diff --git a/flutter_client/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/flutter_client/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 2dcc7e25..f341429d 100644
--- a/flutter_client/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/flutter_client/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAYBACK" />
     <application
         android:label="minstrel"
         android:name="${applicationName}"
@@ -30,6 +34,21 @@
         <meta-data
             android:name="flutterEmbedding"
             android:value="2" />
+        <service
+            android:name="com.ryanheise.audioservice.AudioService"
+            android:foregroundServiceType="mediaPlayback"
+            android:exported="true">
+            <intent-filter>
+                <action android:name="android.media.browse.MediaBrowserService" />
+            </intent-filter>
+        </service>
+        <receiver
+            android:name="com.ryanheise.audioservice.MediaButtonReceiver"
+            android:exported="true">
+            <intent-filter>
+                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MEDIA_BUTTON" />
+            </intent-filter>
+        </receiver>
     </application>
     <!-- Required to query activities that can process text, see:
          https://developer.android.com/training/package-visibility and
diff --git a/flutter_client/ios/Runner/Info.plist b/flutter_client/ios/Runner/Info.plist
index 1451d342..ca00e585 100644
--- a/flutter_client/ios/Runner/Info.plist
+++ b/flutter_client/ios/Runner/Info.plist
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@
 	</dict>
 	<key>UIApplicationSupportsIndirectInputEvents</key>
 	<true/>
+	<key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
+	<array>
+		<string>audio</string>
+	</array>
 	<key>UILaunchStoryboardName</key>
 	<string>LaunchScreen</string>
 	<key>UIMainStoryboardFile</key>
diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/main.dart b/flutter_client/lib/main.dart
index 9e450276..dfeaa143 100644
--- a/flutter_client/lib/main.dart
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/main.dart
@@ -1,8 +1,23 @@
+import 'package:audio_service/audio_service.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
 
 import 'app.dart';
+import 'player/audio_handler.dart';
+import 'player/player_provider.dart';
 
-void main() {
-  runApp(const ProviderScope(child: MinstrelApp()));
+Future<void> main() async {
+  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
+  final handler = await AudioService.init(
+    builder: () => MinstrelAudioHandler(),
+    config: const AudioServiceConfig(
+      androidNotificationChannelId: 'com.fabledsword.minstrel.audio',
+      androidNotificationChannelName: 'Minstrel playback',
+      androidNotificationOngoing: true,
+    ),
+  );
+  runApp(ProviderScope(
+    overrides: [audioHandlerProvider.overrideWithValue(handler)],
+    child: const MinstrelApp(),
+  ));
 }
diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart b/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4dd35e27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/player/audio_handler.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import 'package:audio_service/audio_service.dart';
+import 'package:just_audio/just_audio.dart';
+
+import '../models/track.dart';
+
+class MinstrelAudioHandler extends BaseAudioHandler with QueueHandler, SeekHandler {
+  MinstrelAudioHandler() {
+    _player.playbackEventStream.listen(_broadcastState);
+  }
+
+  final AudioPlayer _player = AudioPlayer();
+  String _baseUrl = '';
+  String? _token;
+
+  void configure({required String baseUrl, required String? token}) {
+    _baseUrl = baseUrl;
+    _token = token;
+  }
+
+  Future<void> setQueueFromTracks(List<TrackRef> tracks, {int initialIndex = 0}) async {
+    final items = tracks.map(_toMediaItem).toList();
+    queue.add(items);
+    if (items.isNotEmpty) {
+      mediaItem.add(items[initialIndex.clamp(0, items.length - 1)]);
+    }
+
+    final headers = _token == null ? null : {'Authorization': 'Bearer $_token'};
+    final sources = tracks.map((t) {
+      final url = t.streamUrl.isNotEmpty
+          ? (Uri.tryParse(t.streamUrl)?.hasScheme == true
+              ? t.streamUrl
+              : '$_baseUrl${t.streamUrl}')
+          : '$_baseUrl/api/tracks/${t.id}/stream';
+      return AudioSource.uri(Uri.parse(url), headers: headers);
