diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fb8d807..6fda80d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ dead simple last.fm bot
 (i cannot promise stable uptime)
 
 **TODO:**
-- add database username checker to utils.py
+- ~~add database username checker to utils.py~~ ✅ (added to bot.py)
 - ~~add collage generation~~ ✅
 - fix attachment generation and upload
     - ~~**temporary fix**: upload and link to catbox urls~~ __the asynchronous catbox library does not accept byte arrays__
     - ~~**temporary fix**: construct the attachment object from scratch and upload manually(?)~~ __its still broken__
     - ~~**temporary fix:** use 0x0.st~~ ✅
     - **permanent fix**: fork and update nerimity library
+- add list generation
diff --git a/bot.py b/bot.py
index 105a27e..e70e66e 100644
--- a/bot.py
+++ b/bot.py
@@ -90,3 +90,25 @@ class Bot(nerimity.Client):
         ) as cursor:
             row = await cursor.fetchone()
             return row[0] if row else None
+
+    async def find_lastfm_username(self, ctx: nerimity.Context, username: str = None):
+        if not username:
+            try: username = await self.get_lastfm(ctx.author.id)
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(e)
+                await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"Unknown database error:\n{e}"))
+
+            if not username:
+                await ctx.send(u.error_msg("Please provide a Last.fm username (or set yours with `/setfm`)."))
+
+        elif username.startswith("[@:"):
+                mentioned = self.get_user(username[3:-1])
+                try: username = await self.get_lastfm(mentioned.id)
+                except Exception as e:
+                    print(e)
+                    await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"Unknown database error:\n{e}"))
+
+                if not username:
+                    await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"[@:{mentioned.id}] doesn't seem to have an account set. Do so with `/setfm`."))
+        
+        return username
diff --git a/commands/collage.py b/commands/collage.py
index d481c68..e8a721e 100644
--- a/commands/collage.py
+++ b/commands/collage.py
@@ -24,28 +24,8 @@ async def send_collage(bot: bot.Bot, ctx: nerimity.Context, entity: str, size: s
         await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"Please provide a valid size.\nie `/chart{entity} 5x5`"))
         return
     
-    if not username:
-        try: username = await bot.get_lastfm(ctx.author.id)
-        except Exception as e:
-            print(e)
-            await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"Unknown database error:\n{e}"))
-
-        if not username:
-            await ctx.send(u.error_msg("Please provide a Last.fm username (or set yours with `/setfm`)."))
-            print("returned")
-            return
-
-    if username.startswith("[@:"):
-            mentioned = bot.get_user(username[3:-1])
-            try: username = await bot.get_lastfm(mentioned.id)
-            except Exception as e:
-                print(e)
-                await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"Unknown database error:\n{e}"))
-
-            if not username:
-                await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"[@:{mentioned.id}] doesn't seem to have an account set. Do so with `/setfm`."))
-                print("returned")
-                return
+    username = await bot.find_lastfm_username(ctx, username)
+    if not username: return
 
     match timeframe:
         case "a" | "all" | "alltime" | "o": timeframe = "overall"
diff --git a/commands/now_playing.py b/commands/now_playing.py
index a7ffc24..2b8d38b 100644
--- a/commands/now_playing.py
+++ b/commands/now_playing.py
@@ -8,26 +8,8 @@ def setup(bot: bot.Bot):
     @bot.command(name="fm", aliases=["np"])
     @bot.slash_command(name="fm", description="Shows what you're currently playing")
     async def fm(ctx: nerimity.Context, username: str = None):
-        if not username:
-            try: username = await bot.get_lastfm(ctx.author.id)
-            except Exception as e: 
-                await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"Unknown database error:\n{e}"))
-
-            if not username:
-                await ctx.send(u.error_msg("Please provide a Last.fm username (or set yours with `/setfm`)"))
-                return
-
-        if username.startswith("[@:"):
-                mentioned = bot.get_user(username[3:-1])
-                try: username = await bot.get_lastfm(mentioned.id)
-                except Exception as e:
-                    print(e)
-                    await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"Unknown database error:\n{e}"))
-
-                if not username:
-                    await ctx.send(u.error_msg(f"[@:{mentioned.id}] doesn't seem to have an account set. Do so with `/setfm`."))
-                    print("returned")
-                    return
+        username = await bot.find_lastfm_username(ctx, username)
+        if not username: return
 
         try: 
             user = bot.lastfm.get_user(username)