diff --git a/test/plugins/test_export.py b/test/plugins/test_export.py
index 329ef1ce5..bd1b7458d 100644
--- a/test/plugins/test_export.py
+++ b/test/plugins/test_export.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class ExportPluginTest(PluginTestCase):
         item1 = self.create_item()
         out = self.execute_command(format_type="xml", artist=item1.artist)
         library = ElementTree.fromstring(out)
-        self.assertIsInstance(library, Element)
+        assert isinstance(library, Element)
         for track in library[0]:
             for details in track:
                 tag = details.tag
diff --git a/test/test_dbcore.py b/test/test_dbcore.py
index 779f17589..f55fc7688 100644
--- a/test/test_dbcore.py
+++ b/test/test_dbcore.py
@@ -498,12 +498,12 @@ class FormattedMappingTest(unittest.TestCase):
 class ParseTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_parse_fixed_field(self):
         value = ModelFixture1._parse("field_one", "2")
-        self.assertIsInstance(value, int)
+        assert isinstance(value, int)
         assert value == 2
 
     def test_parse_flex_field(self):
         value = ModelFixture1._parse("some_float_field", "2")
-        self.assertIsInstance(value, float)
+        assert isinstance(value, float)
         assert value == 2.0
 
     def test_parse_untyped_field(self):
@@ -583,28 +583,28 @@ class QueryFromStringsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_zero_parts(self):
         q = self.qfs([])
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 1
-        self.assertIsInstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.TrueQuery)
+        assert isinstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.TrueQuery)
 
     def test_two_parts(self):
         q = self.qfs(["foo", "bar:baz"])
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 2
-        self.assertIsInstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.AnyFieldQuery)
-        self.assertIsInstance(q.subqueries[1], dbcore.query.SubstringQuery)
+        assert isinstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.AnyFieldQuery)
+        assert isinstance(q.subqueries[1], dbcore.query.SubstringQuery)
 
     def test_parse_fixed_type_query(self):
         q = self.qfs(["field_one:2..3"])
-        self.assertIsInstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.NumericQuery)
+        assert isinstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.NumericQuery)
 
     def test_parse_flex_type_query(self):
         q = self.qfs(["some_float_field:2..3"])
-        self.assertIsInstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.NumericQuery)
+        assert isinstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.NumericQuery)
 
     def test_empty_query_part(self):
         q = self.qfs([""])
-        self.assertIsInstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.TrueQuery)
+        assert isinstance(q.subqueries[0], dbcore.query.TrueQuery)
 
 
 class SortFromStringsTest(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -616,31 +616,31 @@ class SortFromStringsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_zero_parts(self):
         s = self.sfs([])
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
         assert s == dbcore.query.NullSort()
 
     def test_one_parts(self):
         s = self.sfs(["field+"])
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.Sort)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.Sort)
 
     def test_two_parts(self):
         s = self.sfs(["field+", "another_field-"])
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.MultipleSort)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.MultipleSort)
         assert len(s.sorts) == 2
 
     def test_fixed_field_sort(self):
         s = self.sfs(["field_one+"])
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.FixedFieldSort)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.FixedFieldSort)
         assert s == dbcore.query.FixedFieldSort("field_one")
 
     def test_flex_field_sort(self):
         s = self.sfs(["flex_field+"])
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.SlowFieldSort)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.SlowFieldSort)
         assert s == dbcore.query.SlowFieldSort("flex_field")
 
     def test_special_sort(self):
         s = self.sfs(["some_sort+"])
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, SortFixture)
+        assert isinstance(s, SortFixture)
 
 
 class ParseSortedQueryTest(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -652,44 +652,44 @@ class ParseSortedQueryTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_and_query(self):
         q, s = self.psq("foo bar")
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 2
 
     def test_or_query(self):
         q, s = self.psq("foo , bar")
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.OrQuery)
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.OrQuery)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 2
 
     def test_no_space_before_comma_or_query(self):
         q, s = self.psq("foo, bar")
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.OrQuery)
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.OrQuery)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 2
 
     def test_no_spaces_or_query(self):
         q, s = self.psq("foo,bar")
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 1
 
     def test_trailing_comma_or_query(self):
         q, s = self.psq("foo , bar ,")
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.OrQuery)
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.OrQuery)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 3
 
     def test_leading_comma_or_query(self):
         q, s = self.psq(", foo , bar")
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.OrQuery)
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.OrQuery)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 3
 
     def test_only_direction(self):
         q, s = self.psq("-")
-        self.assertIsInstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
-        self.assertIsInstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
+        assert isinstance(q, dbcore.query.AndQuery)
+        assert isinstance(s, dbcore.query.NullSort)
         assert len(q.subqueries) == 1
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_library.py b/test/test_library.py
index 5f6a5472d..04f2b5558 100644
--- a/test/test_library.py
+++ b/test/test_library.py
@@ -1309,7 +1309,7 @@ class ItemReadTest(unittest.TestCase):
         item = beets.library.Item()
         with pytest.raises(beets.library.ReadError) as exc_info:
             item.read(unreadable)
-        self.assertIsInstance(exc_info.value.reason, UnreadableFileError)
+        assert isinstance(exc_info.value.reason, UnreadableFileError)
 
     def test_nonexistent_raise_read_error(self):
         item = beets.library.Item()
diff --git a/test/test_logging.py b/test/test_logging.py
index 160258253..0aa0d85d3 100644
--- a/test/test_logging.py
+++ b/test/test_logging.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class LoggingTest(BeetsTestCase):
         l4 = log.getLogger("bar123")
         assert l3 == l4
         assert l3.__class__ == blog.BeetsLogger
-        self.assertIsInstance(
+        assert isinstance(
             l3, (blog.StrFormatLogger, blog.ThreadLocalLevelLogger)
         )