diff --git a/src/sndfile.jl b/src/sndfile.jl
index a2952eb..4f73116 100644
--- a/src/sndfile.jl
+++ b/src/sndfile.jl
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ end
 # through an arbitrary render chain and returns the result as a vector
 function Base.read(file::AudioFile, nframes::Integer, dtype::Type)
     @assert file.sfinfo.channels <= 2
-    arr = zeros(dtype, nframes, file.sfinfo.channels)
+    # the data comes in interleaved
+    arr = zeros(dtype, file.sfinfo.channels, nframes)
 
     if dtype == Int16
         nread = ccall((:sf_readf_short, libsndfile), Int64,
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ function Base.read(file::AudioFile, nframes::Integer, dtype::Type)
                         file.filePtr, arr, nframes)
     end
 
-    return arr[1:nread, :]
+    return arr[:, 1:nread]'
 end
 
 Base.read(file::AudioFile, dtype::Type) = Base.read(file, file.sfinfo.frames, dtype)
diff --git a/test/test_sndfile.jl b/test/test_sndfile.jl
index 4dfe0b9..1ad5e87 100644
--- a/test/test_sndfile.jl
+++ b/test/test_sndfile.jl
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ facts("WAV file write/read") do
         @fact reference => actual[:, 1]
     end
 
+    # test seeking
+
     # test rendering as an AudioNode
     AudioIO.open(fname) do f
         # pretend we have a stream at the same rate as the file
@@ -42,7 +44,39 @@ facts("WAV file write/read") do
         buf = render(node, input, test_info)
         @fact expected[bufsize+1:2*bufsize] => buf[1:bufsize]
     end
-
 end
 
+facts("Stereo file reading") do
+    fname = Pkg.dir("AudioIO", "test", "440left_880right.wav")
+    samplerate = 44100
+    t = [0 : 2 * samplerate - 1] / samplerate
+    expected = int16((2^15-1) * hcat(sin(2pi*t*440), sin(2pi*t*880)))
+
+    AudioIO.open(fname) do f
+        buf = read(f)
+        @fact buf => mse(expected, 5)
+    end
+end
+
+# note - currently AudioIO just mixes down to Mono. soon we'll support this
+# new-fangled stereo sound stuff
+#facts("Stereo file rendering") do
+#    fname = Pkg.dir("AudioIO", "test", "440left_880right.wav")
+#    samplerate = 44100
+#    bufsize = 1024
+#    input = zeros(AudioSample, bufsize)
+#    test_info = DeviceInfo(samplerate, bufsize)
+#    t = [0 : 2 * samplerate - 1] / samplerate
+#    expected = convert(AudioBuf, 0.5 * (sin(2pi*t*440) + sin(2pi*t*880)))
+#
+#    AudioIO.open(fname) do f
+#        node = FilePlayer(f)
+#        buf = render(node, input, test_info)
+#        print(size(buf))
+#        @fact expected[1:bufsize] => buf[1:bufsize]
+#        buf = render(node, input, test_info)
+#        @fact expected[bufsize+1:2*bufsize] => buf[1:bufsize]
+#    end
+#end
+
 end # module TestSndfile