diff --git a/messages/en.json b/messages/en.json
index 6009e9c..fc2e363 100644
--- a/messages/en.json
+++ b/messages/en.json
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@
 			},
 			"common": {
 				"metadata": "Metadata",
-				"auto": "auto",
-				"custom": "custom"
+				"auto": "Auto",
+				"custom": "Custom"
 			}
 		},
 		"tooltips": {
diff --git a/src/lib/components/functional/Dropdown.svelte b/src/lib/components/functional/Dropdown.svelte
index 293a1f3..c6205df 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/functional/Dropdown.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/functional/Dropdown.svelte
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 	import { quintOut } from "svelte/easing";
 
 	type Props = {
-		options: string[];
+		options: string[] | { value: string; label: string }[];
 		selected?: string;
 		onselect?: (option: string) => void;
 		disabled?: boolean;
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@
 
 	let {
 		options,
-		selected = $bindable(options[0]),
+		selected = $bindable(
+			typeof options[0] === "string" ? options[0] : options[0].value,
+		),
 		onselect,
 		disabled,
 		settingsStyle,
@@ -29,12 +31,21 @@
 		open = !open;
 	};
 
-	const select = (option: string) => {
-		const oldIndex = options.indexOf(selected || "");
-		const newIndex = options.indexOf(option);
+	const getValue = (option: string | { value: string; label: string }) =>
+		typeof option === "string" ? option : option.value;
+
+	const getLabel = (option: string | { value: string; label: string }) =>
+		typeof option === "string" ? option : option.label;
+
+	const select = (option: string | { value: string; label: string }) => {
+		const selectedValue = getValue(option);
+		const oldIndex = options.findIndex((opt) => getValue(opt) === selected);
+		const newIndex = options.findIndex(
+			(opt) => getValue(opt) === selectedValue,
+		);
 		isUp = oldIndex > newIndex;
-		selected = option;
-		onselect?.(option);
+		selected = selectedValue;
+		onselect?.(selectedValue);
 		toggle();
 	};
 
@@ -89,14 +100,17 @@
 						? 'font-normal'
 						: 'font-medium'}"
 				>
-					{selected}
+					{getLabel(
+						options.find((opt) => getValue(opt) === selected) ||
+							selected,
+					)}
 				</p>
 			{/key}
 			{#each options as option}
 				<p
 					class="col-start-1 row-start-1 invisible pointer-events-none"
 				>
-					{option}
+					{getLabel(option)}
 				</p>
 			{/each}
 		</div>
@@ -121,7 +135,7 @@
 					class="w-full p-2 px-4 text-left hover:bg-panel"
 					onclick={() => select(option)}
 				>
-					{option}
+					{getLabel(option)}
 				</button>
 			{/each}
 		</div>
diff --git a/src/lib/components/functional/SettingsModal.svelte b/src/lib/components/functional/SettingsModal.svelte
index 6052d54..dfc32a6 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/functional/SettingsModal.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/functional/SettingsModal.svelte
@@ -104,7 +104,13 @@
 									{#if setting.type === "select"}
 										<Dropdown
 											options={setting.options?.map(
-												(opt) => opt.value,
+												(opt) =>
+													typeof opt === "string"
+														? {
+																value: opt,
+																label: opt,
+															}
+														: opt,
 											) || []}
 											selected={settings[setting.key] ??
 												file.conversionSettings[
diff --git a/src/lib/converters/ffmpeg.svelte.ts b/src/lib/converters/ffmpeg.svelte.ts
index 9d7baad..c7ea958 100644
--- a/src/lib/converters/ffmpeg.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/lib/converters/ffmpeg.svelte.ts
@@ -121,7 +121,10 @@ export class FFmpegConverter extends Converter {
 			default: global.ffmpegQuality,
 			options: CONVERSION_BITRATES.map((b) => ({
 				value: b,
-				label: b,
+				label:
+					b === "auto" || b === "custom"
+						? m[`convert.settings.common.${b}`]()
+						: `${b} kbps`,
 			})),
 			hasCustomInput: true,
 			customInputKey: "customBitrate",
@@ -138,7 +141,10 @@ export class FFmpegConverter extends Converter {
 					: global.ffmpegSampleRate,
 			options: SAMPLE_RATES.map((r) => ({
 				value: r,
-				label: r,
+				label:
+					r === "auto" || r === "custom"
+						? m[`convert.settings.common.${r}`]()
+						: `${r} Hz`,
 			})),
 			hasCustomInput: true,
 			customInputKey: "customSampleRate",
@@ -179,11 +185,9 @@ export class FFmpegConverter extends Converter {
 		return [bitrate, sampleRate, tracks, channels, metadata];
 	}
 