+    }).toList();
+
+    await _player.setAudioSource(
+      ConcatenatingAudioSource(children: sources),
+      initialIndex: initialIndex,
+    );
+  }
+
+  MediaItem _toMediaItem(TrackRef t) => MediaItem(
+        id: t.id,
+        title: t.title,
+        artist: t.artistName,
+        album: t.albumTitle,
+        duration: Duration(seconds: t.durationSec),
+      );
+
+  @override
+  Future<void> play() => _player.play();
+
+  @override
+  Future<void> pause() => _player.pause();
+
+  @override
+  Future<void> seek(Duration p) => _player.seek(p);
+
+  @override
+  Future<void> skipToNext() => _player.seekToNext();
+
+  @override
+  Future<void> skipToPrevious() => _player.seekToPrevious();
+
+  void _broadcastState(PlaybackEvent event) {
+    final playing = _player.playing;
+    playbackState.add(PlaybackState(
+      controls: [
+        MediaControl.skipToPrevious,
+        if (playing) MediaControl.pause else MediaControl.play,
+        MediaControl.skipToNext,
+      ],
+      systemActions: const {MediaAction.seek},
+      processingState: switch (_player.processingState) {
+        ProcessingState.idle => AudioProcessingState.idle,
+        ProcessingState.loading => AudioProcessingState.loading,
+        ProcessingState.buffering => AudioProcessingState.buffering,
+        ProcessingState.ready => AudioProcessingState.ready,
+        ProcessingState.completed => AudioProcessingState.completed,
+      },
+      playing: playing,
+      updatePosition: _player.position,
+      bufferedPosition: _player.bufferedPosition,
+      speed: _player.speed,
+      queueIndex: event.currentIndex,
+    ));
+  }
+}
diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/player/player_provider.dart b/flutter_client/lib/player/player_provider.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e11bda0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/player/player_provider.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import 'package:audio_service/audio_service.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
+
+import '../auth/auth_provider.dart';
+import '../models/track.dart';
+import 'audio_handler.dart';
+
+final audioHandlerProvider = Provider<MinstrelAudioHandler>((ref) {
+  throw UnimplementedError('overridden in main()');
+});
+
+final playbackStateProvider = StreamProvider<PlaybackState>(
+  (ref) => ref.watch(audioHandlerProvider).playbackState,
+);
+
+final mediaItemProvider = StreamProvider<MediaItem?>(
+  (ref) => ref.watch(audioHandlerProvider).mediaItem,
+);
+
+final queueProvider = StreamProvider<List<MediaItem>>(
+  (ref) => ref.watch(audioHandlerProvider).queue,
+);
+
+class PlayerActions {
+  PlayerActions(this._ref);
+  final Ref _ref;
+
+  Future<void> playTracks(List<TrackRef> tracks, {int initialIndex = 0}) async {
+    final url   = await _ref.read(serverUrlProvider.future);
+    final token = await _ref.read(secureStorageProvider).read(key: 'session_token');
+    final h = _ref.read(audioHandlerProvider)..configure(baseUrl: url ?? '', token: token);
+    await h.setQueueFromTracks(tracks, initialIndex: initialIndex);
+    await h.play();
+  }
+}
+
+final playerActionsProvider = Provider<PlayerActions>((ref) => PlayerActions(ref));
diff --git a/flutter_client/test/player/player_provider_test.dart b/flutter_client/test/player/player_provider_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..28746dab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flutter_client/test/player/player_provider_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+
+import 'package:minstrel/player/audio_handler.dart';
+import 'package:minstrel/player/player_provider.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  test('audioHandlerProvider must be overridden — bare read throws', () {
+    final container = ProviderContainer();
+    addTearDown(container.dispose);
+    expect(() => container.read(audioHandlerProvider), throwsA(isA<UnimplementedError>()));
+  });
+
+  test('overridden audioHandlerProvider exposes playbackState stream', () {
+    final handler = MinstrelAudioHandler();
+    final container = ProviderContainer(overrides: [
+      audioHandlerProvider.overrideWithValue(handler),
+    ]);
+    addTearDown(container.dispose);
+    expect(container.read(audioHandlerProvider), same(handler));
+    final sub = container.listen(playbackStateProvider, (_, __) {});
+    sub.close();
+  });
+}