diff --git a/syncplay/players/mplayer.py b/syncplay/players/mplayer.py
index cc39b00..0532203 100644
--- a/syncplay/players/mplayer.py
+++ b/syncplay/players/mplayer.py
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ class MplayerPlayer(BasePlayer):
                 if not isinstance(line, unicode):
                     line = line.decode('utf8')
                 line = (line + u"\n").encode('utf8')
-                self.__playerController._client.ui.showDebugMessage("player >> {}".format(line))
+                self.__playerController._client.ui.showDebugMessage(u"player >> {}".format(line))
                 self.__process.stdin.write(line)
             except IOError:
                 pass
diff --git a/syncplay/players/vlc.py b/syncplay/players/vlc.py
index bdeba7d..2a82c75 100644
--- a/syncplay/players/vlc.py
+++ b/syncplay/players/vlc.py
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ class VlcPlayer(BasePlayer):
                     self.sendLine("get-vlc-version")
                 try:
                     self.push(line + "\n")
-                    self.__playerController._client.ui.showDebugMessage("player >> {}".format(line))
+                    self.__playerController._client.ui.showDebugMessage(u"player >> {}".format(line))
                 except:
                     pass
             if line == "close-vlc":