diff --git a/beetsplug/echonest.py b/beetsplug/echonest.py
index e183eb8ef..e31a8c425 100644
--- a/beetsplug/echonest.py
+++ b/beetsplug/echonest.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from string import Template
 import subprocess
 
 from beets import util, config, plugins, ui
+from beets.dbcore import types
 import pyechonest
 import pyechonest.song
 import pyechonest.track
@@ -38,7 +39,9 @@ DEVNULL = open(os.devnull, 'wb')
 ALLOWED_FORMATS = ('MP3', 'OGG', 'AAC')
 UPLOAD_MAX_SIZE = 50 * 1024 * 1024
 
-# The attributes we can import and where to store them in beets fields.
+# Maps attribute names from echonest to their field names in beets.
+# The attributes are retrieved from a songs `audio_summary`. See:
+# http://echonest.github.io/pyechonest/song.html#pyechonest.song.profile
 ATTRIBUTES = {
     'energy':       'energy',
     'liveness':     'liveness',
@@ -49,6 +52,16 @@ ATTRIBUTES = {
     'tempo':        'bpm',
 }
 
+# Types for the flexible fields added by `ATTRIBUTES`
+FIELD_TYPES = {
+    'energy':       types.FLOAT,
+    'liveness':     types.FLOAT,
+    'speechiness':  types.FLOAT,
+    'acousticness': types.FLOAT,
+    'danceability': types.FLOAT,
+    'valence':      types.FLOAT,
+}
+
 MUSICAL_SCALE = ['C', 'C#', 'D', 'D#', 'E' 'F',
                  'F#', 'G', 'G#', 'A', 'A#', 'B']
 
@@ -104,6 +117,9 @@ def similar(lib, src_item, threshold=0.15, fmt='${difference}: ${path}'):
 
 
 class EchonestMetadataPlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin):
+
+    item_types = FIELD_TYPES
+
     def __init__(self):
         super(EchonestMetadataPlugin, self).__init__()
         self.config.add({
diff --git a/test/helper.py b/test/helper.py
index 0688708fd..f706871a7 100644
--- a/test/helper.py
+++ b/test/helper.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ from enum import Enum
 import beets
 from beets import config
 import beets.plugins
-from beets.library import Library, Item
+from beets.library import Library, Item, Album
 from beets import importer
 from beets.autotag.hooks import AlbumInfo, TrackInfo
 from beets.mediafile import MediaFile
@@ -168,18 +168,24 @@ class TestHelper(object):
         Similar setting a list of plugins in the configuration. Make
         sure you call ``unload_plugins()`` afterwards.
         """
+        # FIXME this should eventually be handled by a plugin manager
         beets.config['plugins'] = plugins
         beets.plugins.load_plugins(plugins)
         beets.plugins.find_plugins()
+        Item._types = beets.plugins.types(Item)
+        Album._types = beets.plugins.types(Album)
 
     def unload_plugins(self):
         """Unload all plugins and remove the from the configuration.
         """
+        # FIXME this should eventually be handled by a plugin manager
         beets.config['plugins'] = []
         for plugin in beets.plugins._classes:
             plugin.listeners = None
         beets.plugins._classes = set()
         beets.plugins._instances = {}
+        Item._types = {}
+        Album._types = {}
 
     def create_importer(self, item_count=1, album_count=1):
         """Create files to import and return corresponding session.
diff --git a/test/test_echonest.py b/test/test_echonest.py
index da05adde3..43f006dfc 100644
--- a/test/test_echonest.py
+++ b/test/test_echonest.py
@@ -70,9 +70,17 @@ class EchonestCliTest(unittest.TestCase, TestHelper):
 
         self.run_command('echonest')
         item.load()
-        self.assertEqual(item['danceability'], '0.5')
+        self.assertEqual(item['danceability'], 0.5)
+        self.assertEqual(item['liveness'], 0.5)
+        self.assertEqual(item['bpm'], 120)
         self.assertEqual(item['initial_key'], 'C#m')
 
+    def test_custom_field_range_query(self):
+        item = Item(liveness=2.2)
+        item.add(self.lib)
+        item = self.lib.items('liveness:2.2..3').get()
+        self.assertEqual(item['liveness'], 2.2)
+
 
 def suite():
     return unittest.TestLoader().loadTestsFromName(__name__)