android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/MinstrelApplication.kt

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import com.fabledsword.minstrel.di.ApplicationScope
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.events.EventsStream
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.events.LiveEventsDispatcher
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.metadata.FreshnessSweeper
+import com.fabledsword.minstrel.player.AudioPrefetcher
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.player.CoverPrefetcher
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.player.PlayEventsReporter
 import com.fabledsword.minstrel.player.PlaybackErrorReporter
@@ -103,6 +104,15 @@ class MinstrelApplication :
      */
     @Suppress("unused") @Inject lateinit var cacheIndexer: CacheIndexer
 
+    /**
+     * Same construct-the-singleton trick — AudioPrefetcher's init
+     * block subscribes to PlayerController.uiState +
+     * AuthStore.cacheSettings and pins the next-N tracks into
+     * SimpleCache via CacheWriter. Without this @Inject the
+     * prefetchWindow setting would be inert and skips would re-fetch.
+     */
+    @Suppress("unused") @Inject lateinit var audioPrefetcher: AudioPrefetcher
+
     /**
      * Same construct-the-singleton trick — VersionCheckController's
      * init block starts a 5-min poll loop against /healthz so the

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/home/ui/HomeScreen.kt

@@ -101,7 +101,12 @@ import javax.inject.Inject
 private const val SHARE_STOP_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000L
 private const val PLAYLIST_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 8_000L
 private const val BOTTOM_PADDING_FOR_MINIPLAYER_DP = 140
-private const val RECENTLY_ADDED_CHUNK = 25
+// Recently Added is laid out in a multi-row LazyHorizontalGrid that
+// scrolls as one panel (same pattern as Most Played). Two rows trades
+// a tall block for fewer columns to scroll past — a 200dp tile × 2 =
+// ~440dp section still leaves room for the rest of Home.
+private const val RECENTLY_ADDED_GRID_ROWS = 2
+private const val RECENTLY_ADDED_GRID_HEIGHT_DP = 440
 
 // ─── State ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -367,8 +372,17 @@ fun HomeScreen(
             onRefresh = { viewModel.refresh().join() },
             modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize().padding(inner),
         ) {
-            Crossfade(targetState = state, label = "home-state") { s ->
-                when (s) {
+            // Key Crossfade on the state CLASS, not the instance. Each
+            // section emission produces a new UiState.Success(data); if
+            // we keyed on `state` directly, every per-section
+            // hydration tick would re-run the 300ms crossfade, and
+            // first-sign-in (six sections cascading in) reads as
+            // continuous flicker. Keying on the class restricts the
+            // animation to Loading↔Success↔Empty↔Error transitions and
+            // lets normal Success→Success recompositions update the
+            // LazyColumn without a fade.
+            Crossfade(targetState = state::class, label = "home-state") { _ ->
+                when (val s = state) {
                     UiState.Loading -> HomeSkeletonContent()
                     UiState.Empty -> EmptyState(
                         title = "Welcome to Minstrel",
@@ -503,23 +517,75 @@ private fun LazyListScope.recentlyAddedSection(
         }
         return
     }
-    // Chunk into stacked carousels of 25 so a large library reads as
-    // multiple rows instead of one unwieldy LazyRow. Only the first
-    // chunk carries the section title; the rest are continuation rows.
-    val chunks = albums.chunked(RECENTLY_ADDED_CHUNK)
-    itemsIndexed(
-        items = chunks,
-        key = { index, chunk -> "recent-$index-${chunk.first().id}" },
-    ) { index, chunk ->
-        AlbumsRow(
-            title = if (index == 0) "Recently added" else "",
-            albums = chunk,
+    item {
+        RecentlyAddedGrid(
+            albums = albums,
             onAlbumClick = onAlbumClick,
             onPlayAlbum = onPlayAlbum,
         )
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Multi-row horizontal grid for Recently Added, mirroring the
+ * Most Played pattern: tiles laid out column-major across
+ * [RECENTLY_ADDED_GRID_ROWS] rows inside one LazyHorizontalGrid so
+ * every row scrolls together as one panel. Replaces the previous
+ * stacked-LazyRows layout which scrolled each chunk independently.
+ */
+@Composable
+private fun RecentlyAddedGrid(
+    albums: List<HomeTile<AlbumRef>>,
+    onAlbumClick: (String) -> Unit,
+    onPlayAlbum: suspend (String) -> Unit,
+) {
+    Column(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth()) {
+        Text(
+            text = "Recently added",
+            style = MaterialTheme.typography.titleLarge,
+            color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onBackground,
+            modifier = Modifier.padding(horizontal = 16.dp, vertical = 8.dp),
+        )
+        // Re-flatten column-major to match Web's "ranks across the
+        // top row, then across the middle, then bottom" reading
+        // order. LazyHorizontalGrid otherwise fills column-major
+        // directly from a flat list and would scramble per-rank
+        // expectations.
+        val perRow = (albums.size + RECENTLY_ADDED_GRID_ROWS - 1) / RECENTLY_ADDED_GRID_ROWS
+        val rows = albums.chunked(perRow.coerceAtLeast(1))
+        val cols = rows.maxOfOrNull { it.size } ?: 0
+        val ordered = buildList {
+            for (c in 0 until cols) {
+                for (r in 0 until RECENTLY_ADDED_GRID_ROWS) {
+                    rows.getOrNull(r)?.getOrNull(c)?.let { add(it) }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        LazyHorizontalGrid(
+            rows = GridCells.Fixed(RECENTLY_ADDED_GRID_ROWS),
+            contentPadding = PaddingValues(horizontal = 16.dp),
+            horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp),
+            verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp),
+            modifier = Modifier
+                .fillMaxWidth()
+                .height(RECENTLY_ADDED_GRID_HEIGHT_DP.dp),
+        ) {
+            gridItems(items = ordered, key = { it.id }) { tile ->
+                val album = tile.value
+                if (album == null) {
+                    SkeletonAlbumTile()
+                } else {
+                    AlbumCard(
+                        album = album,
+                        onClick = { onAlbumClick(album.id) },
+                        onPlay = { onPlayAlbum(album.id) },
+                    )
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 private fun LazyListScope.rediscoverSection(
     albums: List<HomeTile<AlbumRef>>,
     artists: List<HomeTile<ArtistRef>>,

