diff --git a/src/audio_controller.cpp b/src/audio_controller.cpp
index a6e5e76a2..38a764ae1 100644
--- a/src/audio_controller.cpp
+++ b/src/audio_controller.cpp
@@ -216,14 +216,12 @@ bool AudioController::IsAudioOpen() const
 	return player && provider;
 }
 
-void AudioController::SetTimingController(AudioTimingController *new_controller)
+void AudioController::SetTimingController(std::unique_ptr<AudioTimingController> new_controller)
 {
-	if (timing_controller.get() != new_controller) {
-		timing_controller.reset(new_controller);
-		if (timing_controller)
-		{
-			timing_controller->AddUpdatedPrimaryRangeListener(&AudioController::OnTimingControllerUpdatedPrimaryRange, this);
-		}
+	timing_controller = std::move(new_controller);
+	if (timing_controller)
+	{
+		timing_controller->AddUpdatedPrimaryRangeListener(&AudioController::OnTimingControllerUpdatedPrimaryRange, this);
 	}
 
 	AnnounceTimingControllerChanged();
diff --git a/src/audio_controller.h b/src/audio_controller.h
index 546cb89f7..c368e859a 100644
--- a/src/audio_controller.h
+++ b/src/audio_controller.h
@@ -228,14 +228,11 @@ public:
 
 	/// @brief Return the current timing controller
 	/// @return The current timing controller or 0
-	AudioTimingController * GetTimingController() const { return timing_controller.get(); }
+	AudioTimingController *GetTimingController() const { return timing_controller.get(); }
 
 	/// @brief Change the current timing controller
-	/// @param new_mode The new timing controller or 0. This may be the same
-	/// object as the current timing controller, to signal that the timing
-	/// controller has changed the object being timed, e.g. changed to a new
-	/// dialogue line.
-	void SetTimingController(AudioTimingController *new_controller);
+	/// @param new_mode The new timing controller or nullptr
+	void SetTimingController(std::unique_ptr<AudioTimingController> new_controller);
 
 	/// @brief Save a portion of the decoded loaded audio to a wav file
 	/// @param filename File to save to
diff --git a/src/audio_timing.h b/src/audio_timing.h
index 4a9e2bd64..887903f7d 100644
--- a/src/audio_timing.h
+++ b/src/audio_timing.h
@@ -179,12 +179,11 @@ public:
 	DEFINE_SIGNAL_ADDERS(AnnounceUpdatedStyleRanges, AddUpdatedStyleRangesListener)
 };
 
-
 /// @brief Create a standard dialogue audio timing controller
 /// @param c Project context
-AudioTimingController *CreateDialogueTimingController(agi::Context *c);
+std::unique_ptr<AudioTimingController> CreateDialogueTimingController(agi::Context *c);
 
 /// @brief Create a karaoke audio timing controller
 /// @param c Project context
 /// @param kara Karaoke model
-AudioTimingController *CreateKaraokeTimingController(agi::Context *c, AssKaraoke *kara, agi::signal::Connection& file_changed);
+std::unique_ptr<AudioTimingController> CreateKaraokeTimingController(agi::Context *c, AssKaraoke *kara, agi::signal::Connection& file_changed);
diff --git a/src/audio_timing_dialogue.cpp b/src/audio_timing_dialogue.cpp
index 93b60d47c..9a11ca0df 100644
--- a/src/audio_timing_dialogue.cpp
+++ b/src/audio_timing_dialogue.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 #include "selection_controller.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
+#include <libaegisub/util.h>
+
 #include <boost/range/algorithm.hpp>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <wx/pen.h>
@@ -407,9 +409,9 @@ public:
 	AudioTimingControllerDialogue(agi::Context *c);
 };
 
-AudioTimingController *CreateDialogueTimingController(agi::Context *c)
+std::unique_ptr<AudioTimingController> CreateDialogueTimingController(agi::Context *c)
 {
-	return new AudioTimingControllerDialogue(c);
+	return agi::util::make_unique<AudioTimingControllerDialogue>(c);
 }
 
 AudioTimingControllerDialogue::AudioTimingControllerDialogue(agi::Context *c)
diff --git a/src/audio_timing_karaoke.cpp b/src/audio_timing_karaoke.cpp
index 08bc233fb..9c3614ed0 100644
--- a/src/audio_timing_karaoke.cpp
+++ b/src/audio_timing_karaoke.cpp
@@ -34,11 +34,12 @@
 #include "selection_controller.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 
-#include <deque>
+#include <libaegisub/util.h>
 
 #include <boost/range/algorithm/copy.hpp>
 #include <boost/range/adaptor/filtered.hpp>
 #include <boost/range/adaptor/sliced.hpp>
+#include <deque>
 
 /// @class KaraokeMarker
 /// @brief AudioMarker implementation for AudioTimingControllerKaraoke
@@ -149,9 +150,9 @@ public:
 	AudioTimingControllerKaraoke(agi::Context *c, AssKaraoke *kara, agi::signal::Connection& file_changed);
 };
 
-AudioTimingController *CreateKaraokeTimingController(agi::Context *c, AssKaraoke *kara, agi::signal::Connection& file_changed)
+std::unique_ptr<AudioTimingController> CreateKaraokeTimingController(agi::Context *c, AssKaraoke *kara, agi::signal::Connection& file_changed)
 {
-	return new AudioTimingControllerKaraoke(c, kara, file_changed);
+	return agi::util::make_unique<AudioTimingControllerKaraoke>(c, kara, file_changed);
 }
 
 AudioTimingControllerKaraoke::AudioTimingControllerKaraoke(agi::Context *c, AssKaraoke *kara, agi::signal::Connection& file_changed)