[:i], wp.writers[i+1:]...)
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// close deletes all writers.
+func (wp *rtpWriterPool) close() {
+	for _, w := range wp.writers {
+		close(w.ch)
+	}
+	wp.writers = nil
+	wp.count = 0
+}
+
+// write writes a packet stored in the packet cache to all local tracks
+func (wp *rtpWriterPool) write(seqno uint16, index uint16, delay uint32, isvideo bool, marker bool) {
+	pi := packetIndex{seqno, index, delay}
+
+	var dead []*rtpWriter
+	for _, w := range wp.writers {
+		if w.drop > 0 {
+			// currently dropping
+			if marker {
+				// last packet in frame
+				w.drop = 0
+			} else {
+				w.drop--
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		select {
+		case w.ch <- pi:
+			// all is well
+		case <-w.done:
+			// the writer is dead.
+			dead = append(dead, w)
+		default:
+			// the writer is congested
+			if isvideo {
+				// drop until the end of the frame
+				if !marker {
+					w.drop = 7
+				}
+				continue
+			}
+			// audio, try again with a delay
+			d := delay/uint32(2*len(wp.writers))
+			timer := time.NewTimer(rtptime.ToDuration(
+				uint64(d), rtptime.JiffiesPerSec,
+			))
+			if pi.delay > d {
+				pi.delay -= d
+			} else {
+				pi.delay = 0
+			}
+
+			select {
+			case w.ch <- pi:
+				timer.Stop()
+			case <-w.done:
+				dead = append(dead, w)
+			case <-timer.C:
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if dead != nil {
+		for _, d := range dead {
+			wp.del(d)
+		}
+		dead = nil
+	}
+}
+
+var ErrWriterDead = errors.New("writer is dead")
+var ErrWriterBusy = errors.New("writer is busy")
+var ErrUnknownTrack = errors.New("unknown track")
+
+type writerAction struct {
+	add       bool
+	track     downTrack
+	maxTracks int
+	ch        chan error
+}
+
+// an rtpWriter is a thread writing to a set of tracks.
+type rtpWriter struct {
+	ch     chan packetIndex
+	done   chan struct{}
+	action chan writerAction
+
+	// this is not touched by the writer loop, used by the caller
+	drop int
+}
+
+func newRtpWriter(conn *rtpUpConnection, track *rtpUpTrack) *rtpWriter {
+	writer := &rtpWriter{
+		ch:     make(chan packetIndex, 32),
+		done:   make(chan struct{}),
+		action: make(chan writerAction, 1),
+	}
+	go rtpWriterLoop(writer, conn, track)
+	return writer
+}
+
+// add adds or removes a track from a writer.
+func (writer *rtpWriter) add(track downTrack, add bool, max int) error {
+	ch := make(chan error, 1)
+	select {
+	case writer.action <- writerAction{add, track, max, ch}:
+		select {
+		case err := <-ch:
+			return err
+		case <-writer.done:
+			return ErrWriterDead
+		}
+	case <-writer.done:
+		return ErrWriterDead
+	}
+}
+
+// rtpWriterLoop is the main loop of an rtpWriter.
+func rtpWriterLoop(writer *rtpWriter, conn *rtpUpConnection, track *rtpUpTrack) {
+	defer close(writer.done)
+
+	buf := make([]byte, packetcache.BufSize)
+	var packet rtp.Packet
+
+	local := make([]downTrack, 0)
+
+	// reset whenever a new track is inserted
+	firSent := false
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case action := <-writer.action:
+			if action.add {
+				if len(local) >= action.maxTracks {
+					action.ch <- ErrWriterBusy
+					close(action.ch)
+					continue
+				}
+				local = append(local, action.track)
+				action.ch <- nil
+				close(action.ch)
+
+				firSent = false
+				track.mu.Lock()
+				ntp := track.srNTPTime
+				rtp := track.srRTPTime
+				cname := track.cname
+				track.mu.Unlock()
+				if ntp != 0 {
+					action.track.setTimeOffset(ntp, rtp)
+				}
+				if cname != "" {
+					action.track.setCname(cname)
+				}
+			} else {
+				found := false
+				for i, t := range local {
+					if t == action.track {
+						local = append(local[:i],
+							local[i+1:]...)
+						found = true
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				if !found {
+					action.ch <- ErrUnknownTrack
+				} else {
+					action.ch <- nil
+				}
+				close(action.ch)
+				if len(local) == 0 {
+					return
+				}
+			}
+		case pi, ok := <-writer.ch:
+			if !ok {
+				return
+			}
+
+			bytes := track.cache.GetAt(pi.seqno, pi.index, buf)
+			if bytes == 0 {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			err := packet.Unmarshal(buf[:bytes])
+			if err != nil {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			var delay time.Duration
+			if len(local) > 0 {
+				delay = rtptime.ToDuration(
+					uint64(pi.delay/uint32(len(local))),
+					rtptime.JiffiesPerSec,
+				)
+			}
+
+			kfNeeded := false
+			for _, l := range local {
+				err := l.WriteRTP(&packet)
+				if err != nil {
+					if err == ErrKeyframeNeeded {
+						kfNeeded = true
+					}
+					continue
+				}
+				l.Accumulate(uint32(bytes))
+				if delay > 0 {
+					time.Sleep(delay)
+				}
+			}
+
+			if kfNeeded {
+				err := conn.sendFIR(track, !firSent)
+				if err == ErrUnsupportedFeedback {
+					conn.sendPLI(track)
+				}
+				firSent = true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}