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/player/AudioPrefetcher.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+package com.fabledsword.minstrel.player
+
+import android.net.Uri
+import androidx.media3.datasource.DataSpec
+import androidx.media3.datasource.cache.CacheDataSource
+import androidx.media3.datasource.cache.CacheWriter
+import androidx.media3.datasource.okhttp.OkHttpDataSource
+import com.fabledsword.minstrel.auth.AuthStore
+import com.fabledsword.minstrel.di.ApplicationScope
+import com.fabledsword.minstrel.shared.resolveServerUrl
+import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
+import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
+import kotlinx.coroutines.Job
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.combine
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.distinctUntilChanged
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.map
+import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
+import kotlinx.coroutines.sync.Mutex
+import kotlinx.coroutines.sync.withLock
+import okhttp3.OkHttpClient
+import javax.inject.Inject
+import javax.inject.Singleton
+
+/**
+ * Pre-downloads the next-N tracks in the queue into the shared Media3
+ * [androidx.media3.datasource.cache.SimpleCache] so a skip-forward or
+ * natural advance plays from disk instead of waiting on a fresh HTTP
+ * connection. Mirrors the Flutter `Prefetcher` (cache/prefetcher.dart):
+ * watches the player's current track, walks forward by
+ * [com.fabledsword.minstrel.cache.audiocache.CacheSettings.prefetchWindow]
+ * tracks, and pins each one. Idempotent — `CacheWriter` is a no-op when
+ * a track is already fully resident, so the reconcile is cheap on
+ * every queue/index change.
+ *
+ * Eager-constructed via the construct-the-singleton trick in
+ * [com.fabledsword.minstrel.MinstrelApplication]; the init block wires
+ * the observer.
+ */
+@Singleton
+class AudioPrefetcher @Inject constructor(
+    @ApplicationScope private val scope: CoroutineScope,
+    private val playerController: PlayerController,
+    private val playerFactory: PlayerFactory,
+    private val authStore: AuthStore,
+    private val okHttpClient: OkHttpClient,
+) {
+    // Reuse the same cache + upstream chain the player uses. Without the
+    // SimpleCache reference here the prefetcher would write to a
+    // disjoint store and playback would never read what we pinned.
+    private val cacheDataSourceFactory: CacheDataSource.Factory =
+        CacheDataSource.Factory()
+            .setCache(playerFactory.simpleCache)
+            .setUpstreamDataSourceFactory(OkHttpDataSource.Factory(okHttpClient))
+
+    // trackId -> in-flight job. Reconcile cancels jobs whose track has
+    // dropped out of the window (skip-prev, queue rebuild) so a stale
+    // prefetch doesn't keep the network busy.
+    private val activeJobs = mutableMapOf<String, Job>()
+    private val mutex = Mutex()
+
+    init {
+        scope.launch {
+            combine(
+                playerController.uiState.map { it.queue.map { t -> t.id to t.streamUrl } },
+                playerController.uiState.map { it.queueIndex },
+                authStore.cacheSettings.map { it.prefetchWindow },
+            ) { queue, index, window -> Triple(queue, index, window) }
+                .distinctUntilChanged()
+                .collect { (queue, index, window) -> reconcile(queue, index, window) }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private suspend fun reconcile(
+        queue: List<Pair<String, String>>,
+        index: Int,
+        window: Int,
+    ) {
+        mutex.withLock {
+            if (index < 0 || queue.isEmpty() || window <= 0) {
+                cancelAllLocked()
+                return
+            }
+            // Exclude the currently-playing track (it's loaded by the
+            // player itself) and walk `window` tracks forward.
+            val firstIdx = (index + 1).coerceAtMost(queue.size)
+            val lastIdx = (index + window).coerceAtMost(queue.size - 1)
+            if (firstIdx > lastIdx) {
+                cancelAllLocked()
+                return
+            }
+            val targets = queue.subList(firstIdx, lastIdx + 1)
+            val targetIds = targets.mapTo(mutableSetOf()) { it.first }
+
+            // Cancel jobs for tracks that have slid out of the window.
+            activeJobs.entries
+                .filter { it.key !in targetIds }
+                .toList()
+                .forEach { (id, job) ->
+                    job.cancel()
+                    activeJobs.remove(id)
+                }
+
+            // Start prefetches for new arrivals. Skip blank URLs (these
+            // come from minimal TrackRefs synthesized from playlist rows
+            // when the upstream track was removed from the library).
+            for ((trackId, streamUrl) in targets) {
+                if (trackId in activeJobs || streamUrl.isBlank()) continue
+                val job = scope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
+                    runCatching { prefetchOne(trackId, streamUrl) }
+                    mutex.withLock { activeJobs.remove(trackId) }
+                }
+                activeJobs[trackId] = job
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun cancelAllLocked() {
+        activeJobs.values.forEach { it.cancel() }
+        activeJobs.clear()
+    }
+
+    private fun prefetchOne(trackId: String, streamUrl: String) {
+        // Match PlayerController.toMediaItem's resolveServerUrl +
+        // setCustomCacheKey(id) so the cached bytes are keyed exactly
+        // like a normal playback request — otherwise the player would
+        // miss them on read-through.
+        val resolved = resolveServerUrl(streamUrl) ?: streamUrl
+        val dataSpec = DataSpec.Builder()
+            .setUri(Uri.parse(resolved))
+            .setKey(trackId)
+            .build()
+        val writer = CacheWriter(
+            cacheDataSourceFactory.createDataSource(),
+            dataSpec,
+            /* temporaryBuffer = */ null,
+            /* progressListener = */ null,
+        )
+        // Blocking, but we're on Dispatchers.IO. Throws on network
+        // failure — outer runCatching swallows so a single failed
+        // prefetch doesn't trip the whole reconcile.
+        writer.cache()
+    }
+}

