diff --git a/i3pystatus/mpd.py b/i3pystatus/mpd.py
index 33f7526..19c9903 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/mpd.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/mpd.py
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ import socket
 
 from i3pystatus import IntervalModule
 
+def format_time(seconds):
+    return "{}:{:02}".format(*divmod(int(seconds), 60))
+
 class MPD(IntervalModule):
     """
     Displays various information from MPD (the music player daemon)
@@ -11,27 +14,36 @@ class MPD(IntervalModule):
     * title (the title of the current song)
     * album (the album of the current song, can be an empty string (e.g. for online streams))
     * artist (can be empty, too)
-    * playtime_h (Playtime, hours)
-    * playtime_m (Playtime, minutes)
-    * playtime_s (Playtime, seconds)
+    * song_elapsed (Position in the currently playing song, looks like 3:54)
+    * song_length (Length of the current song, same format as song_elapsed)
     * pos (Position of current song in playlist, one-based)
-    * len (Length of current playlist)
-    * status
+    * len (Songs in playlist)
+    * status (play, pause, stop mapped through the `status` dictionary)
+    * bitrate (Current bitrate in kilobit/s)
+    * volume (Volume set in MPD)
 
     Left click on the module play/pauses, right click (un)mutes.
+
+    `format` is the default format string and `format_sparse` is the format string for 
+    situations where only partial metadata is available (only title, no album or artist data)
+    , as often the case with internet radio.
+
+    If `format_sparse` is None (the default), the standard format string is used.
     """
+
     interval = 1
 
     settings = (
         ("host"),
         ("port", "MPD port"),
-        "format",
+        "format", "format_sparse",
         ("status", "Dictionary mapping pause, play and stop to output")
     )
 
     host = "localhost"
     port = 6600
     format = "{title} {status}"
+    format_sparse = None
     status = {
         "pause": "▷",
         "play": "▶",
@@ -49,28 +61,41 @@ class MPD(IntervalModule):
             (line.split(": ", 1)[0], line.split(": ", 1)[1]) for line in replylines
         )
 
+    def init(self):
+        if not self.format_sparse:
+            self.format_sparse = self.format
+
     def run(self):
         with socket.create_connection((self.host, self.port)) as s:
+            # Skip "OK MPD ..."
             s.recv(8192)
+
             fdict = {}
 
             status = self._mpd_command(s, "status")
-            fdict["pos"] = int(status.get("song", 0))+1
-            fdict["len"] = int(status["playlistlength"])
-            fdict["status"] = self.status[status["state"]]
-
             currentsong = self._mpd_command(s, "currentsong")
-            fdict["title"] = currentsong.get("Title", "")
-            fdict["album"] = currentsong.get("Album", "")
-            fdict["artist"] = currentsong.get("Artist", "")
 
-            playtime = int(self._mpd_command(s, "stats")["playtime"])
-            fdict["playtime_h"] = playtime // 3600
-            fdict["playtime_m"] = (playtime % 3600) // 60
-            fdict["playtime_s"] = (playtime % 3600) % 60
+            fdict = {
+                "pos": int(status.get("song", 0))+1,
+                "len": int(status["playlistlength"]),
+                "status": self.status[status["state"]],
+                "volume": int(status["volume"]),
+
+                "title": currentsong.get("Title", ""),
+                "album": currentsong.get("Album", ""),
+                "artist": currentsong.get("Artist", ""),
+                "song_length": format_time(currentsong.get("Time", 0)),
+                "song_elapsed": format_time(float(status.get("elapsed", 0))),
+                "bitrate": int(status.get("bitrate", 0)),
+
+            }
+
+            fstring = self.format
+            if not fdict["album"] and not fdict["artist"]:
+                fstring = self.format_sparse
 
             self.output = {
-                "full_text": self.format.format(**fdict).strip(),
+                "full_text": fstring.format(**fdict).strip(),
             }
 
     def on_leftclick(self):
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index f8f8d3b..834a88c 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from setuptools import setup
 
 setup(name="i3pystatus",
-      version="3.19",
+      version="3.20",
       description="Like i3status, this generates status line for i3bar / i3wm",
       url="http://github.com/enkore/i3pystatus",
       license="MIT",