diff --git a/include/Sample.h b/include/Sample.h
index 3de71a34d..19fb0e094 100644
--- a/include/Sample.h
+++ b/include/Sample.h
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public:
 	auto visualize(QPainter& p, const QRect& dr, int fromFrame = 0, int toFrame = 0) const -> void;
 
 	auto sampleDuration() const -> int;
-	auto sampleFile() const -> QString;
+	auto sampleFile() const -> const QString&;
 	auto sampleRate() const -> int;
 	auto sampleSize() const -> int;
 
diff --git a/include/SampleBuffer.h b/include/SampleBuffer.h
index 62c3f32e0..a7631b02f 100644
--- a/include/SampleBuffer.h
+++ b/include/SampleBuffer.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public:
 	friend void swap(SampleBuffer& first, SampleBuffer& second) noexcept;
 	auto toBase64() const -> QString;
 
-	auto audioFile() const -> QString;
+	auto audioFile() const -> const QString&;
 	auto sampleRate() const -> sample_rate_t;
 
 	auto begin() const -> const_iterator;
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ private:
 
 private:
 	std::vector<sampleFrame> m_data;
-	std::optional<QString> m_audioFile;
+	QString m_audioFile;
 	int m_sampleRate = 0;
 };
 
diff --git a/include/SampleClip.h b/include/SampleClip.h
index 6903561d3..0925deeca 100644
--- a/include/SampleClip.h
+++ b/include/SampleClip.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public:
 	SampleClip& operator=( const SampleClip& that ) = delete;
 
 	void changeLength( const TimePos & _length ) override;
-	QString sampleFile() const;
+	const QString& sampleFile() const;
 
 	void saveSettings( QDomDocument & _doc, QDomElement & _parent ) override;
 	void loadSettings( const QDomElement & _this ) override;
diff --git a/src/core/Sample.cpp b/src/core/Sample.cpp
index 7121ac005..b07964cb6 100644
--- a/src/core/Sample.cpp
+++ b/src/core/Sample.cpp
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ auto Sample::sampleDuration() const -> int
 	return static_cast<double>(m_endFrame - m_startFrame) / m_buffer->sampleRate() * 1000;
 }
 
-auto Sample::sampleFile() const -> QString
+auto Sample::sampleFile() const -> const QString&
 {
 	return m_buffer->audioFile();
 }
diff --git a/src/core/SampleBuffer.cpp b/src/core/SampleBuffer.cpp
index 1824b4541..1f5000cc2 100644
--- a/src/core/SampleBuffer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/SampleBuffer.cpp
@@ -151,9 +151,9 @@ QString SampleBuffer::toBase64() const
 	return byteArray.toBase64();
 }
 
-auto SampleBuffer::audioFile() const -> QString
+auto SampleBuffer::audioFile() const -> const QString&
 {
-	return m_audioFile.value_or("");
+	return m_audioFile;
 }
 
 auto SampleBuffer::sampleRate() const -> sample_rate_t
diff --git a/src/core/SampleClip.cpp b/src/core/SampleClip.cpp
index 3e8712129..a3f8daeaf 100644
--- a/src/core/SampleClip.cpp
+++ b/src/core/SampleClip.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ void SampleClip::changeLength( const TimePos & _length )
 
 
 
-QString SampleClip::sampleFile() const
+const QString& SampleClip::sampleFile() const
 {
 	return m_sample->sampleFile();
 }