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/player/ui/MiniPlayer.kt

@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@ import androidx.compose.foundation.shape.RoundedCornerShape
 import androidx.compose.material3.Icon
 import androidx.compose.material3.IconButton
 import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
-import androidx.compose.material3.Slider
-import androidx.compose.material3.SliderDefaults
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxHeight
 import androidx.compose.material3.Surface
 import androidx.compose.material3.Text
 import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
@@ -148,10 +147,19 @@ fun MiniPlayer(
         tonalElevation = MINI_BAR_TONAL_ELEVATION_DP.dp,
     ) {
         Column {
-            MiniSeekBar(
+            // Non-interactive fill bar — no scrubber thumb. Tapping
+            // the bar still expands to NowPlaying where scrubbing
+            // lives. The displayed fraction interpolates per-frame
+            // between PlayerController position ticks so the fill
+            // glides instead of stepping every 500ms.
+            val smoothPositionMs by rememberSmoothPositionMs(
                 positionMs = state.positionMs,
                 durationMs = state.durationMs,
-                onSeek = viewModel::seekTo,
+                isPlaying = state.isPlaying,
+            )
+            MiniProgressFill(
+                positionMs = smoothPositionMs,
+                durationMs = state.durationMs,
             )
             MiniRow(
                 track = track,
@@ -170,27 +178,25 @@ fun MiniPlayer(
 }
 
 @Composable
-private fun MiniSeekBar(positionMs: Long, durationMs: Long, onSeek: (Long) -> Unit) {
+private fun MiniProgressFill(positionMs: Long, durationMs: Long) {
     val fraction = if (durationMs > 0) {
         (positionMs.toFloat() / durationMs.toFloat()).coerceIn(0f, 1f)
     } else {
         0f
     }
-    Slider(
-        value = fraction,
-        onValueChange = { v -> if (durationMs > 0) onSeek((v * durationMs).toLong()) },
+    Box(
         modifier = Modifier
             .fillMaxWidth()
-            .height(SCRUBBER_ROW_HEIGHT_DP.dp),
-        colors = SliderDefaults.colors(
-            thumbColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.primary,
-            activeTrackColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.primary,
-            // M3 default inactiveTrackColor is secondaryContainer, which the
-            // theme doesn't override — that's where the M3-baseline purple
-            // leaks in. Pin to surfaceVariant (= slate) for Flutter parity.
-            inactiveTrackColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.surfaceVariant,
-        ),
-    )
+            .height(SCRUBBER_ROW_HEIGHT_DP.dp)
+            .background(MaterialTheme.colorScheme.surfaceVariant),
+    ) {
+        Box(
+            modifier = Modifier
+                .fillMaxHeight()
+                .fillMaxWidth(fraction)
+                .background(MaterialTheme.colorScheme.primary),
+        )
+    }
 }
 
 @Composable

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/player/ui/NowPlayingScreen.kt

@@ -22,15 +22,20 @@ import androidx.compose.foundation.shape.RoundedCornerShape
 import androidx.compose.material3.Icon
 import androidx.compose.material3.IconButton
 import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
-import androidx.compose.foundation.gestures.detectVerticalDragGestures
+import androidx.compose.ui.geometry.Offset
+import androidx.compose.ui.input.nestedscroll.NestedScrollConnection
+import androidx.compose.ui.input.nestedscroll.NestedScrollSource
+import androidx.compose.ui.input.nestedscroll.nestedScroll
+import androidx.compose.ui.unit.Velocity
 import androidx.compose.material3.Scaffold
+import androidx.compose.foundation.interaction.MutableInteractionSource
+import androidx.compose.material3.ExperimentalMaterial3Api
 import androidx.compose.material3.Slider
+import androidx.compose.ui.unit.DpSize
 import androidx.compose.material3.TopAppBar
 import androidx.compose.material3.TopAppBarDefaults
-import androidx.compose.material3.ExperimentalMaterial3Api
 import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Brush
 import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Color
-import androidx.compose.ui.input.pointer.pointerInput
 import androidx.compose.material3.SliderDefaults
 import androidx.compose.material3.SnackbarHost
 import androidx.compose.material3.SnackbarHostState
@@ -122,8 +127,11 @@ fun NowPlayingScreen(
         return
     }
     val dominant = rememberDominantColor(track.coverUrl)
+    val dismissConnection = rememberDragDismissConnection(
+        onDismiss = { navController.popBackStack() },
+    )
     Scaffold(
-        modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize().nowPlayingDragDismiss(navController),
+        modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize().nestedScroll(dismissConnection),
         topBar = { NowPlayingTopBar(onClose = { navController.popBackStack() }) },
         snackbarHost = { SnackbarHost(snackbarHostState) },
         containerColor = Color.Transparent,
@@ -161,27 +169,51 @@ private const val DOMINANT_TINT_MID_STOP = 0.45f
 
