diff --git a/records.go b/records.go
index b64433c..55248cc 100644
--- a/records.go
+++ b/records.go
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 package warc
 
-// Records is a slice of records
-// A WARC format file is the simple concatenation of one or more WARC
-// records. The first record usually describes the records to follow. In
-// general, record content is either the direct result of a retrieval
-// attempt — web pages, inline images, URL redirection information, DNS
-// hostname lookup results, standalone files, etc. — or is synthesized
-// material (e.g., metadata, transformed content) that provides additional
-// information about archived content.
+// Records provides utility functions for slices of records.
+//
+// A WARC format file is the simple concatenation of one or more WARC records.
+// The first record usually describes the records to follow.  In general,
+// record content is either the direct result of a retrieval attempt — web
+// pages, inline images, URL redirection information, DNS hostname lookup
+// results, standalone files, etc. — or is synthesized material (e.g.,
+// metadata, transformed content) that provides additional information about
+// archived content.
 type Records []*Record
 
 // FilterTypes return all record types that match a provide
diff --git a/writer.go b/writer.go
index 9d166c8..9da64b7 100644
--- a/writer.go
+++ b/writer.go
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@ package warc
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"compress/gzip"
+	stdErrors "errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"sort"
 
 	"github.com/pborman/uuid"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 // NewUUID generates a new version 4 uuid
@@ -15,7 +18,173 @@ func NewUUID() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("<urn:uuid:%s>", uuid.New())
 }
 
+type flusher interface {
+	Flush() error
+}
+
+// Writer provides functionality for writing WARC files in compressed and
+// uncompressed formats.
+//
+// To construct a Writer, call NewWriterCompressed or NewWriterRaw.
+type Writer struct {
+	seekW io.WriteSeeker
+	wr    io.Writer
+
+	// RecordCallback will be called after each record is written to the file.
+	// If a WriteSeeker was not provided, the provided positions will be
+	// invalid.
+	RecordCallback func(r *Record, startPos, endPos int64)
+}
+
+// NewWriterCompressed initializes a WARC Writer writing to a compressed
+// stream.  The first parameter should be the "backing stream" of the
+// compression.  The second parameter is a compress/gzip writer writing to the
+// rawFile parameter.
+//
+// Seek will only be called with whence == io.SeekCurrent and offset == 0.
+//
+// See also CountWriter() if you need a "fake" Seek implementation.
+func NewWriterCompressed(rawFile io.WriteSeeker, cmprsWriter *gzip.Writer) (*Writer, error) {
+	w := &Writer{
+		seekW: rawFile,
+		wr:    cmprsWriter,
+	}
+	return w, nil
+}
+
+// NewWriterRaw initializes a WARC Writer writing to an uncompressed stream.
+// If the provided Writer implements io.Seeker, the RecordCallback will be
+// available.  If the provided Writer implements interface{Flush() error}, it
+// will be flushed after every written Record.
+//
+// See also CountWriter() if you need a "fake" Seek implementation.
+func NewWriterRaw(out io.Writer) (*Writer, error) {
+	w := &Writer{
+		wr: out,
+	}
+	if wseeker, ok := out.(io.WriteSeeker); ok {
+		w.seekW = wseeker
+	}
+	return w, nil
+}
+
+type countWriter struct {
+	count int64
+	w     io.Writer
+}
+
+// CountWriter implements a limited version of io.Seeker around the provided
+// Writer.  It only supports offset == 0 and whence == io.SeekCurrent or
+// io.SeekEnd, and returns the current number of written bytes in both cases.
+func CountWriter(w io.Writer) io.WriteSeeker {
+	return &countWriter{count: 0, w: w}
+}
+
+// implements io.Writer
+func (c *countWriter) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	n, err := c.w.Write(p)
+	if n >= 0 {
+		c.count += int64(n)
+	}
+	return n, err
+}
+
+var errCountWriterNotImplemented = stdErrors.New("unsupported seek operation")
+
+// implements io.Seeker
+func (c *countWriter) Seek(offset int64, whence int) (int64, error) {
+	if offset != 0 || !(whence == io.SeekCurrent || whence == io.SeekEnd) {
+		return 0, errCountWriterNotImplemented
+	}
+	return c.count, nil
+}
+
+func (w *Writer) WriteRecord(r *Record) error {
+	var startPos, endPos int64
+	var err2 error
+	var errs []error
+
+	if w.seekW != nil {
+		startPos, err2 = w.seekW.Seek(0, io.SeekCurrent)
+		if err2 != nil {
+			errs = append(errs, errors.Wrap(err2, "warc writer: seek 0"))
+		}
+	}
+
+	// don't return quite yet - still need to do RecordCallback
+	err2 = r.Write(w.wr)
+	if err2 != nil {
+		errs = append(errs, errors.Wrap(err2, "warc writer: write record"))
+	}
+
+	if gzW, ok := w.wr.(*gzip.Writer); ok {
+		// flush is not sufficient, need to Close/Reset
+		err2 = gzW.Close()
+		if err2 != nil {
+			errs = append(errs, errors.Wrap(err2, "warc writer: flush"))
+		}
+		gzW.Reset(w.seekW)
+	}
+	if w.seekW != nil {
+		endPos, err2 = w.seekW.Seek(0, io.SeekCurrent)
+		if err2 != nil {
+			errs = append(errs, errors.Wrap(err2, "warc writer: seek 0"))
+		}
+	}
+
+	if w.RecordCallback != nil {
+		w.RecordCallback(r, startPos, endPos)
+	}
+
+	if len(errs) == 1 {
+		return errs[0]
+	} else if len(errs) > 1 {
+		return simpleMultiError(errs)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Close cleans up any resources the warc.Writer might be holding on to.
+func (w *Writer) Close() error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+type simpleMultiError []error
+
+func (m simpleMultiError) Cause() error {
+	return m[0]
+}
+
+func (m simpleMultiError) Error() string {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	fmt.Fprintf(&buf, "%s\nand %d other errors:\n", m[0], len(m)-1)
+	for i := 1; i < len(m); i++ {
+		fmt.Fprintln(&buf, m[i])
+	}
+	return buf.String()
+}
+
+func (m simpleMultiError) Format(s fmt.State, verb rune) {
+	switch verb {
+	case 'v':
+		if s.Flag('+') {
+			fmt.Fprintf(s, "%d different errors\n", len(m))
+			for i := 0; i < len(m); i++ {
+				fmt.Fprintf(s, "%+v\n", m[i])
+			}
+			return
+		}
+		fallthrough
+	case 's', 'q':
+		fmt.Fprintf(s, "%d different errors\n", len(m))
+		for i := 0; i < len(m); i++ {
+			fmt.Fprintf(s, "%s\n", m[i])
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // WriteRecords calls Write on each record to w.
+// Deprecated: see Writer type
 func WriteRecords(w io.Writer, records Records) error {
 	for _, rec := range records {
 		if err := rec.Write(w); err != nil {