diff --git a/libraries/audio/src/SoundCache.cpp b/libraries/audio/src/SoundCache.cpp
index 6b34c68959..1646540da6 100644
--- a/libraries/audio/src/SoundCache.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio/src/SoundCache.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #include "AudioLogging.h"
 #include "SoundCache.h"
 
+static const int SOUNDS_LOADING_PRIORITY { -7 }; // Make sure sounds load after the low rez texture mips
+
 int soundPointerMetaTypeId = qRegisterMetaType<SharedSoundPointer>();
 
 SoundCache::SoundCache(QObject* parent) :
@@ -37,5 +39,7 @@ SharedSoundPointer SoundCache::getSound(const QUrl& url) {
 QSharedPointer<Resource> SoundCache::createResource(const QUrl& url, const QSharedPointer<Resource>& fallback,
     const void* extra) {
     qCDebug(audio) << "Requesting sound at" << url.toString();
-    return QSharedPointer<Resource>(new Sound(url), &Resource::deleter);
+    auto resource = QSharedPointer<Resource>(new Sound(url), &Resource::deleter);
+    resource->setLoadPriority(this, SOUNDS_LOADING_PRIORITY);
+    return resource;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/TextureCache.cpp b/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/TextureCache.cpp
index c367ad4289..4597304550 100644
--- a/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/TextureCache.cpp
+++ b/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/TextureCache.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ Q_LOGGING_CATEGORY(trace_resource_parse_image_ktx, "trace.resource.parse.image.k
 const std::string TextureCache::KTX_DIRNAME { "ktx_cache" };
 const std::string TextureCache::KTX_EXT { "ktx" };
 
+static const int SKYBOX_LOAD_PRIORITY { 10 }; // Make sure skybox loads first
+
 TextureCache::TextureCache() :
     _ktxCache(KTX_DIRNAME, KTX_EXT) {
     setUnusedResourceCacheSize(0);
@@ -259,6 +261,9 @@ QSharedPointer<Resource> TextureCache::createResource(const QUrl& url, const QSh
     auto content = textureExtra ? textureExtra->content : QByteArray();
     auto maxNumPixels = textureExtra ? textureExtra->maxNumPixels : ABSOLUTE_MAX_TEXTURE_NUM_PIXELS;
     NetworkTexture* texture = new NetworkTexture(url, type, content, maxNumPixels);
+    if (type == image::TextureUsage::CUBE_TEXTURE) {
+        texture->setLoadPriority(this, SKYBOX_LOAD_PRIORITY);
+    }
     return QSharedPointer<Resource>(texture, &Resource::deleter);
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
index 9485790463..2e08420073 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
@@ -558,7 +558,6 @@ void ModelMeshPartPayload::render(RenderArgs* args) {
     }
 
     if (_materialNeedsUpdate && _model->getGeometry()->areTexturesLoaded()) {
-        qDebug() << "Updating for textures";
         _model->setRenderItemsNeedUpdate();
         _materialNeedsUpdate = false;
     }