 /**
  * Drag-down to dismiss. Mirrors Flutter's modal-page gesture: a
- * downward drag past the threshold pops the screen, returning the
- * user to whichever shell route launched NowPlaying. Tap, swipe-up,
- * and horizontal drags pass through to the underlying content
- * (slider scrub, etc.).
+ * downward over-scroll past the threshold pops the screen.
+ *
+ * Implementation note: the body Column uses verticalScroll, which
+ * eats every vertical drag delta before a top-level
+ * detectVerticalDragGestures can see it. NestedScroll is the
+ * right primitive here — verticalScroll offers its over-scroll
+ * deltas to the nearest ancestor connection, so we accumulate
+ * downward over-scroll (available.y > 0 means the scrollable
+ * couldn't consume it because it's at the top) and pop on
+ * threshold. The Slider keeps its own pointerInput and is
+ * unaffected.
  */
 @Composable
-private fun Modifier.nowPlayingDragDismiss(navController: NavHostController): Modifier =
-    this.pointerInput(Unit) {
-        var totalDragY = 0f
-        detectVerticalDragGestures(
-            onDragStart = { totalDragY = 0f },
-            onDragEnd = {
-                if (totalDragY > DRAG_DISMISS_THRESHOLD_PX) {
-                    navController.popBackStack()
+private fun rememberDragDismissConnection(
+    onDismiss: () -> Unit,
+    thresholdPx: Float = DRAG_DISMISS_THRESHOLD_PX,
+): NestedScrollConnection = remember(onDismiss, thresholdPx) {
+    object : NestedScrollConnection {
+        private var accumulated = 0f
+
+        override fun onPostScroll(
+            consumed: Offset,
+            available: Offset,
+            source: NestedScrollSource,
+        ): Offset {
+            if (source != NestedScrollSource.UserInput) return Offset.Zero
+            return if (available.y > 0f) {
+                accumulated += available.y
+                if (accumulated >= thresholdPx) {
+                    accumulated = 0f
+                    onDismiss()
                 }
-                totalDragY = 0f
-            },
-            onDragCancel = { totalDragY = 0f },
-            onVerticalDrag = { _, delta -> totalDragY += delta },
-        )
+                Offset(0f, available.y)
+            } else {
+                if (consumed.y != 0f || available.y < 0f) accumulated = 0f
+                Offset.Zero
+            }
+        }
+
+        override suspend fun onPreFling(available: Velocity): Velocity {
+            accumulated = 0f
+            return Velocity.Zero
+        }
     }
+}
 
 @OptIn(ExperimentalMaterial3Api::class)
 @Composable
@@ -241,13 +273,18 @@ private fun NowPlayingBody(
             onToggleShuffle = viewModel::toggleShuffle,
             onCycleRepeat = viewModel::cycleRepeat,
         )
-        Spacer(Modifier.height(8.dp))
-        ScrubberRow(
+        Spacer(Modifier.height(4.dp))
+        val smoothPositionMs by rememberSmoothPositionMs(
             positionMs = state.positionMs,
             durationMs = state.durationMs,
+            isPlaying = state.isPlaying,
+        )
+        ScrubberRow(
+            positionMs = smoothPositionMs,
+            durationMs = state.durationMs,
             onSeek = viewModel::seekTo,
         )
-        Spacer(Modifier.height(8.dp))
+        Spacer(Modifier.height(4.dp))
         TransportRow(
             isPlaying = state.isPlaying,
             onPrev = viewModel::skipToPrevious,
@@ -396,6 +433,7 @@ private fun TrackHeader(title: String, artist: String, album: String) {
     }
 }
 
+@OptIn(ExperimentalMaterial3Api::class)
 @Composable
 private fun ScrubberRow(positionMs: Long, durationMs: Long, onSeek: (Long) -> Unit) {
     val accent = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.primary
@@ -404,19 +442,34 @@ private fun ScrubberRow(positionMs: Long, durationMs: Long, onSeek: (Long) -> Un
     } else {
         0f
     }
+    val interactionSource = remember { MutableInteractionSource() }
+    val sliderColors = SliderDefaults.colors(
+        thumbColor = accent,
+        activeTrackColor = accent,
+        // M3 inactive default is secondaryContainer (purple baseline);
+        // pin to surfaceVariant (= slate) for Flutter parity.
+        inactiveTrackColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.surfaceVariant,
+    )
     Slider(
         value = fraction,
         onValueChange = { newFraction ->
             if (durationMs > 0) onSeek((newFraction * durationMs).toLong())
         },
         modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth(),
-        colors = SliderDefaults.colors(
-            thumbColor = accent,
-            activeTrackColor = accent,
-            // M3 inactive default is secondaryContainer (purple baseline);
-            // pin to surfaceVariant (= slate) for Flutter parity.
-            inactiveTrackColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.surfaceVariant,
-        ),
+        colors = sliderColors,
+        interactionSource = interactionSource,
+        // Slim 10dp thumb shrinks the scrubber's visual weight. M3
+        // default is 20dp; halving keeps it tappable (Slider's own
+        // 48dp hit slop is unchanged) but lets it recede into the UI.
+        // Track left at default — the colour pin alone already
+        // matches Flutter's slate look.
+        thumb = {
+            SliderDefaults.Thumb(
+                interactionSource = interactionSource,
+                colors = sliderColors,
+                thumbSize = DpSize(10.dp, 10.dp),
+            )
+        },
     )
     Row(
         modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth(),

android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/player/ui/SmoothPosition.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package com.fabledsword.minstrel.player.ui
+
+import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
+import androidx.compose.runtime.State
+import androidx.compose.runtime.produceState
+import androidx.compose.runtime.withFrameMillis
+import kotlinx.coroutines.isActive
+
+/**
+ * Per-frame interpolated playhead. `positionMs` comes in at the
+ * polling cadence of [com.fabledsword.minstrel.player.PlayerController]
+ * (~500ms today) — using it directly for the scrubber paints a sudden
+ * 500ms jump on each tick. This wraps it in a [produceState] that
+ * resets to the canonical value on every emission and then advances
+ * forward at 1ms/ms while the player is playing, so the displayed
+ * position moves continuously at the natural playback rate.
+ *
+ * On track end / pause / seek the produceState's keys change and the
+ * coroutine restarts from the new canonical value — so when the
+ * canonical position changes by more than a frame can account for
+ * (skip, scrub, seek), we snap instead of slewing across the bar.
+ *
+ * For paused state the position stays at the canonical value with no
+ * extrapolation; for ended/durationMs<=0 the helper returns
+ * `positionMs` unchanged.
+ */
+@Composable
+fun rememberSmoothPositionMs(
+    positionMs: Long,
+    durationMs: Long,
+    isPlaying: Boolean,
+): State<Long> = produceState(
+    initialValue = positionMs,
+    key1 = positionMs,
+    key2 = isPlaying,
+    key3 = durationMs,
+) {
+    value = positionMs
+    if (!isPlaying || durationMs <= 0L) return@produceState
+    val startFrame = withFrameMillis { it }
+    val startPos = positionMs
+    while (isActive) {
+        withFrameMillis { now ->
+            val advanced = startPos + (now - startFrame)
+            value = advanced.coerceAtMost(durationMs)
+        }
+    }
+}