-	public async getDefaultSettings(
-		input: VertFile,
-	): Promise<ConversionSettings> {
+	public async getDefaultSettings(): Promise<ConversionSettings> {
 		const defaults: ConversionSettings = {};
-		const settings = await this.getAvailableSettings(input);
+		const settings = await this.getAvailableSettings();
 		settings.forEach((setting) => {
 			defaults[setting.key] = setting.default;
 		});
@@ -200,7 +204,7 @@ export class FFmpegConverter extends Converter {
 		const conversionSettings =
 			Object.keys(settings).length > 0
 				? settings
-				: await this.getDefaultSettings(input); // use defaults if not provided
+				: await this.getDefaultSettings(); // use defaults if not provided
 
 		const isAlac = to === ".alac";
 		if (isAlac) to = ".m4a";
diff --git a/src/lib/converters/magick.svelte.ts b/src/lib/converters/magick.svelte.ts
index 3437774..17d4a57 100644
--- a/src/lib/converters/magick.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/lib/converters/magick.svelte.ts
@@ -136,13 +136,12 @@ export class MagickConverter extends Converter {
 			label: m["convert.settings.image.depth"](),
 			type: "select",
 			default: "auto",
-			// somehow implement custom option
 			options: [
 				{ value: "auto", label: "Auto" },
+				{ value: "custom", label: "Custom" },
 				{ value: "8", label: "8-bit" },
 				{ value: "16", label: "16-bit" },
 				{ value: "32", label: "32-bit" },
-				{ value: "custom", label: "Custom" },
 			],
 		};
 
@@ -166,8 +165,12 @@ export class MagickConverter extends Converter {
 		};
 
 		// TODO: check other formats for transparency support
-		const fromJpeg = input.from === ".jpg" || input.from === ".jpeg" || input.from === ".jfif";
-		const toJpeg = input.to === ".jpg" || input.to === ".jpeg" || input.to === ".jfif";
+		const fromJpeg =
+			input.from === ".jpg" ||
+			input.from === ".jpeg" ||
+			input.from === ".jfif";
+		const toJpeg =
+			input.to === ".jpg" || input.to === ".jpeg" || input.to === ".jfif";
 		const transparency: SettingDefinition = {
 			key: "transparency",
 			label: m["convert.settings.image.transparency"](),
@@ -188,9 +191,11 @@ export class MagickConverter extends Converter {
 		return [quality, depth, colorSpace, transparency, metadata];
 	}
 
