diff --git a/src/tools/pw-cat.c b/src/tools/pw-cat.c
index c51e2a9ec..e45dc5a55 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-cat.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-cat.c
@@ -656,9 +656,6 @@ static void on_core_done(void *userdata, uint32_t id, int seq)
 {
 	struct data *data = userdata;
 
-	if (data->verbose)
-		printf("core done\n");
-
 	/* if we're listing targets just exist */
 	if (data->sync == seq && data->list_targets) {
 		data->targets_listed = true;
@@ -850,7 +847,7 @@ on_state_changed(void *userdata, enum pw_stream_state old,
 				SPA_PROP_volume, 1, &data->volume,
 				0);
 		if (data->verbose)
-			printf("set stream volume to %.3f - %s\n", data->volume,
+			printf("stream set volume to %.3f - %s\n", data->volume,
 					ret == 0 ? "success" : "FAILED");
 
 		data->volume_is_set = true;
@@ -892,7 +889,8 @@ on_param_changed(void *userdata, uint32_t id, const struct spa_pod *param)
 	int err;
 
 	if (data->verbose)
-		printf("stream param change: id=%"PRIu32"\n", id);
+		printf("stream param change: %s\n",
+			spa_debug_type_find_name(spa_type_param, id));
 
 	if (id != SPA_PARAM_Format || param == NULL)
 		return;
@@ -914,7 +912,7 @@ on_param_changed(void *userdata, uint32_t id, const struct spa_pod *param)
 	data->stride = data->dsf.layout.channels * SPA_ABS(data->dsf.layout.interleave);
 
 	if (data->verbose) {
-		printf("DSD out: channels:%d bitorder:%s interleave:%d\n",
+		printf("DSD: channels:%d bitorder:%s interleave:%d\n",
 				data->dsf.layout.channels,
 				data->dsf.layout.lsb ? "lsb" : "msb",
 				data->dsf.layout.interleave);
@@ -1010,7 +1008,7 @@ static void do_print_delay(void *userdata, uint64_t expirations)
 	struct data *data = userdata;
 	struct pw_time time;
 	pw_stream_get_time(data->stream, &time);
-	printf("now=%"PRIi64" rate=%u/%u ticks=%"PRIu64" delay=%"PRIi64" queued=%"PRIu64"\n",
+	printf("stream time: now:%"PRIi64" rate:%u/%u ticks:%"PRIu64" delay:%"PRIi64" queued:%"PRIu64"\n",
 		time.now,
 		time.rate.num, time.rate.denom,
 		time.ticks, time.delay, time.queued);
@@ -1216,12 +1214,12 @@ static int setup_midifile(struct data *data)
 			data->mode == mode_playback ? "r" : "w",
 			&data->midi.info);
 	if (data->midi.file == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "error: can't read midi file '%s': %m\n", data->filename);
+		fprintf(stderr, "midifile: can't read midi file '%s': %m\n", data->filename);
 		return -errno;
 	}
 
 	if (data->verbose)
-		printf("opened file \"%s\" format %08x ntracks:%d div:%d\n",
+		printf("midifile: opened file \"%s\" format %08x ntracks:%d div:%d\n",
 				data->filename,
 				data->midi.info.format, data->midi.info.ntracks,
 				data->midi.info.division);
@@ -1258,12 +1256,12 @@ static int setup_dsffile(struct data *data)
 
 	data->dsf.file = dsf_file_open(data->filename, "r", &data->dsf.info);
 	if (data->dsf.file == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "error: can't read dsf file '%s': %m\n", data->filename);
+		fprintf(stderr, "dsffile: can't read dsf file '%s': %m\n", data->filename);
 		return -errno;
 	}
 
 	if (data->verbose)
-		printf("opened file \"%s\" channels:%d rate:%d samples:%"PRIu64" bitorder:%s\n",
+		printf("dsffile: opened file \"%s\" channels:%d rate:%d samples:%"PRIu64" bitorder:%s\n",
 				data->filename,
 				data->dsf.info.channels, data->dsf.info.rate,
 				data->dsf.info.samples,
@@ -1360,16 +1358,16 @@ static int setup_sndfile(struct data *data)
 			data->mode == mode_playback ? SFM_READ : SFM_WRITE,
 			&info);
 	if (!data->file) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "error: failed to open audio file \"%s\": %s\n",
+		fprintf(stderr, "sndfile: failed to open audio file \"%s\": %s\n",
 				data->filename, sf_strerror(NULL));
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
 	if (data->verbose)
-		printf("opened file \"%s\" format %08x channels:%d rate:%d\n",
+		printf("sndfile: opened file \"%s\" format %08x channels:%d rate:%d\n",
 				data->filename, info.format, info.channels, info.samplerate);
 	if (data->channels > 0 && info.channels != data->channels) {
-		printf("given channels (%u) don't match file channels (%d)\n",
+		fprintf(stderr, "sndfile: given channels (%u) don't match file channels (%d)\n",
 				data->channels, info.channels);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
@@ -1393,7 +1391,7 @@ static int setup_sndfile(struct data *data)
 				def = true;
 			}
 			if (data->verbose) {
-				printf("using %s channel map: ", def ? "default" : "file");
+				printf("sndfile: using %s channel map: ", def ? "default" : "file");
 				channelmap_print(&data->channelmap);
 				printf("\n");
 			}
@@ -1456,7 +1454,7 @@ static int setup_sndfile(struct data *data)
 	}
 
 	if (data->verbose)
-		printf("rate=%u channels=%u fmt=%s samplesize=%u stride=%u latency=%u (%.3fs)\n",
+		printf("PCM: rate=%u channels=%u fmt=%s samplesize=%u stride=%u latency=%u (%.3fs)\n",
 				data->rate, data->channels,
 				sf_fmt_to_str(info.format),
 				data->samplesize,