web/src/lib/components/AlbumCard.svelte

@@ -28,12 +28,16 @@
   }
 </script>
 
-<div class="card relative">
+<div class="card group relative">
   <a
     href={`/albums/${album.id}`}
-    class="group block rounded focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent"
+    class="block rounded focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent"
   >
-    <div class="art-wrap relative aspect-square w-full overflow-hidden rounded-md">
+    <div
+      class="art-wrap relative aspect-square w-full overflow-hidden rounded-md
+             shadow-sm transition-all duration-150
+             group-hover:shadow-lg group-hover:ring-1 group-hover:ring-accent/40"
+    >
       <img
         src={album.cover_url}
         alt=""
@@ -54,9 +58,6 @@
     {#if album.artist_name}
       <div class="truncate text-xs text-text-secondary">{album.artist_name}</div>
     {/if}
-    {#if album.year}
-      <div class="text-xs text-text-secondary">{album.year}</div>
-    {/if}
   </a>
   <CardActionCluster
     likeEntityType="album"

web/src/lib/components/AlbumCard.test.ts

@@ -53,18 +53,22 @@ const album: AlbumRef = {
 afterEach(() => vi.clearAllMocks());
 
 describe('AlbumCard', () => {
-  test('renders cover, title, year inside a link to /albums/:id', () => {
+  test('renders cover, title, artist inside a link to /albums/:id', () => {
     const { container } = render(AlbumCard, { props: { album } });
     const link = screen.getByRole('link');
     expect(link).toHaveAttribute('href', '/albums/xyz');
     expect(link).toHaveTextContent('Kind of Blue');
-    expect(link).toHaveTextContent('1959');
+    expect(link).toHaveTextContent('Miles Davis');
+    // The year is intentionally omitted from the Home tile —
+    // dropped in the visual polish pass; the album detail page
+    // still shows it.
+    expect(link).not.toHaveTextContent('1959');
 
     const img = container.querySelector('img') as HTMLImageElement;
     expect(img.src).toContain('/api/albums/xyz/cover');
   });
 
-  test('year is omitted when not present', () => {
+  test('year is not rendered on the tile even when present', () => {
     render(AlbumCard, { props: { album: { ...album, year: undefined } } });
     expect(screen.queryByText(/1959/)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });

web/src/lib/components/ArtistCard.svelte

@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@
   }
 </script>
 
-<div class="card relative">
+<div class="card group relative">
   <a
     href={`/artists/${artist.id}`}
-    class="group block rounded focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent"
+    class="block rounded focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent"
   >
     <div class="art-wrap relative mx-auto aspect-square w-full overflow-hidden rounded-full bg-surface-hover">
       {#if artist.cover_url}

web/src/lib/components/CardActionCluster.svelte

@@ -34,9 +34,17 @@
   } = $props();
 </script>
 
+<!-- Like + Add to queue + Menu cluster. Hover-revealed so the
+     default tile state is just the cover artwork — controls fade in
+     when the user hovers the card or focuses any of the buttons
+     (focus-within keeps it visible during keyboard navigation). -->
 <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_click_events_have_key_events -->
 <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_no_static_element_interactions -->
-<div class="absolute right-2 top-2 z-10 flex gap-1" onclick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+<div
+  class="absolute right-2 top-2 z-10 flex gap-1 opacity-0 transition-opacity duration-150
+         group-hover:opacity-100 focus-within:opacity-100"
+  onclick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+>
   <LikeButton entityType={likeEntityType} entityId={likeEntityId} />
   <button
     type="button"
@@ -50,6 +58,10 @@
 </div>
 <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_click_events_have_key_events -->
 <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_no_static_element_interactions -->
-<div class="absolute right-2 bottom-2 z-10" onclick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+<div
+  class="absolute right-2 bottom-2 z-10 opacity-0 transition-opacity duration-150
+         group-hover:opacity-100 focus-within:opacity-100"
+  onclick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+>
   {@render menu()}
 </div>