-	public async getDefaultSettings(): Promise<ConversionSettings> {
+	public async getDefaultSettings(
+		input: VertFile,
+	): Promise<ConversionSettings> {
 		const defaults: ConversionSettings = {};
-		const settings = await this.getAvailableSettings();
+		const settings = await this.getAvailableSettings(input);
 		settings.forEach((setting) => {
 			defaults[setting.key] = setting.default;
 		});
@@ -272,7 +277,7 @@ export class MagickConverter extends Converter {
 			const conversionSettings = JSON.stringify(
 				Object.keys(settings).length > 0
 					? settings // user-provided settings
-					: await this.getDefaultSettings(), // use defaults if not provided
+					: await this.getDefaultSettings(input), // use defaults if not provided
 			);
 			const convertMsg: WorkerMessage = {
 				type: "convert",
diff --git a/src/lib/converters/pandoc.svelte.ts b/src/lib/converters/pandoc.svelte.ts
index 6dfe84d..e447088 100644
--- a/src/lib/converters/pandoc.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/lib/converters/pandoc.svelte.ts
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ export class PandocConverter extends Converter {
 				from: file.from,
 				to,
 			},
-			compression: null,
 			id: file.id,
+			conversionSettings: "", // no settings for pandoc yet
 		};
 		worker.postMessage(convertMsg);
 		const result = await waitForMessage(worker);
diff --git a/src/lib/converters/vertd.svelte.ts b/src/lib/converters/vertd.svelte.ts
index 5792f2f..8cad8d7 100644
--- a/src/lib/converters/vertd.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/lib/converters/vertd.svelte.ts
@@ -483,7 +483,12 @@ export class VertdConverter extends Converter {
 			default: "auto",
 			options: CONVERSION_BITRATES.map((b) => ({
 				value: b,
-				label: b,
+				label:
+					b === "auto"
+						? m["convert.settings.common.auto"]()
+						: b === "custom"
+							? m["convert.settings.common.custom"]()
+							: `${b} kbps`,
 			})),
 			hasCustomInput: true,
 			customInputKey: "customBitrate",
@@ -497,7 +502,12 @@ export class VertdConverter extends Converter {
 			default: "auto",
 			options: SAMPLE_RATES.map((r) => ({
 				value: r,
-				label: r,
+				label:
+					r === "auto"
+						? m["convert.settings.common.auto"]()
+						: r === "custom"
+							? m["convert.settings.common.custom"]()
+							: `${r} Hz`,
 			})),
 			hasCustomInput: true,
 			customInputKey: "customSampleRate",
diff --git a/src/lib/sections/settings/Conversion.svelte b/src/lib/sections/settings/Conversion.svelte
index e959839..1e00f86 100644
--- a/src/lib/sections/settings/Conversion.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/sections/settings/Conversion.svelte
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@
 						{m["settings.conversion.filename_format"]()}
 					</p>
 					<p class="text-sm text-muted font-normal">
-						{@html sanitize(m["settings.conversion.filename_description"]())}
+						{@html sanitize(
+							m["settings.conversion.filename_description"](),
+						)}
 					</p>
 				</div>
 				<FancyTextInput
@@ -71,8 +73,14 @@
 				<div
 					class={clsx(
 						"flex flex-col gap-8 transition-all duration-300 ease-in-out",
-						{"max-h-[2000px] opacity-100 overflow-visible": showAdvanced},
-						{"max-h-0 opacity-0 overflow-hidden -mb-4": !showAdvanced},
+						{
+							"max-h-[2000px] opacity-100 overflow-visible":
+								showAdvanced,
+						},
+						{
+							"max-h-0 opacity-0 overflow-hidden -mb-4":
+								!showAdvanced,
+						},
 					)}
 				>
 					<div class="flex flex-col gap-8">
@@ -102,7 +110,9 @@
 											size="24"
 											class="inline-block mr-2"
 										/>
-										{m["settings.conversion.default_format_enable"]()}
+										{m[
+											"settings.conversion.default_format_enable"
+										]()}
 									</button>
 
 									<button
@@ -118,7 +128,9 @@
 											size="24"
 											class="inline-block mr-2"
 										/>
-										{m["settings.conversion.default_format_disable"]()}
+										{m[
+											"settings.conversion.default_format_disable"
+										]()}
 									</button>
 								</div>
 							</div>
@@ -193,9 +205,7 @@
 								<p class="text-base font-bold">
 									{m["settings.conversion.metadata"]()}
 								</p>
-								<p
-									class="text-sm text-muted font-normal"
-								>
+								<p class="text-sm text-muted font-normal">
 									{m[
 										"settings.conversion.metadata_description"
 									]()}
@@ -273,8 +283,17 @@
 										]()}
 									</p>
 									<Dropdown
-										options={CONVERSION_BITRATES.map((b) =>
-											b.toString(),
+										options={CONVERSION_BITRATES.map(
+											(b) => ({
+												value: b.toString(),
+												label:
+													b === "auto" ||
+													b === "custom"
+														? m[
+																`convert.settings.common.${b}`
+															]()
+														: `${b} kbps`,
+											}),
 										)}
 										selected={settings.ffmpegQuality.toString()}
 										onselect={(option: string) =>
@@ -290,13 +309,19 @@
 										{m["settings.conversion.rate"]()}
 									</p>
 									<Dropdown
-										options={SAMPLE_RATES.map((r) =>
-											r.toString(),
-										)}
+										options={SAMPLE_RATES.map((r) => ({
+											value: r.toString(),
+											label:
+												r === "auto" || r === "custom"
+													? m[
+															`convert.settings.common.${r}`
+														]()
+													: `${r} Hz`,
+										}))}
 										selected={settings.ffmpegSampleRate.toString()}
 										onselect={(option: string) => {
 											settings.ffmpegSampleRate =
-												option as SampleRate;
+												option as SampleRate as string;
 										}}
 										settingsStyle
 									/>