diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 13fe1e89..2e75e6da 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file. This projec
 
 ### Unreleased
 
+* Fix [YouTube and Vimeo autoplay bug](https://github.com/CookPete/react-player/issues/7)
 * [Full commit list](https://github.com/CookPete/react-player/compare/v0.2.1...master)
 
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 25f63b2f..1a4e2d49 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,9 +65,13 @@ These props allow you to override the parameters for the various players
 
 Prop | Description
 ---- | -----------
-soundcloudConfig | An object containing configuration for the SoundCloud player. Includes `clientId`, which can be used to override the default `client_id`
-vimeoConfig | An object containing configuration for the Vimeo player. Includes `iframeParams`, which maps to the [parameters accepted by the Vimeo iframe player](https://developer.vimeo.com/player/embedding#universal-parameters)
-youtubeConfig | An object containing configuration for the YouTube player. Includes `playerVars`, which maps to the [parameters accepted by the YouTube iframe player](https://developers.google.com/youtube/player_parameters?playerVersion=HTML5)
+soundcloudConfig | Configuration object for the SoundCloud player. Set `clientId`, to your own SoundCloud app [client ID](https://soundcloud.com/you/apps)
+vimeoConfig | Configuration object for the Vimeo player. Set `iframeParams`, to override the [default params](https://developer.vimeo.com/player/embedding#universal-parameters). Set `preload` for [preloading](#preloading)
+youtubeConfig | Configuration object for the YouTube player. Set `playerVars`, to override the [default player vars](https://developers.google.com/youtube/player_parameters?playerVersion=HTML5). Set `preload` for [preloading](#preloading)
+
+##### Preloading
+
+Both `youtubeConfig` and `vimeoConfig` props can take a `preload` value. Setting this to `true` will play a short, silent video in the background when `ReactPlayer` first mounts. This fixes a [bug](https://github.com/CookPete/react-player/issues/7) where videos would not play when loaded in a background browser tab.
 