web/src/lib/components/HomeHeroCard.svelte

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import { Play } from 'lucide-svelte';
+  import { FALLBACK_COVER } from '$lib/media/covers';
+
+  // Shared shape for the two hero tiles at the top of Home (the
+  // "Today's pick" + "Just added" anchors). Wider than the regular
+  // grid tiles, cover on the left + meta + play button on the right,
+  // accent-tinted background so the eye lands here first.
+
+  let {
+    href,
+    coverUrl,
+    eyebrow,
+    title,
+    subtitle,
+    onPlay,
+    playDisabled = false
+  }: {
+    href: string;
+    coverUrl: string;
+    eyebrow: string;
+    title: string;
+    subtitle?: string;
+    onPlay: (e: MouseEvent) => void;
+    playDisabled?: boolean;
+  } = $props();
+
+  function onImgError(e: Event) {
+    (e.currentTarget as HTMLImageElement).src = FALLBACK_COVER;
+  }
+</script>
+
+<a
+  {href}
+  class="group flex items-stretch gap-4 overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border
+         bg-gradient-to-br from-accent/15 via-surface to-surface
+         shadow-sm transition-all duration-200
+         hover:from-accent/25 hover:shadow-lg hover:ring-1 hover:ring-accent/40
+         focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent"
+>
+  <div class="relative h-32 w-32 flex-shrink-0 overflow-hidden md:h-40 md:w-40">
+    <img
+      src={coverUrl}
+      alt=""
+      class="h-full w-full object-cover transition-transform duration-200 group-hover:scale-105"
+      loading="lazy"
+      onerror={onImgError}
+    />
+  </div>
+  <div class="flex flex-1 flex-col justify-between gap-2 py-3 pr-4">
+    <div class="min-w-0">
+      <div class="text-xs font-medium uppercase tracking-wide text-accent">{eyebrow}</div>
+      <div class="font-display text-xl font-medium leading-tight text-text-primary
+                  line-clamp-2 mt-1">
+        {title}
+      </div>
+      {#if subtitle}
+        <div class="mt-1 truncate text-sm text-text-secondary">{subtitle}</div>
+      {/if}
+    </div>
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      aria-label={`Play ${title}`}
+      onclick={onPlay}
+      disabled={playDisabled}
+      class="self-start inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-full
+             bg-accent px-4 py-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-text-primary
+             hover:opacity-90 focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent
+             disabled:opacity-50"
+    >
+      <Play size={14} strokeWidth={1.5} fill="currentColor" />
+      Play
+    </button>
+  </div>
+</a>

web/src/lib/components/HorizontalScrollRow.svelte

@@ -62,7 +62,14 @@
 <div class="section" aria-label={ariaLabel}>
   <header class="section-header">
     {#if title}
-      <h2 class="font-display text-2xl font-medium text-text-primary">{title}</h2>
+      <!-- Section header: Fraunces (font-display) at 24px with an
+           inline accent rule that bleeds out from the title — gives
+           each shelf a clear chapter break without adding chrome. -->
+      <h2
+        class="font-display text-2xl font-medium text-text-primary
+               flex items-baseline gap-3 after:h-[2px] after:w-12 after:flex-shrink-0
+               after:rounded-full after:bg-accent/60 after:content-['']"
+      >{title}</h2>
     {:else}
       <span></span>
     {/if}

web/src/lib/components/PlayerBar.svelte

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
   } from '$lib/player/store.svelte';
   import { formatDuration } from '$lib/media/duration';
   import { FALLBACK_COVER, coverUrl } from '$lib/media/covers';
+  import { dominantColorFromUrl, rgbToCssString } from '$lib/media/dominantColor';
   import LikeButton from './LikeButton.svelte';
   import TrackMenu from './TrackMenu.svelte';
 
@@ -44,6 +45,24 @@
   function onCoverError(e: Event) {
     (e.currentTarget as HTMLImageElement).src = FALLBACK_COVER;
   }
+
+  // #9 — dominant-color accent. Sample the current track's cover and
+  // pipe it into a CSS custom property; a 2px strip above the bar
+  // takes on the colour, so the page subtly tracks what's playing.
+  // Cache-backed in dominantColorFromUrl so revisits are free.
+  // Default ('') keeps the strip transparent until the first cover
+  // resolves.
+  let accentRgb = $state('');
+  $effect(() => {
+    const cover = current?.album_id ? coverUrl(current.album_id) : null;
+    if (!cover) {
+      accentRgb = '';
+      return;
+    }
+    dominantColorFromUrl(cover).then((rgb) => {
+      if (rgb) accentRgb = rgbToCssString(rgb);
+    });
+  });
 </script>
 
 {#if current}
@@ -59,6 +78,16 @@
     Play controls maintain 40/48/40 size; like+kebab and column-3 sub-rows
     are shorter so column 2's bottom edge aligns with column 3's bottom.
   -->
+  <!-- Dominant-color accent strip — same colour for both compact
+       and desktop variants, only one renders at a time due to the
+       md: breakpoint switch below. Transparent until the first
+       cover resolves; 300ms tween on colour change so track-skips
+       fade rather than snap. -->
+  <div
+    aria-hidden="true"
+    class="md:hidden h-[2px] w-full transition-colors duration-300"
+    style={accentRgb ? `background-color: ${accentRgb};` : ''}
+  ></div>
   <div
     data-testid="player-bar-compact"
     class="md:hidden flex flex-col gap-1.5 border-t border-border bg-surface px-3 py-2"
@@ -224,6 +253,13 @@
     the redundant PlayerOverflowMenu kebab is no longer mounted (volume,
     shuffle, repeat, queue all live inline in the right cluster).
   -->
+  <!-- See compact-variant accent strip above; desktop has its own
+       so both responsive sizes get the same treatment. -->
+  <div
+    aria-hidden="true"
+    class="hidden md:block h-[2px] w-full transition-colors duration-300"
+    style={accentRgb ? `background-color: ${accentRgb};` : ''}
+  ></div>
   <div
     data-testid="player-bar-desktop"
     class="hidden md:flex md:flex-row md:min-h-[108px] md:items-center md:gap-4 border-t border-border bg-surface md:px-4 md:py-1.5"

