diff --git a/src/hooks/media-controls.js b/src/hooks/media-controls.js
index 5385a6e..bfac719 100644
--- a/src/hooks/media-controls.js
+++ b/src/hooks/media-controls.js
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ export function useMediaControls(element) {
   }
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!element || !element.current) return
-
     const isPaused = () => element.current.paused || element.current.ended
 
     setCurrentTime(element.current.currentTime)
diff --git a/test/unit/hooks/media-controls.unit.test.js b/test/unit/hooks/media-controls.unit.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..017da61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/hooks/media-controls.unit.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,391 @@
+import React, { useRef } from 'react'
+import { cleanup, fireEvent, render } from 'react-testing-library'
+import { act } from 'react-dom/test-utils'
+
+import { useMediaControls } from '../../../src'
+
+// ref
+let mediaElementRef
+
+// hook state
+let currentTime,
+  mute,
+  muted,
+  unmute,
+  pause,
+  paused,
+  play,
+  restart,
+  seek,
+  setVolume,
+  stop,
+  volume
+
+// spys
+let mediaElementPlaySpy, mediaElementPauseSpy
+
+// getters
+let pausedGetter
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  act(() => {
+    testMediaControlsHook(
+      () =>
+        ({
+          currentTime,
+          mute,
+          muted,
+          unmute,
+          pause,
+          paused,
+          play,
+          restart,
+          seek,
+          setVolume,
+          stop,
+          volume
+        } = useMediaControls(mediaElementRef))
+    )
+  })
+
+  mediaElementPlaySpy = jest
+    .spyOn(mediaElementRef.current, 'play')
+    .mockImplementation(() => {})
+  mediaElementPauseSpy = jest
+    .spyOn(mediaElementRef.current, 'pause')
+    .mockImplementation(() => {})
+
+  pausedGetter = jest.spyOn(mediaElementRef.current, 'paused', 'get')
+})
+
+afterEach(cleanup)
+
+function TestMediaControlsHook({ callback }) {
+  mediaElementRef = useRef(null)
+  callback()
+  return (
+    <audio
+      ref={mediaElementRef}
+      src="https://audio-ssl.itunes.apple.com/apple-assets-us-std-000001/AudioPreview118/v4/00/ea/65/00ea65de-25f1-3217-7a2b-097e989dd884/mzaf_5030465069226935473.plus.aac.p.m4a"
+    />
+  )
+}
+
+function testMediaControlsHook(callback) {
+  render(<TestMediaControlsHook callback={callback} />)
+}
+
+describe('useMediaControls', () => {
+  it('sets initial state to match the media element', () => {
+    expect(currentTime).toBe(0)
+    expect(muted).toBe(false)
+    expect(paused).toBe(true)
+    expect(volume).toBe(1)
+  })
+
+  describe('plays', () => {
+    it('when play() is called', () => {
+      play()
+      expect(mediaElementPlaySpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+    })
+
+    it('when a "play" event is triggered', () => {
+      pausedGetter.mockReturnValue(false)
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('play', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+
+      expect(paused).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('when a "playing" event is triggered', () => {
+      pausedGetter.mockReturnValue(false)
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('playing', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+
+      expect(paused).toBe(false)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('pauses', () => {
+    // play the media before pausing it
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      pausedGetter.mockReturnValue(false)
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('play', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('when pause() is called', () => {
+      pause()
+      expect(mediaElementPauseSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+    })
+
+    it('when a "pause" event is triggered', () => {
+      pausedGetter.mockReturnValue(true)
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('pause', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+
+      expect(paused).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('when a "waiting" event is triggered', () => {
+      pausedGetter.mockReturnValue(true)
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('waiting', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+
+      expect(paused).toBe(true)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('sets volume', () => {
+    it('when setVolume() is called', () => {
+      expect(volume).toBe(1)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(1)
+
+      act(() => {
+        setVolume(0.5)
+      })
+
+      expect(volume).toBe(0.5)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(0.5)
+    })
+
+    it('when a "volumechange" event is triggered', () => {
+      expect(volume).toBe(1)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(1)
+
+      act(() => {
+        mediaElementRef.current.volume = 0.2 // triggers "volumechange" event
+      })
+
+      expect(volume).toBe(0.2)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(0.2)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('mutes', () => {
+    it('when mute() is called', () => {
+      expect(volume).toBe(1)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(1)
+
+      act(() => {
+        mute()
+      })
+
+      expect(volume).toBe(0)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(0)
+    })
+
+    it('when setVolume() is called with 0', () => {
+      expect(volume).toBe(1)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(1)
+
+      act(() => {
+        setVolume(0)
+      })
+
+      expect(volume).toBe(0)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(0)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('unmutes', () => {
+    // mute the media before unmuting
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      act(() => {
+        mute()
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('when unmute() is called', () => {
+      expect(volume).toBe(0)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(0)
+
+      act(() => {
+        unmute()
+      })
+
+      expect(volume).toBe(1)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(1)
+    })
+
+    it('when setVolume() is called with >0', () => {
+      expect(volume).toBe(0)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(0)
+
+      act(() => {
+        setVolume(1)
+      })
+
+      expect(volume).toBe(1)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.volume).toBe(1)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('seeks', () => {
+    it('when seek() is called', () => {
+      expect(currentTime).toBe(0)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.currentTime).toBe(0)
+
+      act(() => {
+        seek(2)
+      })
+
+      mediaElementRef.current.addEventListener('seeked', () => {
+        expect(currentTime).toBe(2)
+        expect(mediaElementRef.current.currentTime).toBe(2)
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('when a "seeked" event is triggered', () => {
+      mediaElementRef.current.currentTime = 2
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('seeked', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+
+      expect(currentTime).toBe(2)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.currentTime).toBe(2)
+    })
+
+    it('when a "timeupdate" event is triggered', () => {
+      mediaElementRef.current.currentTime = 2
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('timeupdate', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+
+      expect(currentTime).toBe(2)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.currentTime).toBe(2)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('stops', () => {
+    // play the media before stopping it
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      pausedGetter.mockReturnValue(false)
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('play', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+
+      mediaElementRef.current.currentTime = 2
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('seeked', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('when stop() is called', () => {
+      expect(paused).toBe(false)
+      expect(currentTime).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.currentTime).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+
+      act(() => {
+        stop()
+      })
+
+      mediaElementRef.current.addEventListener('seeked', () => {
+        expect(paused).toBe(true)
+        expect(currentTime).toBe(0)
+        expect(mediaElementRef.current.currentTime).toBe(0)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('restarts', () => {
+    // end the media before restarting it
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      mediaElementRef.current.currentTime = 30
+
+      act(() => {
+        fireEvent(
+          mediaElementRef.current,
+          new Event('seeked', {
+            bubbles: false,
+            cancelable: false
+          })
+        )
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('when restart() is called', () => {
+      expect(paused).toBe(true)
+      expect(currentTime).toBe(30)
+      expect(mediaElementRef.current.currentTime).toBe(30)
+
+      act(() => {
+        restart()
+      })
+
+      mediaElementRef.current.addEventListener('seeked', () => {
+        expect(paused).toBe(false)
+        expect(currentTime).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+        expect(mediaElementRef.current.currentTime).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})