 ### Methods
 
diff --git a/src/ReactPlayer.js b/src/ReactPlayer.js
index 20bd9223..489708f3 100644
--- a/src/ReactPlayer.js
+++ b/src/ReactPlayer.js
@@ -25,8 +25,17 @@ export default class ReactPlayer extends Component {
   }
   renderPlayer = Player => {
     const active = Player.canPlay(this.props.url)
-    const props = active ? { ...this.props, ref: 'player' } : {}
-    return <Player key={Player.name} {...props} />
+    const { youtubeConfig, soundcloudConfig, vimeoConfig, ...activeProps } = this.props
+    const props = active ? { ...activeProps, ref: 'player' } : {}
+    return (
+      <Player
+        key={Player.name}
+        youtubeConfig={youtubeConfig}
+        soundcloudConfig={soundcloudConfig}
+        vimeoConfig={vimeoConfig}
+        {...props}
+      />
+    )
   }
   render () {
     const style = {
diff --git a/src/players/Base.js b/src/players/Base.js
index b1ff9a2a..545ce900 100644
--- a/src/players/Base.js
+++ b/src/players/Base.js
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ export default class Base extends Component {
   static defaultProps = defaultProps
   componentDidMount () {
     this.update()
+    if (this.props.url) {
+      this.load(this.props.url)
+    }
   }
   componentWillUnmount () {
     this.stop()
@@ -16,14 +19,12 @@ export default class Base extends Component {
   }
   componentWillReceiveProps (nextProps) {
     // Invoke player methods based on incoming props
-    if (this.props.url !== nextProps.url) {
-      if (nextProps.url) {
-        this.play(nextProps.url)
-        this.props.onProgress({ played: 0, loaded: 0 })
-      } else {
-        this.stop()
-        clearTimeout(this.updateTimeout)
-      }
+    if (this.props.url !== nextProps.url && nextProps.url) {
+      this.load(nextProps.url, nextProps.playing)
+      this.props.onProgress({ played: 0, loaded: 0 }) // Needed?
+    } else if (this.props.url && !nextProps.url) {
+      this.stop()
+      clearTimeout(this.updateTimeout)
     } else if (!this.props.playing && nextProps.playing) {
       this.play()
     } else if (this.props.playing && !nextProps.playing) {
@@ -52,7 +53,8 @@ export default class Base extends Component {
   }
   onReady = () => {
     this.setVolume(this.props.volume)
-    if (this.props.playing) {
+    if (this.props.playing || this.preloading) {
+      this.preloading = false
       this.play()
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/players/FilePlayer.js b/src/players/FilePlayer.js
index 49b7c582..3f0a11d5 100644
--- a/src/players/FilePlayer.js
+++ b/src/players/FilePlayer.js
@@ -19,16 +19,18 @@ export default class FilePlayer extends Base {
     this.player.onpause = this.props.onPause
     this.player.onended = this.props.onEnded
     this.player.onerror = this.props.onError
-    super.componentDidMount()
   }
-  play (url) {
+  load (url) {
+    this.player.src = url
+  }
+  play () {
     this.player.play()
   }
   pause () {
     this.player.pause()
   }
   stop () {
-    // No need to stop
+    this.player.src = ''
   }
   seekTo (fraction) {
     this.player.currentTime = this.player.duration * fraction
@@ -50,7 +52,6 @@ export default class FilePlayer extends Base {
     return (
       <Media
         ref='player'
-        src={this.props.url}
         style={style}
         width={this.props.width}
         height={this.props.height}
diff --git a/src/players/SoundCloud.js b/src/players/SoundCloud.js
index 92b1b6b8..cb7fcb23 100644
--- a/src/players/SoundCloud.js
+++ b/src/players/SoundCloud.js
@@ -43,11 +43,7 @@ export default class SoundCloud extends Base {
     return fetch(RESOLVE_URL + '?url=' + url + '&client_id=' + this.props.soundcloudConfig.clientId)
       .then(response => response.json())
   }
-  play (url) {
-    if (!url && this.player) {
-      this.player.play()
-      return
-    }
+  load (url) {
     this.stop()
     this.getSDK().then(SC => {
       this.getSongData(url).then(data => {
@@ -79,6 +75,10 @@ export default class SoundCloud extends Base {
     onfinish: this.props.onFinish,
     ondataerror: this.props.onError
   }
+  play () {
+    if (!this.player) return
+    this.player.play()
+  }
   pause () {
     if (!this.player) return
     this.player.pause()
diff --git a/src/players/Vimeo.js b/src/players/Vimeo.js
index a5b8c83d..9daa3e0e 100644
--- a/src/players/Vimeo.js
+++ b/src/players/Vimeo.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import Base from './Base'
 const IFRAME_SRC = 'https://player.vimeo.com/video/'
 const MATCH_URL = /https?:\/\/(?:www\.|player\.)?vimeo.com\/(?:channels\/(?:\w+\/)?|groups\/([^\/]*)\/videos\/|album\/(\d+)\/video\/|video\/|)(\d+)(?:$|\/|\?)/
 const MATCH_MESSAGE_ORIGIN = /^https?:\/\/player.vimeo.com/
+const BLANK_VIDEO_URL = 'https://vimeo.com/127250231'
 const DEFAULT_IFRAME_PARAMS = {
   api: 1,
   autoplay: 0,
@@ -25,19 +26,24 @@ export default class Vimeo extends Base {
   componentDidMount () {
     window.addEventListener('message', this.onMessage, false)
     this.iframe = this.refs.iframe
+
+    if (!this.props.url && this.props.vimeoConfig.preload) {
+      this.preloading = true
+      this.load(BLANK_VIDEO_URL)
+    }
+
     super.componentDidMount()
   }
-  play (url) {
-    if (url) {
-      const id = url.match(MATCH_URL)[3]
-      const iframeParams = {
-        ...DEFAULT_IFRAME_PARAMS,
-        ...this.props.vimeoConfig.iframeParams
-      }
-      this.iframe.src = IFRAME_SRC + id + '?' + stringify(iframeParams)
-    } else {
-      this.postMessage('play')
+  load (url) {
+    const id = url.match(MATCH_URL)[3]
+    const iframeParams = {
+      ...DEFAULT_IFRAME_PARAMS,
+      ...this.props.vimeoConfig.iframeParams
     }
+    this.iframe.src = IFRAME_SRC + id + '?' + stringify(iframeParams)
+  }
+  play () {
+    this.postMessage('play')
   }
   pause () {
     this.postMessage('pause')
diff --git a/src/players/YouTube.js b/src/players/YouTube.js
index f0bbf924..49c24de0 100644
--- a/src/players/YouTube.js
+++ b/src/players/YouTube.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const SDK_URL = '//www.youtube.com/iframe_api'
 const SDK_GLOBAL = 'YT'
 const MATCH_URL = /^(?:https?:\/\/)?(?:www\.)?(?:youtu\.be\/|youtube\.com\/(?:embed\/|v\/|watch\?v=|watch\?.+&v=))((\w|-){11})(?:\S+)?$/
 const PLAYER_ID = 'youtube-player'
+const BLANK_VIDEO_URL = 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlCmAC4MHek'
 const DEFAULT_PLAYER_VARS = {
   autoplay: 0,
   controls: 0,
@@ -20,6 +21,13 @@ export default class YouTube extends Base {
   static canPlay (url) {
     return MATCH_URL.test(url)
   }
+  componentDidMount () {
+    if (!this.props.url && this.props.youtubeConfig.preload) {
+      this.preloading = true
+      this.load(BLANK_VIDEO_URL)
+    }
+    super.componentDidMount()
+  }
   getSDK () {
     if (window[SDK_GLOBAL]) {
       return Promise.resolve(window[SDK_GLOBAL])
@@ -33,13 +41,14 @@ export default class YouTube extends Base {
       })
     })
   }
-  play (url) {
+  load (url, playing) {
     const id = url && url.match(MATCH_URL)[1]
     if (this.player) {
-      if (id) {
+      this.stop()
+      if (playing) {
         this.player.loadVideoById(id)
       } else {
-        this.player.playVideo()
+        this.player.cueVideoById(id)
       }
       return
     }
@@ -64,6 +73,10 @@ export default class YouTube extends Base {
     if (state.data === YT.PlayerState.BUFFERING) this.props.onBuffer()
     if (state.data === YT.PlayerState.ENDED) this.props.onEnded()
   }
+  play () {
+    if (!this.player) return
+    this.player.playVideo()
+  }
   pause () {
     if (!this.player) return
     this.player.pauseVideo()
diff --git a/src/props.js b/src/props.js
index 9afa2951..4d2f12f0 100644
--- a/src/props.js
+++ b/src/props.js
@@ -31,10 +31,12 @@ export const defaultProps = {
     clientId: 'e8b6f84fbcad14c301ca1355cae1dea2'
   },
   youtubeConfig: {
-    playerVars: {}
+    playerVars: {},
+    preload: false
   },
   vimeoConfig: {
-    iframeParams: {}
+    iframeParams: {},
+    preload: false
   },
   onPlay: function () {},
   onPause: function () {},