web/src/lib/components/PlaylistCard.svelte

@@ -104,9 +104,14 @@
 
 <svelte:window onclick={() => { menuOpen = false; }} />
 
-<div class="card relative">
+<div class="card group relative">
   {#if refreshable}
-    <div class="kebab-wrap absolute right-1 top-1 z-10">
+    <!-- Kebab is hover/focus-revealed so the default tile state is
+         just the cover. Same pattern as CardActionCluster. -->
+    <div
+      class="kebab-wrap absolute right-1 top-1 z-10 transition-opacity duration-150
+             {menuOpen ? 'opacity-100' : 'opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 focus-within:opacity-100'}"
+    >
       <button
         type="button"
         aria-label="Playlist actions"
@@ -144,7 +149,11 @@
     href={`/playlists/${playlist.id}`}
     class="group flex w-full flex-col items-start gap-2 rounded-md p-2 text-left hover:bg-surface-hover"
   >
-    <div class="art-wrap relative aspect-square w-full overflow-hidden rounded-md bg-surface-hover">
+    <div
+      class="art-wrap relative aspect-square w-full overflow-hidden rounded-md
+             bg-surface-hover shadow-sm transition-all duration-150
+             group-hover:shadow-lg group-hover:ring-1 group-hover:ring-accent/40"
+    >
       {#if playlist.cover_url}
         <img
           src={playlist.cover_url}
@@ -156,6 +165,23 @@
           <span class="text-xs">No tracks yet</span>
         </div>
       {/if}
+      <!-- Bottom-to-top gradient so the Fraunces title overlay below
+           is legible against any cover. The server's playlist cover
+           is often a 2x2 collage; the gradient mutes the collage so
+           the playlist NAME becomes the dominant element. -->
+      <div
+        class="pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-t
+               from-black/85 via-black/40 to-transparent"
+      ></div>
+      <!-- Title burned in at the bottom of the cover. Two lines max;
+           ellipsis. Fraunces (font-display) so it reads as
+           branded/curated content rather than just metadata. -->
+      <div class="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 p-3">
+        <div
+          class="font-display text-base font-medium leading-tight text-text-primary
+                 [display:-webkit-box] [-webkit-box-orient:vertical] [-webkit-line-clamp:2] overflow-hidden"
+        >{playlist.name}</div>
+      </div>
       <button
         type="button"
         aria-label={`Play ${playlist.name}`}
@@ -167,7 +193,6 @@
       </button>
     </div>
     <div class="w-full min-w-0">
-      <div class="truncate text-sm font-medium text-text-primary">{playlist.name}</div>
       <div class="truncate text-xs text-text-muted">
         {playlist.track_count} {playlist.track_count === 1 ? 'track' : 'tracks'}
         {#if !isOwn}

web/src/lib/components/Shell.svelte

@@ -135,7 +135,16 @@
     </div>
   </header>
 
-  <main class="overflow-y-auto p-4">
+  <!-- Subtle 1200x600 radial highlight at the top of the scroll
+       area fades the slate tone (fs-iron with alpha) into the
+       background. Adds depth so the page doesn't read as a flat
+       slab. color-mix lets the gradient theme-track in case the
+       palette token ever shifts. -->
+  <main
+    class="overflow-y-auto p-4"
+    style="background-image: radial-gradient(ellipse 1200px 600px at 50% -100px,
+      color-mix(in srgb, var(--fs-iron) 60%, transparent), transparent 70%);"
+  >
     {@render children?.()}
   </main>
 

web/src/lib/media/dominantColor.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// Cheap dominant-color extractor: loads an image, draws it scaled
+// to a 1x1 canvas, reads the resulting pixel. The browser's bilinear
+// downsample produces an arithmetic-mean color, which approximates
+// the "dominant" tone close enough for an ambient accent strip.
+// Not aiming for ColorThief-grade clustering — that adds ~5KB and
+// noticeable extraction latency. The user-visible feature is just
+// "the page subtly takes on the current track's hue" and a mean
+// color delivers that.
+//
+// Cover URLs are same-origin (/api/albums/<id>/cover), so no CORS
+// dance is needed. Returns null on any failure (load error, decode
+// error, opaque-canvas getImageData reject) so the caller can fall
+// back to the static accent.
+
+export type Rgb = { r: number; g: number; b: number };
+
+const cache = new Map<string, Promise<Rgb | null>>();
+
+export function dominantColorFromUrl(url: string): Promise<Rgb | null> {
+  const cached = cache.get(url);
+  if (cached) return cached;
+  const p = sample(url);
+  cache.set(url, p);
+  return p;
+}
+
+function sample(url: string): Promise<Rgb | null> {
+  if (typeof window === 'undefined') return Promise.resolve(null);
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    const img = new Image();
+    img.crossOrigin = 'anonymous';
+    img.onload = () => {
+      try {
+        const canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
+        canvas.width = 1;
+        canvas.height = 1;
+        const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
+        if (!ctx) return resolve(null);
+        ctx.drawImage(img, 0, 0, 1, 1);
+        const data = ctx.getImageData(0, 0, 1, 1).data;
+        resolve({ r: data[0], g: data[1], b: data[2] });
+      } catch {
+        resolve(null);
+      }
+    };
+    img.onerror = () => resolve(null);
+    img.src = url;
+  });
+}
+
+export function rgbToCssString({ r, g, b }: Rgb): string {
+  return `rgb(${r} ${g} ${b})`;
+}

web/src/routes/+page.svelte

@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@
   import { createHomeQuery } from '$lib/api/home';
   import HorizontalScrollRow from '$lib/components/HorizontalScrollRow.svelte';
   import AlbumCard from '$lib/components/AlbumCard.svelte';
+  import HomeHeroCard from '$lib/components/HomeHeroCard.svelte';
+  import { systemShuffle, getPlaylist } from '$lib/api/playlists';
+  import { playlistTrackToRef } from '$lib/playlists/playlistTrackToRef';
+  import { playQueue } from '$lib/player/store.svelte';
+  import { api } from '$lib/api/client';
+  import { coverUrl as albumCoverUrl } from '$lib/media/covers';
+  import type { AlbumDetail, TrackRef as TrackRefType } from '$lib/api/types';
   import ArtistCard from '$lib/components/ArtistCard.svelte';
   import CompactTrackCard from '$lib/components/CompactTrackCard.svelte';
   import ApiErrorBanner from '$lib/components/ApiErrorBanner.svelte';
@@ -75,6 +82,46 @@
 
   const userPlaylists = $derived(userPlaylistsQ.data?.owned ?? []);
 
