diff --git a/ivas_processing_scripts/__init__.py b/ivas_processing_scripts/__init__.py
index 7f6598bf65b2e97c7ce1c4cdf9b954bb0dd84335..360148700d3af844bb571bd70715ff151945e6f3 100755
--- a/ivas_processing_scripts/__init__.py
+++ b/ivas_processing_scripts/__init__.py
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ def main(args):
                 spinner()
                 sleep(0.1)
             progressbar_update(count, count, width)
-            print("\n", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
+            print("", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
             results.get()
 
             p.close()
diff --git a/ivas_processing_scripts/audiotools/__init__.py b/ivas_processing_scripts/audiotools/__init__.py
index 7cb4f06c59a106e20cde38d256cd6af8906b96a9..3d3955271905ab61a0196a1b0878063e20398d6b 100755
--- a/ivas_processing_scripts/audiotools/__init__.py
+++ b/ivas_processing_scripts/audiotools/__init__.py
@@ -55,14 +55,12 @@ def add_processing_args(group, input=True):
         f"-{ps}",
         f"--{p}",
         dest=f"{p}put",
-        required=True,
         type=Path,
         help="Path to *.{wav, pcm, raw} file or directory",
     )
     group.add_argument(
         f"-{ps}f",
         f"--{p}_fmt",
-        required=input,
         type=str,
         help="Audio format (use -l, --list for a list / -L, --long for a detailed list)",
         default=None,
@@ -132,7 +130,7 @@ def add_processing_args(group, input=True):
     )
 
 
-def get_args():
+def get_argparser():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description="Audiotools: Convert/Manipulate spatial audio files."
     )
@@ -224,12 +222,15 @@ def get_args():
         action="store_true",
     )
 
-    return parser.parse_args()
+    return parser
 
 
 def main():
-    args = get_args()
+    parser = get_argparser()
+    
+    args = parser.parse_args()
 
+    # special arguments for listing formats
     if args.list is True or args.long is True:
         for fmt in AUDIO_FORMATS:
             if args.long:
@@ -239,6 +240,11 @@ def main():
             else:
                 print(", ".join(fmt.keys()))
         exit()
+    
+    # validate required arguments
+    if args.input is None or args.in_fmt is None or args.output is None:
+        parser.print_usage()
+        raise SystemExit("the following arguments are required: -i/--in, -if/--in_fmt, -o/--out")
 
     elif args.input is not None:
         if not args.out_fs:
@@ -272,7 +278,12 @@ def main():
         if len(in_files) == 1 and args.input.is_file():
             out_files = [args.output]
         else:
-            args.output.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+            # input was a dir so output should be a dir too
+            if args.output.is_file():
+                raise NotADirectoryError(f"Input directory '{args.input}' specified with file output to '{args.output}' - please specify an output directory instead")
+            if not args.output.exists():
+                args.output.mkdir()
+                print(f"Created output directory {args.output}")
             out_files = [args.output.joinpath(i.name) for i in in_files]
 
         # Multiprocessing
diff --git a/ivas_processing_scripts/processing/processing.py b/ivas_processing_scripts/processing/processing.py
index a2e3316023c34d5514125c95bb6427b82003ef5b..4d96571f5d10059e214de6f46d3ae4cfbb06c8ce 100755
--- a/ivas_processing_scripts/processing/processing.py
+++ b/ivas_processing_scripts/processing/processing.py
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ def preprocess(cfg, logger):
         spinner()
         sleep(0.1)
     progressbar_update(count, count, width)
-    print("\n", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
+    print("", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
     results.get()
 
     p.close()
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ def preprocess_2(cfg, logger):
         spinner()
         sleep(0.1)
     progressbar_update(count, count, width)
-    print("\n", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
+    print("", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
     results.get()
 
     p.close()
diff --git a/ivas_processing_scripts/utils.py b/ivas_processing_scripts/utils.py
index f71a6b5b7ac864662ede4fd9525c2bc3b518d6af..b1104096a1605e01e7ca2c6dbd09ee89f03ebb79 100755
--- a/ivas_processing_scripts/utils.py
+++ b/ivas_processing_scripts/utils.py
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ def progressbar(iter: Iterable, width=80):
     for i, item in enumerate(iter):
         yield item
         progressbar_update(i + 1, count, width)
-    print("\n", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
+    print("", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
 
 
 def spinner():
diff --git a/other/check_conditions.py b/other/check_conditions.py
index 7ec03c8cf63b215376cde1e246128be7b44c88f8..74dfe8b46430792fd3649dfd2f1d8612c8af9ce0 100644
--- a/other/check_conditions.py
+++ b/other/check_conditions.py
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def compare_dirs(ref_dir: Path, cut_dir: Path):
             spinner()
             sleep(0.1)
         progressbar_update(count, count, width)
-        print("\n", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
+        print("", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
         results.get()
 
 
diff --git a/other/lp16k.py b/other/lp16k.py
index 451b83b861911e6890318bbdc03f6ac54072bb02..cec0394f140dbcf053e2af8db9390d2851807976 100755
--- a/other/lp16k.py
+++ b/other/lp16k.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def main(args):
         spinner()
         sleep(0.1)
     progressbar_update(count, count, width)
-    print("\n", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
+    print("", flush=True, file=sys.stdout)
     results.get()
 
     p.close()