diff --git a/internal/api/convert.go b/internal/api/convert.go
index 6b9de429..60635789 100644
--- a/internal/api/convert.go
+++ b/internal/api/convert.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package api
 
 import (
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgtype"
+
+	"git.fabledsword.com/bvandeusen/minstrel/internal/db/dbq"
 )
 
 // uuidToString renders a pgtype.UUID as a canonical hyphenated string.
@@ -65,3 +67,51 @@ func coverURL(albumID pgtype.UUID) string {
 func streamURL(trackID pgtype.UUID) string {
 	return "/api/tracks/" + uuidToString(trackID) + "/stream"
 }
+
+// artistRefFrom projects a dbq.Artist into an ArtistRef. albumCount must be
+// pre-computed by the caller (one query per artist in lists).
+func artistRefFrom(a dbq.Artist, albumCount int) ArtistRef {
+	return ArtistRef{
+		ID:         uuidToString(a.ID),
+		Name:       a.Name,
+		AlbumCount: albumCount,
+	}
+}
+
+// albumRefFrom projects a dbq.Album into an AlbumRef. artistName must be
+// pre-resolved because Album only carries artist_id. trackCount and
+// durationSec may be 0 when the caller does not compute them.
+func albumRefFrom(a dbq.Album, artistName string, trackCount, durationSec int) AlbumRef {
+	return AlbumRef{
+		ID:          uuidToString(a.ID),
+		Title:       a.Title,
+		ArtistID:    uuidToString(a.ArtistID),
+		ArtistName:  artistName,
+		Year:        yearFromDate(a.ReleaseDate),
+		TrackCount:  trackCount,
+		DurationSec: durationSec,
+		CoverURL:    coverURL(a.ID),
+	}
+}
+
+// trackRefFrom projects a dbq.Track into a TrackRef. Parent names must be
+// pre-resolved because Track only carries album_id and artist_id.
+func trackRefFrom(t dbq.Track, albumTitle, artistName string) TrackRef {
+	ref := TrackRef{
+		ID:          uuidToString(t.ID),
+		Title:       t.Title,
+		AlbumID:     uuidToString(t.AlbumID),
+		AlbumTitle:  albumTitle,
+		ArtistID:    uuidToString(t.ArtistID),
+		ArtistName:  artistName,
+		DurationSec: durationMsToSec(t.DurationMs),
+		StreamURL:   streamURL(t.ID),
+	}
+	if t.TrackNumber != nil {
+		ref.TrackNumber = int(*t.TrackNumber)
+	}
+	if t.DiscNumber != nil {
+		ref.DiscNumber = int(*t.DiscNumber)
+	}
+	return ref
+}
diff --git a/internal/api/convert_test.go b/internal/api/convert_test.go
index ad147415..4b319bf5 100644
--- a/internal/api/convert_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/convert_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgtype"
+
+	"git.fabledsword.com/bvandeusen/minstrel/internal/db/dbq"
 )
 
 func TestUUIDToString(t *testing.T) {
@@ -73,3 +75,77 @@ func TestCoverURLAndStreamURL(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("streamURL = %q", got)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestArtistRefFrom(t *testing.T) {
+	var id pgtype.UUID
+	_ = id.Scan("00112233-4455-6677-8899-aabbccddeeff")
+	a := dbq.Artist{ID: id, Name: "Beatles", SortName: "Beatles"}
+	got := artistRefFrom(a, 7)
+	if got.ID != "00112233-4455-6677-8899-aabbccddeeff" {
+		t.Errorf("ID = %q", got.ID)
+	}
+	if got.Name != "Beatles" || got.AlbumCount != 7 {
+		t.Errorf("ref = %+v", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAlbumRefFrom(t *testing.T) {
+	var aid, artID pgtype.UUID
+	_ = aid.Scan("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001")
+	_ = artID.Scan("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002")
+	var rel pgtype.Date
+	_ = rel.Scan("1969-09-26")
+	a := dbq.Album{ID: aid, Title: "Abbey Road", ArtistID: artID, ReleaseDate: rel}
+	got := albumRefFrom(a, "Beatles", 17, 2820)
+	if got.Title != "Abbey Road" || got.ArtistName != "Beatles" {
+		t.Errorf("ref = %+v", got)
+	}
+	if got.TrackCount != 17 || got.DurationSec != 2820 {
+		t.Errorf("counts = %+v", got)
+	}
+	if got.Year != 1969 {
+		t.Errorf("year = %d", got.Year)
+	}
+	if got.CoverURL != "/api/albums/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001/cover" {
+		t.Errorf("cover_url = %q", got.CoverURL)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTrackRefFrom(t *testing.T) {
+	var tid, aid, artID pgtype.UUID
+	_ = tid.Scan("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000010")
+	_ = aid.Scan("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001")
+	_ = artID.Scan("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002")
+	trackNum := int32(3)
+	discNum := int32(1)
+	t2 := dbq.Track{
+		ID: tid, Title: "Something", AlbumID: aid, ArtistID: artID,
+		TrackNumber: &trackNum, DiscNumber: &discNum,
+		DurationMs: 183_000,
+	}
+	got := trackRefFrom(t2, "Abbey Road", "Beatles")
+	if got.Title != "Something" || got.AlbumTitle != "Abbey Road" || got.ArtistName != "Beatles" {
+		t.Errorf("ref = %+v", got)
+	}
+	if got.TrackNumber != 3 || got.DiscNumber != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("positions = %+v", got)
+	}
+	if got.DurationSec != 183 {
+		t.Errorf("duration = %d, want 183", got.DurationSec)
+	}
+	if got.StreamURL != "/api/tracks/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000010/stream" {
+		t.Errorf("stream_url = %q", got.StreamURL)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTrackRefFromNilPositions(t *testing.T) {
+	var tid, aid, artID pgtype.UUID
+	_ = tid.Scan("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000010")
+	_ = aid.Scan("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001")
+	_ = artID.Scan("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002")
+	t2 := dbq.Track{ID: tid, AlbumID: aid, ArtistID: artID, DurationMs: 1000}
+	got := trackRefFrom(t2, "A", "B")
+	if got.TrackNumber != 0 || got.DiscNumber != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("nil positions should be 0, got %+v", got)
+	}
+}