+  // Hero row: For-You + most-recently-added album. Anchors the page
+  // so the eye lands on these instead of cascading down a wall of
+  // identical tiles.
+  const latestAlbum = $derived(data?.recently_added_albums?.[0] ?? null);
+
+  function albumCoverFor(albumId: string | undefined | null): string {
+    return albumId ? albumCoverUrl(albumId) : '';
+  }
+
+  let heroStarting = $state(false);
+
+  async function playForYou(e: MouseEvent) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    if (heroStarting || !forYouPlaylist?.system_variant) return;
+    heroStarting = true;
+    try {
+      const detail = await systemShuffle(forYouPlaylist.system_variant);
+      const refs = detail.tracks
+        .map((r) => playlistTrackToRef(r))
+        .filter((t): t is TrackRefType => t !== null);
+      if (refs.length > 0) playQueue(refs, 0, { source: forYouPlaylist.system_variant });
+    } finally {
+      heroStarting = false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  async function playLatestAlbum(e: MouseEvent) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    if (heroStarting || !latestAlbum) return;
+    heroStarting = true;
+    try {
+      const detail = await api.get<AlbumDetail>(`/api/albums/${latestAlbum.id}`);
+      if (detail.tracks.length > 0) playQueue(detail.tracks, 0);
+    } finally {
+      heroStarting = false;
+    }
+  }
+
   type PlaceholderVariant = 'building' | 'failed' | 'pending' | 'seed-needed';
   function placeholderVariant(slot: 'for-you' | 'discover' | 'songs-like'): PlaceholderVariant {
     const s = systemStatusQ.data;
@@ -134,6 +181,40 @@
 <svelte:head><title>{pageTitle('Home')}</title></svelte:head>
 
 <div class="space-y-8">
+  <!-- Hero anchors: For-You + most recently added album. Larger
+       cards on a tinted gradient so the page has a clear "land
+       here" point instead of opening on a wall of tiles. Only
+       rendered when both pieces of data exist; the page falls back
+       to the carousels cleanly when either is missing. -->
+  {#if forYouPlaylist || latestAlbum}
+    <section class="grid gap-4 md:grid-cols-2" aria-label="Featured">
+      {#if forYouPlaylist}
+        <HomeHeroCard
+          href={`/playlists/${forYouPlaylist.id}`}
+          coverUrl={forYouPlaylist.cover_url ?? ''}
+          eyebrow="Today's pick"
+          title={forYouPlaylist.name}
+          subtitle={forYouPlaylist.track_count > 0
+            ? `${forYouPlaylist.track_count} tracks for you`
+            : 'Building your mix'}
+          onPlay={playForYou}
+          playDisabled={heroStarting || forYouPlaylist.track_count === 0}
+        />
+      {/if}
+      {#if latestAlbum}
+        <HomeHeroCard
+          href={`/albums/${latestAlbum.id}`}
+          coverUrl={albumCoverFor(latestAlbum.id)}
+          eyebrow="Just added"
+          title={latestAlbum.title}
+          subtitle={latestAlbum.artist_name}
+          onPlay={playLatestAlbum}
+          playDisabled={heroStarting}
+        />
+      {/if}
+    </section>
+  {/if}
+
   <!-- Playlists: For-You + Songs-like + user playlists, single horizontal row -->
   <section class="space-y-3">
     <HorizontalScrollRow
@@ -142,7 +223,10 @@
       ariaLabel="Playlists"
     >
       {#snippet item(rowItem: PlaylistRowItem)}
-        <div class="w-44">
+        <!-- Playlists at the page anchor: largest of the carousels.
+             Sized so a typical viewport shows ~5-6 across instead
+             of cramming 8-9. -->
+        <div class="w-56">
           {#if rowItem.kind === 'real'}
             <PlaylistCard playlist={rowItem.playlist} />
           {:else}
@@ -172,7 +256,7 @@
           ariaLabel="Recently added"
         >
           {#snippet item(album: import('$lib/api/types').AlbumRef)}
-            <div class="w-44"><AlbumCard {album} /></div>
+            <div class="w-48"><AlbumCard {album} /></div>
           {/snippet}
         </HorizontalScrollRow>
       {/if}
@@ -195,7 +279,9 @@
             ariaLabel="Rediscover albums"
           >
             {#snippet item(album: import('$lib/api/types').AlbumRef)}
-              <div class="w-44"><AlbumCard {album} /></div>
+              <!-- Rediscover steps down vs Recently added to make the
+                   tile-size hierarchy read top-to-bottom. -->
+              <div class="w-40"><AlbumCard {album} /></div>
             {/snippet}
           </HorizontalScrollRow>
         {/if}

web/src/routes/page.test.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest';
-import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/svelte';
+import { render, screen, within } from '@testing-library/svelte';
 import { readable } from 'svelte/store';
 import { emptyLikesMock } from '../test-utils/mocks/likes';
 import type { Playlist } from '$lib/api/types';
@@ -103,7 +103,11 @@ describe('home Playlists section', () => {
           : readable({ data: emptyPlaylistsResponse, isPending: false, isError: false })
     );
     render(Page);
-    expect(screen.getByText('For You')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    // For-You renders twice: once in the new hero card at the top of
+    // Home and once in the Playlists carousel. Scope the assertion
+    // to the Playlists section to avoid the hero collision.
+    const playlistsSection = screen.getByLabelText('Playlists');
+    expect(within(playlistsSection).getByText('For You')).toBeInTheDocument();
     const placeholders = screen.queryAllByTestId('playlist-placeholder-card');
     // 1 Discover + 3 Songs-like slots = 4 placeholders alongside the
     // real For-You tile.
@@ -143,7 +147,11 @@ describe('home Playlists section', () => {
           : readable({ data: emptyPlaylistsResponse, isPending: false, isError: false })
     );
     render(Page);
-    expect(screen.getByText('For You')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    // For-You also renders in the hero card; scope to the Playlists
+    // section. The secondary kinds aren't featured in the hero, so
+    // their getByText assertions can stay document-scoped.
+    const playlistsSection = screen.getByLabelText('Playlists');
+    expect(within(playlistsSection).getByText('For You')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByText('Deep cuts')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByText('New for you')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });