Merge pull request 'Batch: explore catalog + UI, Go 1.26, Soulseek downloads, CI fixes' (#273) from batch/258-272 into main

Reviewed-on: #273

.gitea/workflows/android-apk.yml

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ jobs:
       SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
       REF_NAME: ${{ github.ref_name }}
       DEBIAN_FRONTEND: noninteractive
-      GO_VERSION: '1.25.0'
+      GO_VERSION: '1.26.0'
       npm_config_store_dir: /cache/pnpm-store
       # The Go half wants the NDK; the Gradle half wants a platform.
       ANDROID_HOME: /cache/android-sdk

.gitea/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 env:
-  GO_VERSION: '1.25.0'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.26.0'
   # Shared by all three Playwright consumers (@playwright/cli, e2e/'s
   # @playwright/test, frontend/'s Vitest provider).  See the browsers
   # step in job 2 for why that is not the whole story.
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ jobs:
   check:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     container:
-      # Not golang:1.25 — this job runs `make ui-test`, which is Vitest
+      # Not golang:1.26 — this job runs `make ui-test`, which is Vitest
       # *browser* mode and needs a Chromium and its system libraries
       # anyway, so the "fast job needs no browser" split does not hold.
       # Not the Playwright image either: e2e/ pins @playwright/test
@@ -107,15 +107,32 @@ jobs:
       # Conventional Commits.  `.releaserc.yml` has always derived the
       # version from the commit type; until now nothing checked that the
       # type was one it recognises, so a malformed subject silently meant
-      # "no release".  BEFORE is the push's previous tip and is absent or
-      # all-zeros for a new branch, in which case only the tip is linted.
+      # "no release".
+      #
+      # **On a `pull_request` there is no `before`.**  Gitea leaves
+      # `github.event.before` empty for one, so this step fell through to
+      # bare `make commit-check`, which lints `git log -1` — the tip
+      # alone.  Every other commit the branch would bring was first
+      # examined by *main's* post-merge run, which is a green PR that
+      # stops being true after the merge, and which happened twice (#254).
+      # The PR's base is the stand-in: the range below already excludes
+      # what the base shares with the branch, because base advances on
+      # main and those commits stay reachable from it.
+      #
+      # Both are handed to the shell rather than chosen in an expression:
+      # `github.event.issue.number` in unclaim.yml is this repo's proof
+      # that payload fields resolve, and the shell then falls back to
+      # today's behaviour for a dispatch run or a missing field instead of
+      # depending on how `&&`/`||` treat an absent context.
       - name: Commit messages
         working-directory: /src
         env:
-          BEFORE: ${{ github.event.before }}
+          PR_BASE: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
+          PUSH_BEFORE: ${{ github.event.before }}
         run: |
           set -eu
-          if [ -n "${BEFORE:-}" ] && [ "${BEFORE#0000000}" = "$BEFORE" ] \
+          BEFORE="${PR_BASE:-${PUSH_BEFORE:-}}"
+          if [ -n "$BEFORE" ] && [ "${BEFORE#0000000}" = "$BEFORE" ] \
              && git cat-file -e "$BEFORE^{commit}" 2>/dev/null; then
             make commit-check RANGE="$BEFORE..$SHA"
           else

.gitea/workflows/desktop-assets.yml

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
       SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
       REF_NAME: ${{ github.ref_name }}
       DEBIAN_FRONTEND: noninteractive
-      GO_VERSION: '1.25.0'
+      GO_VERSION: '1.26.0'
       npm_config_store_dir: /cache/pnpm-store
     steps:
       # The same set ci.yml's check job installs: the app is cgo, and

.gitea/workflows/index-artifact.yml

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ jobs:
       # claim with a test behind it now (cmd/indexbuild/deps_test.go),
       # because the v3 migration quietly broke it and this job was where
       # that surfaced.
-      image: golang:1.25
+      image: golang:1.26
       # This host path must exist on the runner and be listed verbatim in
       # act_runner's container.valid_volumes. It holds explore-staging/
       # (counts.bin + state.json) and yj.db — the checkpoint that makes
@@ -148,6 +148,49 @@ jobs:
           sha256sum /tmp/core-index.db.zst | tee /tmp/core-index.db.zst.sha256
           ls -lh /tmp/core-index.db.zst
 
+      # Nothing is published until it has been imported by the code that
+      # imports it on a user's machine. The exporter and the importer are
+      # two descriptions of one storage format, and every other tier tests
+      # the importer against a *fixture* rather than against the file being
+      # shipped — a second description free to be wrong in the same
+      # direction as the code reading it.
+      #
+      # That is how #258 reached everyone: the importer positioned its batch
+      # walk with a Go `string` cursor against this file's 16-byte `mbid`
+      # column, and SQLite neither coerces between TEXT and BLOB nor
+      # complains about the comparison — so the walk merged no rows and
+      # never advanced, and no install could finish its first index build.
+      # The fixture guarding that walk writes the old text encoding, and the
+      # only compact fixture is one row, below the batch size, so the bound
+      # query never ran. Both were green throughout.
+      #
+      # Running it here is also what keeps the failure cheap: the previous
+      # artifact stays published while this runs, so a failure costs one
+      # stale catalog rather than an empty one for every install.
+      #
+      # `-tags indexbuild` because this container has no GTK and the default
+      # tag set links the app through Wails. The `--- PASS` grep is not
+      # decoration — the test skips without the path, and a skip is
+      # indistinguishable from a pass in a summary line.
+      - name: Import the exported artifact as a client does
+        if: steps.maintain.outputs.complete == 'true' && steps.maintain.outputs.changed == 'true'
+        working-directory: /src
+        env:
+          YJ_CORE_INDEX_ARTIFACT: /tmp/core-index.db.zst
+        run: |
+          set -eu
+          log=/tmp/import-check.log
+          if ! go test -tags indexbuild -count=1 -timeout 30m -v \
+            -run TestImportPublishedArtifact ./backend/explore/ > "$log" 2>&1;
+          then
+            tail -60 "$log"
+            echo "::error::The artifact does not import; not publishing it."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          cat "$log"
+          grep -qF -- 'PASS: TestImportPublishedArtifact' "$log"
+          echo "::notice::The artifact imports as a client would merge it."
+
       - name: Publish to the Gitea package registry
         if: steps.maintain.outputs.complete == 'true' && steps.maintain.outputs.changed == 'true'
         run: |

.pi/skills/yellowjacket-dev/references/harness.md

@@ -57,6 +57,21 @@ behind `YJ_TESTCTL=1`, which `scripts/dev-headless.sh` sets and
   staging the work that would produce it — job progress, download
   progress, scan progress. It calls `events.Deliver`, which *errors*
   when the event reaches nobody, so a `200` means it really arrived.
+- **State you stage, you own** (#168). Nothing resets those stores, so
+  clear yours in `test.afterEach` with the same event that staged it
+  (`emit('JobsChanged', [])`) — the store replaces its list from every
+  snapshot, so `testctl` needs no special case. **Measured: this does
+  not currently cross a spec boundary**, because every test gets a fresh
+  page and `JobStore.init()` refetches `GetJobs()` from a backend
+  registry that `/__test/emit` never writes to. Stated anyway, because
+  it costs one line and the leak needs only one spec that keeps a page
+  alive — but do not cite #168 for a symptom you have not reproduced.
+- **Measure against the thing next to you, not an absolute
+  coordinate.** An absolute number in a shell measurement is also a
+  claim about everything above it — `contentTop === 0` quietly asserts
+  "and no background job is running", which is not what that spec was
+  about or could arrange, while `contentTop === jobBandBottom` is true
+  either way. This is the half of #168 that stands on its own.
 - **`restore` is slow** (~40 s in the suite) because it copies every
   table. Prefer snapshotting once and restoring only when a spec
   genuinely mutates state.

.planning/NOTES.md

@@ -5078,3 +5078,22 @@ last rendered card.
 ("ask the virtualizer for a larger overscan") is therefore not
 available without patching a private, which is why the request is
 issued ahead of the element instead.
+
+## Declined, and recorded nowhere else (2026-09-25, #256)
+
+When CLAUDE.md was cut down to rules, most of its "considered and
+declined" paragraphs already had a home in a code or config comment
+beside what they explain. These three did not:
+
+- **`touch-action: manipulation` was declined** (#54). The 300ms tap
+  delay it is offered for is already absent on a `width=device-width`
+  viewport; what it would actually change is the gesture stack #63 tuned
+  by measurement on the reference device.
+- **There is no "Go to Genre"** in the phone row menu (#67). That menu
+  replaces name links a phone cannot use, and there has never been a
+  genre link to replace — it would be new navigation, which wants its
+  own issue.
+- **The overlaid queue has no tap-outside gutter on a phone** (#171).
+  The drawer-style gutter would buy the affordance by taking width off a
+  full-screen surface on a 424px viewport; back and a 44px close button
+  answer it instead.

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ frontend, bridged by [Wails v3](https://wails.io/).
 
 | Tool | Version |
 |------|---------|
-| Go | 1.25+ |
+| Go | 1.26+ |
 | Node.js | 22+ |
 | pnpm | 10+ |
 | Wails CLI | v3 — vendored, no install needed (`go tool wails3`) |

backend/download/concurrency_test.go

@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ func TestConcurrencyForPrefersOverrideThenKind(t *testing.T) {
 		want int
 	}{
 		{
-			name: "slskd defaults to one",
+			name: "slskd defaults to a few peers",
 			cfg:  Config{Kind: KindSlskd},
-			want: 1,
+			want: 3,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "usenet defaults higher",
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ func TestConcurrencyForPrefersOverrideThenKind(t *testing.T) {
 			name: "explicit override wins",
 			cfg: Config{
 				Kind:     KindSlskd,
-				Settings: map[string]string{concurrencyKey: "3"},
+				Settings: map[string]string{concurrencyKey: "1"},
 			},
-			want: 3,
+			want: 1,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "nonsense override falls back",
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func TestConcurrencyForPrefersOverrideThenKind(t *testing.T) {
 				Kind:     KindSlskd,
 				Settings: map[string]string{concurrencyKey: "not a number"},
 			},
-			want: 1,
+			want: 3,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "zero override falls back",
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func TestConcurrencyForPrefersOverrideThenKind(t *testing.T) {
 				Kind:     KindSlskd,
 				Settings: map[string]string{concurrencyKey: "0"},
 			},
-			want: 1,
+			want: 3,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "unknown kind falls back to the global default",
@@ -126,9 +126,9 @@ func TestConcurrencyForPrefersOverrideThenKind(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// The reason the per-provider cap exists: a Soulseek daemon capped at
-// one transfer must serialize, even when the global cap would allow
-// more and the user has queued several albums at once.
+// The reason the per-provider cap exists: a daemon capped at one
+// transfer must serialize, even when the global cap would allow more and
+// the user has queued several albums at once.
 func TestPerProviderCapSerializesTransfers(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ func TestPerProviderCapSerializesTransfers(t *testing.T) {
 		ID:       1,
 		Kind:     KindSlskd,
 		Priority: 50,
+		Settings: map[string]string{concurrencyKey: "1"},
 	}, slow)
 
 	// Three requests against the same one-at-a-time provider.
@@ -210,8 +211,8 @@ func TestSyncSemaphoresReplacesChangedLimits(t *testing.T) {
 	f.manager.installProvider(Config{ID: 1, Kind: KindSlskd}, nil)
 
 	first := f.manager.semaphoreFor(1)
-	if cap(first) != 1 {
-		t.Fatalf("slskd semaphore cap = %d, want 1", cap(first))
+	if want := kindConcurrency[KindSlskd]; cap(first) != want {
+		t.Fatalf("slskd semaphore cap = %d, want %d", cap(first), want)
 	}
 
 	// Same limit: the semaphore is kept, so in-flight accounting is not

backend/download/keyedlock.go

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package download
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"sync"
+)
+
+// keyedLock is a set of mutexes created on demand, one per key, that
+// honour a context while waiting.  An entry lives only while someone
+// holds or waits on it, so a key per Soulseek peer or per folder name
+// does not accumulate for the life of the process.
+type keyedLock[K comparable] struct {
+	mu   sync.Mutex
+	held map[K]*keyedEntry
+}
+
+type keyedEntry struct {
+	ch chan struct{}
+
+	// refs counts holders and waiters; the entry is dropped at zero.
+	refs int
+}
+
+// acquire blocks until k is free or ctx ends, and returns the function
+// that frees it.
+func (l *keyedLock[K]) acquire(ctx context.Context, k K) (func(), error) {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+
+	if l.held == nil {
+		l.held = map[K]*keyedEntry{}
+	}
+
+	e, ok := l.held[k]
+	if !ok {
+		e = &keyedEntry{ch: make(chan struct{}, 1)}
+		l.held[k] = e
+	}
+
+	e.refs++
+
+	l.mu.Unlock()
+
+	select {
+	case e.ch <- struct{}{}:
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		l.drop(k, e)
+
+		return nil, ctx.Err()
+	}
+
+	var once sync.Once
+
+	return func() {
+		once.Do(func() {
+			<-e.ch
+			l.drop(k, e)
+		})
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (l *keyedLock[K]) drop(k K, e *keyedEntry) {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	defer l.mu.Unlock()
+
+	e.refs--
+	if e.refs == 0 {
+		delete(l.held, k)
+	}
+}
+
+// size reports how many keys are held or awaited, for tests.
+func (l *keyedLock[K]) size() int {
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	defer l.mu.Unlock()
+
+	return len(l.held)
+}

backend/download/manager.go

@@ -59,13 +59,15 @@ const concurrencyKey = "maxConcurrent"
 // A single global cap is the wrong shape here: usenet and torrent
 // clients are built to run many transfers at once and are throttled by
 // bandwidth, while Soulseek transfers come from one person's home
-// upload slot.  Hitting the same peer with parallel requests gets you
-// queued behind everyone else at best and banned at worst, so slskd is
-// capped at one — the polite number, and the one that actually
-// completes fastest, because a Soulseek peer serves one file at a time
-// regardless of how many you ask for.
+// upload slot.  Politeness there is per *peer* — asking one user for two
+// folders at once gets you queued behind everyone else at best and
+// banned at worst — and the manager holds that line separately, one
+// grab per peer (peerLocks).  Two different users do not compete for
+// anyone's slot, so the daemon-wide number only bounds how many peers
+// are asked at once, and one slow peer no longer serialises every other
+// Soulseek download behind it.
 var kindConcurrency = map[Kind]int{
-	KindSlskd:       1,
+	KindSlskd:       3,
 	KindYtDlp:       2,
 	KindQBittorrent: 4,
 	KindSABnzbd:     4,
@@ -155,6 +157,11 @@ type Manager struct {
 	semMu   sync.Mutex
 	provSem map[int64]chan struct{}
 
+	// peerLocks holds one grab per Soulseek peer, taken before any
+	// slot: a grab waiting for a busy peer must not sit on a provider
+	// slot another peer could be using.
+	peerLocks keyedLock[peerKey]
+
 	// delegatePoll is how often delegating managers are asked for
 	// status.  A field rather than the constant so tests can drive the
 	// full delegate flow without sleeping through it.
@@ -790,6 +797,23 @@ func (m *Manager) grab(
 // whole list for six hours.
 const maxGrabAttempts = 3
 
+// peerKey names one Soulseek user on one daemon.  The same username on
+// two daemons is two logins and two queues.
+type peerKey struct {
+	provider int64
+	peer     string
+}
+
+// peerKeyFor returns the peer a candidate is fetched from, when the
+// source is one where asking a peer for two things at once is rude.
+func peerKeyFor(c Candidate) (peerKey, bool) {
+	if c.Kind != KindSlskd || c.Origin == "" {
+		return peerKey{}, false
+	}
+
+	return peerKey{provider: c.ProviderID, peer: c.Origin}, true
+}
+
 // grabOutcome is how one candidate's attempt ended.
 type grabOutcome struct {
 	item     DownloadItem
@@ -825,6 +849,15 @@ func (m *Manager) attemptGrab(
 	}
 
 	if !plan.delegated() {
+		if key, ok := peerKeyFor(c); ok {
+			release, err := m.peerLocks.acquire(ctx, key)
+			if err != nil {
+				return grabOutcome{err: err}
+			}
+
+			defer release()
+		}
+
 		provSem := m.semaphoreFor(plan.transportID)
 
 		select {

backend/download/pathmatch.go

@@ -258,21 +258,72 @@ func AnnotateFiles(files []CandidateFile) []CandidateFile {
 
 // matchFiles aligns a candidate's audio files to the expected tracklist
 // and returns the per-file assignment plus the mean title similarity of
-// the aligned pairs.
+// the aligned pairs.  alignFiles is the same alignment with the
+// duration evidence as well.
+func matchFiles(
+	files []CandidateFile,
+	expected []ExpectedTrack,
+) ([]CandidateFile, float64) {
+	a := alignFiles(files, expected)
+
+	return a.files, a.titleFit
+}
+
+// alignment is what aligning a candidate to a tracklist found.
+type alignment struct {
+	files []CandidateFile
+
+	// titleFit is the mean title similarity over aligned pairs.
+	titleFit float64
+
+	// durationFit is the mean duration agreement over aligned pairs
+	// where both sides state a length, and timedPairs is how many such
+	// pairs there were.
+	durationFit float64
+	timedPairs  int
+	aligned     int
+}
+
+// durationAgreement scores how well a file's length matches the
+// expected track's, in 0..1.  Rips of the same master differ by a
+// second or two of silence; a different edit, a live take or a
+// truncated file differs by tens of seconds.
+func durationAgreement(got, want int64) float64 {
+	const (
+		exactMillis = 3_000
+		wrongMillis = 30_000
+	)
+
+	d := got - want
+	if d < 0 {
+		d = -d
+	}
+
+	switch {
+	case d <= exactMillis:
+		return 1
+	case d >= wrongMillis:
+		return 0
+	default:
+		return 1 - float64(d-exactMillis)/float64(wrongMillis-exactMillis)
+	}
+}
+
+// alignFiles aligns a candidate's audio files to the expected tracklist.
 //
 // Alignment is greedy by score rather than optimal: candidate folders
 // are small (a few dozen files at most) and the common cases — correct
 // track numbers, or clean "NN Title" names — are unambiguous, so the
 // extra machinery of Hungarian assignment buys nothing here.
-func matchFiles(
+func alignFiles(
 	files []CandidateFile,
 	expected []ExpectedTrack,
-) ([]CandidateFile, float64) {
+) alignment {
 	annotated := make([]CandidateFile, len(files))
 	copy(annotated, files)
 
 	if len(expected) == 0 {
-		return annotated, 0
+		return alignment{files: annotated}
 	}
 
 	hints := make([]TrackHint, len(annotated))
@@ -285,8 +336,19 @@ func matchFiles(
 	var (
 		total   float64
 		matched int
+
+		durTotal float64
+		timed    int
 	)
 
+	// timing adds a pair's duration evidence when both sides state one.
+	timing := func(f CandidateFile, e ExpectedTrack) {
+		if f.LengthMillis > 0 && e.LengthMillis > 0 {
+			durTotal += durationAgreement(f.LengthMillis, e.LengthMillis)
+			timed++
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Pass 1: trust explicit track numbers when they are unique and in
 	// range.  A folder that numbers its files correctly is the strong
 	// case, and title comparison only adds noise there.
@@ -305,6 +367,8 @@ func matchFiles(
 
 		total += autotag.TitleSimilarity(hints[i].Title, expected[idx].Title)
 		matched++
+
+		timing(annotated[i], expected[idx])
 	}
 
 	// Pass 2: title similarity for whatever is left.
@@ -339,13 +403,26 @@ func matchFiles(
 
 		total += bestSim
 		matched++
+
+		timing(annotated[i], expected[bestIdx])
 	}
 
 	if matched == 0 {
-		return annotated, 0
+		return alignment{files: annotated}
 	}
 
-	return annotated, total / float64(matched)
+	a := alignment{
+		files:      annotated,
+		titleFit:   total / float64(matched),
+		timedPairs: timed,
+		aligned:    matched,
+	}
+
+	if timed > 0 {
+		a.durationFit = durTotal / float64(timed)
+	}
+
+	return a
 }
 
 // indexForPosition finds the expected track at a disc/track position.

backend/download/peer_concurrency_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+package download
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Soulseek politeness is per peer, not per daemon (#272).
+
+func TestKeyedLockSerialisesOneKeyOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	var l keyedLock[string]
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	releaseA, err := l.acquire(ctx, "a")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("acquire a: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Another key is free while "a" is held.
+	releaseB, err := l.acquire(ctx, "b")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("acquire b: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	releaseB()
+
+	// The same key waits, and gives up with its context.
+	short, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 20*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	if _, err := l.acquire(short, "a"); !errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Fatalf("second acquire of a held key = %v, want the deadline", err)
+	}
+
+	releaseA()
+	releaseA() // Idempotent: a second call must not free someone else's hold.
+
+	if n := l.size(); n != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("%d keys left behind, want none once nobody holds or waits", n)
+	}
+}
+
+// grabEach runs one grab per candidate and returns a function that waits
+// for all of them; grabAll's reasons for waiting apply.
+func grabEach(t *testing.T, f managerFixture, cands []Candidate) func() {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	for i, c := range cands {
+		dl := fourTrackDownload()
+		dl.ID = "dl-" + string(rune('a'+i))
+
+		if err := f.store.CreateDownload(ctx, dl); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("CreateDownload: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		wg.Add(1)
+
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+
+			f.manager.grab(ctx, dl, c, nil, false)
+		}()
+	}
+
+	return func() {
+		done := make(chan struct{})
+
+		go func() {
+			wg.Wait()
+			close(done)
+		}()
+
+		select {
+		case <-done:
+		case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+			t.Error("transfers did not finish")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func slskdCandidates(p *FakeProvider, peers ...string) []Candidate {
+	out := make([]Candidate, 0, len(peers))
+
+	for i, peer := range peers {
+		c := p.Candidates[0]
+		c.ID = c.ID + "-" + itoa(i)
+		c.Kind = KindSlskd
+		c.ProviderID = 1
+		c.Origin = peer
+		out = append(out, c)
+	}
+
+	return out
+}
+
+// Three albums from one user are asked for one at a time, even though
+// the daemon would allow three transfers.
+func TestOnePeerIsAskedForOneThingAtATime(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	f := newManagerFixture(t)
+	f.manager.SetMaxConcurrent(4)
+
+	p := fakeWithAlbum(1, "slskd", ".flac")
+	p.GrabGate = make(chan struct{})
+
+	f.manager.installProvider(Config{ID: 1, Kind: KindSlskd, Priority: 50}, p)
+
+	wait := grabEach(t, f, slskdCandidates(p, "alice", "alice", "alice"))
+
+	waitFor(t, func() bool { return p.GrabCallCount() >= 1 }, "no grab started")
+	time.Sleep(150 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	if got := p.MaxParallelGrabs(); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("%d simultaneous grabs from one peer, want 1", got)
+	}
+
+	close(p.GrabGate)
+
+	waitFor(t, func() bool { return p.GrabCallCount() == 3 }, "queued grabs never ran")
+	wait()
+
+	if n := f.manager.peerLocks.size(); n != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("%d peer locks left behind", n)
+	}
+}
+
+// Different users run at once, up to the daemon's cap — the point of
+// the change: one slow peer no longer holds up every other.
+func TestDifferentPeersRunTogether(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	f := newManagerFixture(t)
+	f.manager.SetMaxConcurrent(8)
+
+	p := fakeWithAlbum(1, "slskd", ".flac")
+	p.GrabGate = make(chan struct{})
+
+	f.manager.installProvider(Config{ID: 1, Kind: KindSlskd, Priority: 50}, p)
+
+	wait := grabEach(t, f, slskdCandidates(p, "alice", "bob", "carol", "dave"))
+
+	waitFor(
+		t,
+		func() bool { return p.MaxParallelGrabs() >= kindConcurrency[KindSlskd] },
+		"different peers were serialised",
+	)
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	if got := p.MaxParallelGrabs(); got != kindConcurrency[KindSlskd] {
+		t.Errorf("%d simultaneous grabs, want the daemon cap %d", got, kindConcurrency[KindSlskd])
+	}
+
+	close(p.GrabGate)
+	wait()
+}
+
+func TestSlskdLocalFolders(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	s := &slskd{downloadsPath: "/dl"}
+
+	got := s.localFolders(Candidate{Files: []CandidateFile{
+		{Path: `\m\The Wall\CD2\01 Hey You.flac`},
+		{Path: `\m\The Wall\CD1\01 In The Flesh.flac`},
+		{Path: `\m\The Wall\CD1\02 The Thin Ice.flac`},
+	}})
+
+	want := []string{filepath.Join("/dl", "CD1"), filepath.Join("/dl", "CD2")}
+	if len(got) != len(want) || got[0] != want[0] || got[1] != want[1] {
+		t.Errorf("localFolders = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// Two peers' "Greatest Hits" land in one slskd directory, so the second
+// grab does not enqueue until the first has collected its files.
+func TestSlskdSameFolderNameWaits(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stub := newSlskdStub(t)
+	s, downloads := newStubSlskd(t, stub)
+
+	c := Candidate{
+		Payload: map[string]string{"username": "bob"},
+		Files: []CandidateFile{
+			{Path: `\music\Greatest Hits\01 Intro.flac`, Size: 1, IsAudio: true},
+		},
+	}
+
+	release, err := lockSlskdFolders(
+		context.Background(), []string{filepath.Join(downloads, "Greatest Hits")},
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lock: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 100*time.Millisecond)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	if _, err := s.Grab(ctx, c, t.TempDir(), nil); !errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		t.Fatalf("Grab = %v, want it to wait on the held folder", err)
+	}
+
+	release()
+
+	stub.mu.Lock()
+	posted := stub.posted
+	stub.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if posted {
+		t.Error("enqueued transfers into a folder another grab held")
+	}
+}

backend/download/provider.go

@@ -236,17 +236,18 @@ func Register(d Descriptor, c Constructor) {
 }
 
 // concurrencyField describes the per-provider transfer limit, with help
-// text explaining why the default is what it is — a user who raises
-// slskd from 1 to 8 and gets themselves queued behind every other
-// Soulseek user deserves to have been warned.
+// text explaining what the number means where it means something
+// unusual: on slskd it counts peers, since each peer is only ever asked
+// for one folder at a time whatever it is set to.
 func concurrencyField(k Kind) Field {
 	help := "Maximum simultaneous transfers from this client."
 
 	if k == KindSlskd {
-		help = "Maximum simultaneous transfers. Soulseek peers serve " +
-			"one file at a time and queue or ban clients that ask for " +
-			"more, so 1 is both the polite setting and usually the " +
-			"fastest."
+		help = "How many Soulseek users to download from at once. " +
+			"Each user is only ever asked for one album at a time, " +
+			"since peers queue or ban clients that ask for more; " +
+			"this bounds how many different users are asked in " +
+			"parallel."
 	}
 
 	return Field{

backend/download/provider_slskd.go

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -78,6 +80,9 @@ const (
 	// slskdHTTPTimeout bounds one API call.
 	slskdHTTPTimeout = 20 * time.Second
 
+	// millisPerSecond converts slskd's whole-second file lengths.
+	millisPerSecond = 1000
+
 	// slskdStallAfter is how long a grab may go without a byte arriving
 	// before the peer is given up on.  It is measured from enqueue, so
 	// it covers a peer that queues us and never starts as well as one
@@ -255,14 +260,13 @@ type slskdSearch struct {
 
 // slskdResponse is one peer's answer to a search.
 type slskdResponse struct {
-	Username           string      `json:"username"`
-	HasFreeUploadSlot  bool        `json:"hasFreeUploadSlot"`
-	QueueLength        int         `json:"queueLength"`
-	UploadSpeed        int64       `json:"uploadSpeed"`
-	Files              []slskdFile `json:"files"`
-	LockedFileCount    int         `json:"lockedFileCount"`
-	FileCount          int         `json:"fileCount"`
-	FreeUploadSlotFlag bool        `json:"freeUploadSlots"`
+	Username          string      `json:"username"`
+	HasFreeUploadSlot bool        `json:"hasFreeUploadSlot"`
+	QueueLength       int         `json:"queueLength"`
+	UploadSpeed       int64       `json:"uploadSpeed"`
+	Files             []slskdFile `json:"files"`
+	LockedFileCount   int         `json:"lockedFileCount"`
+	FileCount         int         `json:"fileCount"`
 }
 
 // slskdFile is one file a peer is offering.
@@ -270,7 +274,9 @@ type slskdFile struct {
 	Filename string `json:"filename"`
 	Size     int64  `json:"size"`
 	BitRate  int    `json:"bitRate"`
-	Length   int    `json:"length"`
+
+	// Length is the duration in whole seconds.
+	Length int `json:"length"`
 }
 
 // slskdTransfer is one download's state.
@@ -302,24 +308,89 @@ func (t slskdTransfer) done() (finished, ok bool) {
 // per-folder candidates.  A folder from one peer is the unit a user
 // actually wants: Soulseek has no album concept, but people organise
 // their shares by album directory.
+//
+// Up to two queries run at once — the request as written and a
+// normalised form of it (see slskdQueries) — and their candidates are
+// merged.  They run concurrently rather than as a fallback because the
+// manager gives a provider one search budget, and a Soulseek search
+// spends most of it waiting for peers to answer; a second query after
+// the first would not fit.
 func (s *slskd) Search(ctx context.Context, dl Download) ([]Candidate, error) {
+	queries := slskdQueries(dl)
+	if len(queries) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	type found struct {
+		candidates []Candidate
+		err        error
+	}
+
+	results := make(chan found, len(queries))
+
+	for _, q := range queries {
+		go func(q string) {
+			c, err := s.searchOnce(ctx, q, minFilesFor(dl))
+			results <- found{candidates: c, err: err}
+		}(q)
+	}
+
+	var (
+		out      []Candidate
+		seen     = map[string]bool{}
+		firstErr error
+		answered int
+	)
+
+	for range queries {
+		r := <-results
+		if r.err != nil {
+			s.logger.Debug("slskd search failed", "error", r.err)
+
+			if firstErr == nil {
+				firstErr = r.err
+			}
+
+			continue
+		}
+
+		answered++
+
+		// The same peer's folder turns up under both queries; the ID is
+		// peer and folder, so it is the same candidate.
+		for _, c := range r.candidates {
+			if seen[c.ID] {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			seen[c.ID] = true
+
+			out = append(out, c)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if answered == 0 {
+		return nil, firstErr
+	}
+
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+// searchOnce runs one query to completion and returns its candidates.
+func (s *slskd) searchOnce(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	text string,
+	minFiles int,
+) ([]Candidate, error) {
 	// slskd's search endpoint deserializes id as a .NET Guid server-side,
 	// so it must be a dashed UUID — the app's own newID() (a plain hex
 	// string, used for request/item IDs elsewhere) is rejected with an
 	// HTTP 400 before any search happens.
 	searchID := uuid.NewString()
 
-	body := map[string]any{
-		"id":         searchID,
-		"searchText": dl.SearchText(),
-	}
-
-	if err := s.client.post(ctx, "/api/v0/searches", body, nil); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	search, err := s.awaitSearch(ctx, searchID)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := s.client.post(
+		ctx, "/api/v0/searches", s.searchRequest(searchID, text, minFiles), nil,
+	); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -331,7 +402,123 @@ func (s *slskd) Search(ctx context.Context, dl Download) ([]Candidate, error) {
 		)
 	}()
 
-	return s.candidatesFrom(search, minFilesFor(dl)), nil
+	if err := s.awaitSearch(ctx, searchID); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	responses, err := s.searchResponses(ctx, searchID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return s.candidatesFrom(responses, minFiles), nil
+}
+
+// searchRequest is the body that starts a search.
+//
+// Every option is stated rather than left to the daemon, because
+// slskd's defaults are its own and not ours.  Its search timeout in
+// particular has to finish inside our wait: a search that slskd is still
+// running when we stop polling is results we asked for and discarded.
+// The response and file limits are raised well above what a popular
+// album produces, and the peer filters let slskd drop answers this
+// provider would only score down to nothing — a folder too small to be
+// a candidate, a peer with a queue it will not reach today.
+func (s *slskd) searchRequest(id, text string, minFiles int) map[string]any {
+	const (
+		responseLimit          = 500
+		fileLimit              = 20_000
+		maximumPeerQueueLength = 100
+	)
+
+	// A tenth of the wait is left for the last poll and the responses
+	// fetch.
+	timeout := s.searchWait - s.searchWait/10
+
+	return map[string]any{
+		"id":                       id,
+		"searchText":               text,
+		"searchTimeout":            timeout.Milliseconds(),
+		"responseLimit":            responseLimit,
+		"fileLimit":                fileLimit,
+		"filterResponses":          true,
+		"minimumResponseFileCount": minFiles,
+		"maximumPeerQueueLength":   maximumPeerQueueLength,
+	}
+}
+
+// slskdQueries is what is searched for a request: the request's own
+// search text, and a normalised form of it when that differs.
+//
+// Soulseek matches every term against the file's full path, so each
+// extra word is a filter, and some words filter wrongly:
+//
+//   - edition qualifiers — "(Deluxe Edition)", "[2011 Remaster]" — are
+//     in the catalog's title and rarely in anyone's folder name;
+//   - punctuation splits a term oddly, and a term that starts with "-"
+//     is an *exclusion*, so an album called "-ism" searches for
+//     everything without it;
+//   - "Various Artists" is in no one's path for a compilation.
+//
+// A query the user typed is theirs and is searched exactly as written.
+func slskdQueries(dl Download) []string {
+	primary := strings.TrimSpace(dl.SearchText())
+	if primary == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	out := []string{primary}
+
+	if dl.Query != "" {
+		return out
+	}
+
+	artist := dl.Artist
+	if isVariousArtists(artist) {
+		artist = ""
+	}
+
+	normal := Download{
+		Artist: normalizeSearchTerms(artist),
+		Album:  normalizeSearchTerms(editionPattern.ReplaceAllString(dl.Album, " ")),
+	}
+
+	if alt := strings.TrimSpace(normal.SearchText()); alt != "" &&
+		!strings.EqualFold(alt, primary) {
+		out = append(out, alt)
+	}
+
+	return out
+}
+
+var (
+	// editionPattern finds an edition qualifier: a bracketed group that
+	// names an edition, or a trailing " - 2011 Remaster".
+	editionPattern = regexp.MustCompile(
+		`(?i)\s*[(\[][^)\]]*\b(?:deluxe|edition|remaster(?:ed)?|expanded|` +
+			`anniversary|bonus|explicit|reissue|special|collector'?s?|` +
+			`version|mono|stereo)\b[^)\]]*[)\]]` +
+			`|\s+-\s+(?:\d{4}\s+)?remaster(?:ed)?\b.*$`,
+	)
+
+	// nonWordPattern is everything that is not a letter or a digit.
+	nonWordPattern = regexp.MustCompile(`[^\p{L}\p{N}]+`)
+)
+
+// normalizeSearchTerms reduces text to plain words.
+func normalizeSearchTerms(s string) string {
+	return strings.Join(strings.Fields(nonWordPattern.ReplaceAllString(s, " ")), " ")
+}
+
+// isVariousArtists reports whether an artist credit is a compilation's
+// placeholder rather than an artist.
+func isVariousArtists(artist string) bool {
+	switch strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(artist)) {
+	case "various artists", "various", "va":
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
 }
 
 // minFilesFor is the fewest audio files a folder must offer to be a
@@ -354,47 +541,83 @@ func minFilesFor(dl Download) int {
 // awaitSearch polls until the search completes or the budget runs out.
 // A timeout is not an error: partial Soulseek results are normal and
 // often good enough.
-func (s *slskd) awaitSearch(
-	ctx context.Context,
-	searchID string,
-) (slskdSearch, error) {
+//
+// The poll asks for the search's state only.  It used to ask for every
+// response on every one-second tick, which for a popular album is the
+// same few thousand file entries serialised twenty times to be read
+// once; searchResponses fetches them once at the end.
+func (s *slskd) awaitSearch(ctx context.Context, searchID string) error {
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(s.searchWait)
 
-	var last slskdSearch
-
 	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return last, fmt.Errorf("%w: search cancelled", ErrSlskdTimeout)
+			return fmt.Errorf("%w: search cancelled", ErrSlskdTimeout)
 		case <-time.After(s.searchPoll):
 		}
 
 		var search slskdSearch
 
 		if err := s.client.get(
-			ctx,
-			"/api/v0/searches/"+searchID+"?includeResponses=true",
-			&search,
+			ctx, "/api/v0/searches/"+searchID, &search,
 		); err != nil {
-			return last, err
+			return err
 		}
 
-		last = search
-
 		if search.IsComplete {
-			return search, nil
+			return nil
 		}
 	}
 
-	return last, nil
+	return nil
+}
+
+// searchResponses fetches a search's responses once.
+//
+// `/searches/{id}/responses` is the endpoint for that; a daemon that
+// does not answer it is asked the older way, with the search itself
+// carrying its responses, so an older slskd degrades to the previous
+// behaviour rather than to no results at all.
+func (s *slskd) searchResponses(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	searchID string,
+) ([]slskdResponse, error) {
+	var responses []slskdResponse
+
+	err := s.client.get(
+		ctx, "/api/v0/searches/"+searchID+"/responses", &responses,
+	)
+	if err == nil {
+		return responses, nil
+	}
+
+	s.logger.Debug(
+		"slskd responses endpoint failed; asking with the search",
+		"error", err,
+	)
+
+	var search slskdSearch
+
+	if err := s.client.get(
+		ctx,
+		"/api/v0/searches/"+searchID+"?includeResponses=true",
+		&search,
+	); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return search.Responses, nil
 }
 
 // candidatesFrom groups a search's responses into candidates, dropping
 // folders with fewer than minFiles audio files.
-func (s *slskd) candidatesFrom(search slskdSearch, minFiles int) []Candidate {
-	out := make([]Candidate, 0, len(search.Responses))
+func (s *slskd) candidatesFrom(
+	responses []slskdResponse,
+	minFiles int,
+) []Candidate {
+	out := make([]Candidate, 0, len(responses))
 
-	for _, resp := range search.Responses {
+	for _, resp := range responses {
 		for folder, files := range groupByFolder(resp.Files) {
 			audio := 0
 
@@ -414,6 +637,8 @@ func (s *slskd) candidatesFrom(search slskdSearch, minFiles int) []Candidate {
 					Format:  format,
 					Bitrate: f.BitRate,
 					IsAudio: isAudio,
+
+					LengthMillis: int64(f.Length) * millisPerSecond,
 				})
 
 				total += f.Size
@@ -462,7 +687,7 @@ func groupByFolder(files []slskdFile) map[string][]slskdFile {
 func peerHealth(r slskdResponse) float64 {
 	score := 0.35
 
-	if r.HasFreeUploadSlot || r.FreeUploadSlotFlag {
+	if r.HasFreeUploadSlot {
 		score += 0.4
 	}
 
@@ -518,6 +743,12 @@ func (s *slskd) Grab(
 	// first poll came back — an old failure failing a transfer that has
 	// not started.  So what is already terminal is noted before enqueueing
 	// and ignored after.
+	release, err := lockSlskdFolders(ctx, s.localFolders(c))
+	if err != nil {
+		return Result{}, err
+	}
+	defer release()
+
 	stale := s.terminalTransferIDs(ctx, username)
 
 	wanted := make([]map[string]any, 0, len(c.Files))
@@ -543,6 +774,59 @@ func (s *slskd) Grab(
 	return s.collect(c, dst)
 }
 
+// slskdFolders serialises grabs that land in the same local folder.
+//
+// slskd names a download's directory after the remote *leaf* folder, so
+// two different albums both shared as "Greatest Hits" — or any two
+// multi-disc rips, whose leaves are "CD1" and "CD2" — are written into
+// one directory, and collect finds files by name there.  Run at once,
+// a file one peer never sent is filled by the other peer's file of the
+// same name.  One grab per peer made that impossible; several peers at
+// once makes it likely.  It is package-level and keyed on the full
+// path because two configured clients can share one daemon.
+var slskdFolders keyedLock[string]
+
+// localFolders returns the directories under downloadsPath a candidate's
+// files will be written to, sorted so every grab takes them in the same
+// order and two cannot each hold what the other waits for.
+func (s *slskd) localFolders(c Candidate) []string {
+	var out []string
+
+	for _, f := range c.Files {
+		norm := strings.ReplaceAll(f.Path, `\`, "/")
+		out = append(out, filepath.Join(s.downloadsPath, path.Base(path.Dir(norm))))
+	}
+
+	slices.Sort(out)
+
+	return slices.Compact(out)
+}
+
+// lockSlskdFolders takes every folder in order, releasing what it holds
+// if the context ends part way.
+func lockSlskdFolders(ctx context.Context, folders []string) (func(), error) {
+	releases := make([]func(), 0, len(folders))
+
+	releaseAll := func() {
+		for _, r := range slices.Backward(releases) {
+			r()
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, f := range folders {
+		r, err := slskdFolders.acquire(ctx, f)
+		if err != nil {
+			releaseAll()
+
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		releases = append(releases, r)
+	}
+
+	return releaseAll, nil
+}
+
 // slskdDownloadsPath is the transfers endpoint for one peer.  Soulseek
 // usernames may contain spaces and punctuation, so the name is escaped
 // rather than spliced into the path.

backend/download/provider_slskd_test.go

@@ -46,6 +46,15 @@ type slskdStub struct {
 
 	// unauthorized makes every call return 401.
 	unauthorized bool
+
+	// searches records every search request body, and searchGets the
+	// request URI of every search GET.
+	searches   []map[string]any
+	searchGets []string
+
+	// noResponsesEndpoint makes /searches/{id}/responses 404, as an
+	// older daemon would.
+	noResponsesEndpoint bool
 }
 
 func newSlskdStub(t *testing.T) *slskdStub {
@@ -67,6 +76,16 @@ func newSlskdStub(t *testing.T) *slskdStub {
 			return
 		}
 
+		var body map[string]any
+
+		if err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&body); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("decode search body: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		s.mu.Lock()
+		s.searches = append(s.searches, body)
+		s.mu.Unlock()
+
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
 	})
 
@@ -83,8 +102,26 @@ func newSlskdStub(t *testing.T) *slskdStub {
 
 		s.mu.Lock()
 		responses := s.responses
+		noEndpoint := s.noResponsesEndpoint
+		s.searchGets = append(s.searchGets, r.URL.RequestURI())
 		s.mu.Unlock()
 
+		if strings.HasSuffix(r.URL.Path, "/responses") {
+			if noEndpoint {
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
+
+				return
+			}
+
+			writeJSON(t, w, responses)
+
+			return
+		}
+
+		if r.URL.Query().Get("includeResponses") != "true" {
+			responses = nil
+		}
+
 		writeJSON(t, w, slskdSearch{
 			ID:         "search-1",
 			IsComplete: true,

backend/download/rank.go

@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ const (
 	weightArtistFit    = 0.12
 )
 
+// Match sub-weights when the candidate's durations are known.  Duration
+// takes its weight from title fit, the signal it corroborates: a title
+// says which song a file claims to be, a length says whether it is that
+// recording — the right edit, the whole file, not the live take.
+const (
+	timedWeightTitleFit    = 0.25
+	timedWeightDurationFit = 0.15
+)
+
 // Quality sub-weights.  Each set sums to 1.0.
 //
 // There are two of them because a stated preference changes what the
@@ -319,13 +328,13 @@ func Score(dl Download, c Candidate, priority int, prefs AutoDownloadPrefs) Cand
 
 	audio := c.AudioFiles()
 
-	matched, titleFit := matchFiles(audio, dl.Expected)
+	a := alignFiles(audio, dl.Expected)
 
 	// Write the alignment back so the picker can show which file maps
 	// to which track.
-	c.Files = mergeMatched(c.Files, matched)
+	c.Files = mergeMatched(c.Files, a.files)
 
-	c.Match = scoreMatch(dl, c, audio, titleFit)
+	c.Match = scoreMatch(dl, c, audio, a)
 	c.Quality = scoreQuality(
 		c, audio, priority, prefs, dl.runtimeMillis(),
 	)
@@ -340,11 +349,16 @@ func scoreMatch(
 	dl Download,
 	c Candidate,
 	audio []CandidateFile,
-	titleFit float64,
+	a alignment,
 ) MatchScore {
 	m := MatchScore{
-		Anchored: dl.Anchored(),
-		TitleFit: titleFit,
+		Anchored:    dl.Anchored(),
+		TitleFit:    a.titleFit,
+		DurationFit: a.durationFit,
+
+		// Durations count once at least half the aligned pairs state
+		// one; a single timed pair would be a coin toss carrying 15%.
+		DurationKnown: a.timedPairs > 0 && a.timedPairs*2 >= a.aligned,
 	}
 
 	m.Completeness = completeness(
@@ -369,9 +383,16 @@ func scoreMatch(
 	// With no expected tracklist there is no title signal at all, so
 	// redistribute its weight onto the album/artist evidence rather
 	// than scoring every free-text result as half-wrong.
-	if len(dl.Expected) == 0 {
+	switch {
+	case len(dl.Expected) == 0:
 		m.Overall = 0.55*m.AlbumFit + 0.45*m.ArtistFit
-	} else {
+	case m.DurationKnown:
+		m.Overall = timedWeightTitleFit*m.TitleFit +
+			timedWeightDurationFit*m.DurationFit +
+			weightCompleteness*m.Completeness +
+			weightAlbumFit*m.AlbumFit +
+			weightArtistFit*m.ArtistFit
+	default:
 		m.Overall = weightTitleFit*m.TitleFit +
 			weightCompleteness*m.Completeness +
 			weightAlbumFit*m.AlbumFit +

backend/download/search_recall_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,238 @@
+package download
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// What Soulseek is asked, how, and what is kept from the answer (#271).
+
+func TestSlskdQueries(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		name string
+		dl   Download
+		want []string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "a plain request is searched once",
+			dl:   Download{Artist: "Radiohead", Album: "OK Computer"},
+			want: []string{"Radiohead OK Computer"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "an edition qualifier gets a second query without it",
+			dl:   Download{Artist: "Radiohead", Album: "OK Computer (Collector's Edition)"},
+			want: []string{
+				"Radiohead OK Computer (Collector's Edition)",
+				"Radiohead OK Computer",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "a trailing remaster note",
+			dl:   Download{Artist: "Pink Floyd", Album: "Animals - 2018 Remaster"},
+			want: []string{
+				"Pink Floyd Animals - 2018 Remaster",
+				"Pink Floyd Animals",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "a leading dash would be an exclusion",
+			dl:   Download{Artist: "Mocky", Album: "-ism"},
+			want: []string{"Mocky -ism", "Mocky ism"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "a compilation is not searched by its placeholder artist",
+			dl:   Download{Artist: "Various Artists", Album: "Pulp Fiction"},
+			want: []string{"Various Artists Pulp Fiction", "Pulp Fiction"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "what the user typed is searched as written",
+			dl:   Download{Query: "ok computer (deluxe)", Album: "OK Computer (Deluxe)"},
+			want: []string{"ok computer (deluxe)"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			got := slskdQueries(tc.dl)
+			if strings.Join(got, "|") != strings.Join(tc.want, "|") {
+				t.Errorf("slskdQueries = %q, want %q", got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// Both queries run, the options are stated rather than left to the
+// daemon's defaults, and a folder both queries found is one candidate.
+func TestSlskdSearchRunsBothQueriesAndMerges(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stub := newSlskdStub(t)
+	stub.responses = []slskdResponse{{
+		Username: "peer",
+		Files: []slskdFile{
+			{Filename: `\m\Radiohead - OK Computer\01 Airbag.flac`, Size: 1, Length: 284},
+			{Filename: `\m\Radiohead - OK Computer\02 Paranoid Android.flac`, Size: 1, Length: 383},
+		},
+	}}
+
+	s, _ := newStubSlskd(t, stub)
+
+	got, err := s.Search(context.Background(), Download{
+		ReleaseMBID: "rel", Artist: "Radiohead", Album: "OK Computer (Deluxe Edition)",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Search: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(got) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("got %d candidates, want the one folder once", len(got))
+	}
+
+	if got[0].Files[0].LengthMillis != 284_000 {
+		t.Errorf("length = %d ms, want 284000 from slskd's seconds", got[0].Files[0].LengthMillis)
+	}
+
+	stub.mu.Lock()
+	searches := append([]map[string]any(nil), stub.searches...)
+	gets := append([]string(nil), stub.searchGets...)
+	stub.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if len(searches) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("ran %d searches, want 2", len(searches))
+	}
+
+	for _, body := range searches {
+		for _, key := range []string{
+			"searchTimeout", "responseLimit", "fileLimit",
+			"minimumResponseFileCount", "maximumPeerQueueLength",
+		} {
+			if _, ok := body[key]; !ok {
+				t.Errorf("search %q does not state %s", body["searchText"], key)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// The responses are fetched once at the end, not with every poll.
+	for _, uri := range gets {
+		if strings.Contains(uri, "includeResponses") {
+			t.Errorf("poll %s asked for every response", uri)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// A daemon without the responses endpoint still returns results.
+func TestSlskdSearchFallsBackForAnOlderDaemon(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stub := newSlskdStub(t)
+	stub.noResponsesEndpoint = true
+	stub.responses = []slskdResponse{{
+		Username: "peer",
+		Files: []slskdFile{
+			{Filename: `\m\Album\01 A.flac`, Size: 1},
+			{Filename: `\m\Album\02 B.flac`, Size: 1},
+		},
+	}}
+
+	s, _ := newStubSlskd(t, stub)
+
+	got, err := s.Search(context.Background(), Download{Query: "album"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Search: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(got) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("got %d candidates, want 1 through the fallback", len(got))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDurationAgreement(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cases := []struct {
+		got, want int64
+		score     float64
+	}{
+		{300_000, 300_000, 1},
+		{301_500, 300_000, 1}, // a second of silence
+		{300_000, 316_500, 0.5},
+		{300_000, 345_000, 0}, // a different edit
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		if got := durationAgreement(tc.got, tc.want); got < tc.score-0.01 || got > tc.score+0.01 {
+			t.Errorf("durationAgreement(%d, %d) = %f, want %f", tc.got, tc.want, got, tc.score)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Two folders with the same track names are told apart by their
+// lengths: one is the album, the other a live record of the same songs.
+func TestDurationsSeparateTheRightRecording(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	dl := okComputer()
+
+	timed := func(id string, lengths ...int64) Candidate {
+		c := candidateFor(id, allTitles(), ".flac", 30_000_000)
+		for i := range c.Files {
+			c.Files[i].LengthMillis = lengths[i]
+		}
+
+		return c
+	}
+
+	studio := timed("studio", trackMillis, trackMillis+1_000, trackMillis, trackMillis-500)
+	live := timed(
+		"live",
+		trackMillis+60_000,
+		trackMillis+75_000,
+		trackMillis+50_000,
+		trackMillis+90_000,
+	)
+
+	ranked := Rank(dl, []Candidate{live, studio}, nil, AutoDownloadPrefs{})
+
+	if ranked[0].ID != "studio" {
+		t.Fatalf("winner = %s, want the recording whose lengths match", ranked[0].ID)
+	}
+
+	if !ranked[0].Match.DurationKnown || ranked[0].Match.DurationFit < 0.99 {
+		t.Errorf(
+			"studio duration fit = %f known=%v",
+			ranked[0].Match.DurationFit,
+			ranked[0].Match.DurationKnown,
+		)
+	}
+
+	if ranked[1].Match.DurationFit != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("live duration fit = %f, want 0", ranked[1].Match.DurationFit)
+	}
+}
+
+// Without lengths the score is exactly what it was before durations
+// were read, so a provider that reports none is not penalised.
+func TestUnknownDurationsLeaveTheScoreAlone(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	dl := okComputer()
+	c := Score(dl, candidateFor("c", allTitles(), ".flac", 30_000_000), 50, AutoDownloadPrefs{})
+
+	if c.Match.DurationKnown {
+		t.Fatal("no file states a length, yet durations are known")
+	}
+
+	want := weightTitleFit*c.Match.TitleFit +
+		weightCompleteness*c.Match.Completeness +
+		weightAlbumFit*c.Match.AlbumFit +
+		weightArtistFit*c.Match.ArtistFit
+
+	if c.Match.Overall != want {
+		t.Errorf("match = %f, want the untimed formula's %f", c.Match.Overall, want)
+	}
+}

backend/download/types.go

@@ -232,12 +232,17 @@ type Candidate struct {
 // results give paths and sizes but no tags, so Format and duration are
 // inferred from the path and size where possible.
 type CandidateFile struct {
-	Path      string `json:"path"`
-	Size      int64  `json:"size"`
-	Format    Format `json:"format"`
-	Bitrate   int    `json:"bitrate,omitempty"` // kbps, 0 when unknown
-	IsAudio   bool   `json:"isAudio"`
-	MatchedTo int    `json:"matchedTo,omitempty"` // expected track position
+	Path    string `json:"path"`
+	Size    int64  `json:"size"`
+	Format  Format `json:"format"`
+	Bitrate int    `json:"bitrate,omitempty"` // kbps, 0 when unknown
+	IsAudio bool   `json:"isAudio"`
+
+	// LengthMillis is the file's duration as the source reports it, or
+	// 0 when it does not.  Soulseek reports it for most audio files.
+	LengthMillis int64 `json:"lengthMillis,omitempty"`
+
+	MatchedTo int `json:"matchedTo,omitempty"` // expected track position
 }
 
 // Format is a normalized audio container/codec name.
@@ -286,7 +291,14 @@ type MatchScore struct {
 	TitleFit     float64 `json:"titleFit"`     // filenames vs expected titles
 	ArtistFit    float64 `json:"artistFit"`    // path/origin vs expected artist
 	AlbumFit     float64 `json:"albumFit"`     // folder name vs album title
-	Completeness float64 `json:"completeness"` // audio files vs expected count
+	Completeness float64 `json:"completeness"` // aligned tracks vs expected count
+
+	// DurationFit is how well the aligned files' lengths agree with the
+	// expected tracks', and DurationKnown whether enough of them stated
+	// a length for that to count.  When it does not, the score is the
+	// four text signals alone, exactly as before durations were read.
+	DurationFit   float64 `json:"durationFit"`
+	DurationKnown bool    `json:"durationKnown"`
 
 	// Anchored records whether an MBID drove this score.  Unanchored
 	// matches are capped, because there is nothing to be right about.

backend/explore/artifactimport.go

@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 package explore
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
+	"database/sql/driver"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -283,6 +285,25 @@ func (si *SearchIndex) importCoreArtifact(ctx context.Context, path string) erro
 	}
 
 	merged, mergeErr := si.mergeArtifactRows(ctx, info.rows)
+
+	// Every row the artifact declares has to land.  The walk partitions
+	// the artifact's key space, so a total short of info.rows does not
+	// mean the artifact was smaller than it said -- it means a predicate
+	// filtered rows out, and the catalog is quietly partial.  Equality
+	// rather than a lower bound because RowsAffected counts an upsert
+	// that changes nothing, and a row already merged locally is counted
+	// again here.
+	//
+	// One reachable case, so this is not merely a tripwire: a row whose
+	// mbid is empty is excluded by `mbid > ?` in both encodings, and an
+	// artifact carrying one would otherwise import as complete.
+	if mergeErr == nil && merged != info.rows {
+		mergeErr = fmt.Errorf(
+			"%w: merged %d of %d rows — a row the artifact holds was not selected",
+			ErrArtifactUnusable, merged, info.rows,
+		)
+	}
+
 	if mergeErr == nil {
 		si.mergeArtifactCredits(ctx)
 	}
@@ -348,8 +369,12 @@ func (si *SearchIndex) analyzeIndex() {
 // is an index range scan and a cancelled import leaves committed work
 // behind rather than rolling it all back.
 func (si *SearchIndex) mergeArtifactRows(ctx context.Context, total int) (int, error) {
+	// Asked once, because it is a property of the file and it decides
+	// how the walk's own comparisons are typed.  See artifactKey.
+	storesText := si.artifactStoresText()
+
 	selectColumns := artifactSelectColumns(
-		si.artifactStoresText(), si.artifactHasTotals(),
+		storesText, si.artifactHasTotals(),
 	)
 
 	insertSQL := `
@@ -367,7 +392,7 @@ func (si *SearchIndex) mergeArtifactRows(ctx context.Context, total int) (int, e
 		WHERE mbid > ? AND mbid <= ?` + upsertIndexConflictSQL
 
 	var (
-		cursor string
+		cursor artifactKey
 		merged int
 	)
 
@@ -376,17 +401,30 @@ func (si *SearchIndex) mergeArtifactRows(ctx context.Context, total int) (int, e
 			return merged, err
 		}
 
-		upper, hasUpper, err := si.artifactBatchBound(cursor)
+		upper, hasUpper, err := si.artifactBatchBound(storesText, cursor)
 		if err != nil {
 			return merged, err
 		}
 
+		if hasUpper && bytes.Compare(upper, cursor) <= 0 {
+			// The predicate matched the cursor itself, so the walk can
+			// never advance.  SQLite says nothing when a comparison is
+			// made between types it will not coerce - the query simply
+			// answers wrongly - so a mismatch here would otherwise spin
+			// forever behind an unmoving progress bar.  Fail instead.
+			return merged, fmt.Errorf(
+				"%w: artifact walk did not advance past %x",
+				ErrArtifactUnusable, []byte(cursor),
+			)
+		}
+
 		var res sql.Result
 
 		if hasUpper {
-			res, err = si.db.ExecContext(insertRangeSQL, cursor, upper)
+			res, err = si.db.ExecContext(insertRangeSQL,
+				cursor.bind(storesText), upper.bind(storesText))
 		} else {
-			res, err = si.db.ExecContext(insertSQL, cursor)
+			res, err = si.db.ExecContext(insertSQL, cursor.bind(storesText))
 		}
 
 		if err != nil {
@@ -413,26 +451,65 @@ func (si *SearchIndex) mergeArtifactRows(ctx context.Context, total int) (int, e
 	}
 }
 
+// artifactKey is one MBID as the attached artifact stores it: 16 raw
+// bytes in a compact artifact, the dashed 36-character form in one
+// published before that storage change.
+//
+// It is a type with a bind method rather than a string because the
+// comparison it feeds is typed, and the wrong type is silent.  SQLite
+// does not coerce between TEXT and BLOB and orders every blob after
+// every text value, so a cursor bound as text against a byte column
+// makes `mbid > ?` true of the whole table - the walk rediscovers the
+// same batch bound forever, and `mbid <= ?` false of the whole table,
+// so no batch merges at all.  Nothing errors; the import simply never
+// finishes.  bind is the one place that knows which form the column is
+// in, decided by artifactStoresText, which asks the artifact rather than
+// trusting a version number.
+type artifactKey []byte
+
+// bind renders the key as a statement argument in the artifact's own
+// encoding.
+func (k artifactKey) bind(storesText bool) driver.Value {
+	if storesText {
+		return string(k)
+	}
+
+	// Never nil.  database/sql converts a nil []byte to SQL NULL, and
+	// `mbid > NULL` is NULL for every row - so an unset cursor would
+	// agree with nothing and import nothing, which is the same silently
+	// empty merge this type exists to prevent, one type over.
+	if k == nil {
+		return []byte{}
+	}
+
+	return []byte(k)
+}
+
 // artifactBatchBound returns the MBID that ends the next batch, and
 // whether one exists — no bound means the remainder is the last batch.
-func (si *SearchIndex) artifactBatchBound(cursor string) (string, bool, error) {
-	var bound string
+//
+// The bound is read out of the artifact and handed back as an
+// artifactKey, because it becomes the next comparison the walk makes.
+func (si *SearchIndex) artifactBatchBound(
+	storesText bool, cursor artifactKey,
+) (artifactKey, bool, error) {
+	var bound []byte
 
 	err := si.db.QueryRowWriter(
 		`SELECT mbid FROM core.explore_index
 		 WHERE mbid > ? ORDER BY mbid LIMIT 1 OFFSET ?`,
-		cursor, artifactMergeBatch-1,
+		cursor.bind(storesText), artifactMergeBatch-1,
 	).Scan(&bound)
 
 	if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
-		return "", false, nil
+		return nil, false, nil
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", false, fmt.Errorf("%w: batch bound: %w", ErrArtifactUnusable, err)
+		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("%w: batch bound: %w", ErrArtifactUnusable, err)
 	}
 
-	return bound, true, nil
+	return artifactKey(bound), true, nil
 }
 
 // stampArtifactMeta records what the merge established: the catalog half

backend/explore/artifactimport_test.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package explore
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/hex"
@@ -71,13 +72,7 @@ func writeTestArtifact(
 		}
 	}
 
-	for k, v := range meta {
-		if _, err := db.Exec(
-			`INSERT INTO artifact_meta (key, value) VALUES (?, ?)`, k, v,
-		); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("stamp artifact meta: %v", err)
-		}
-	}
+	stampArtifactMeta(t, db, meta)
 
 	for _, r := range rows {
 		if _, err := db.Exec(`
@@ -93,6 +88,101 @@ func writeTestArtifact(
 	return path
 }
 
+// compactArtifactSchema is the artifact cmd/indexexport publishes: the
+// catalog's ids as 16 raw bytes, its entity types as codes, and the
+// per-release-group total_tracks the exporter added after the first
+// artifact was shipped.
+//
+// It matters that a fixture carries this encoding and not the older
+// text one, because SQLite does not coerce between TEXT and BLOB and
+// every comparison the importer makes against an mbid is therefore
+// encoding-sensitive.  writeTestArtifact above is the *other* fixture:
+// it still writes the text form, which is what the first published
+// artifact carries and what the importer must keep reading.
+var compactArtifactSchema = []string{
+	`CREATE TABLE explore_index (
+		entity_type      INTEGER NOT NULL,
+		mbid             BLOB NOT NULL,
+		title            TEXT NOT NULL,
+		artist_name      TEXT NOT NULL,
+		artist_mbid      BLOB NOT NULL,
+		aliases          TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		popularity       INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+		listener_count   INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+		duration         INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+		caa_release_mbid BLOB NOT NULL DEFAULT x'',
+		release_name     TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		primary_type     TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		secondary_types  TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		release_date     TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		total_tracks     INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+		artist_type      TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		country          TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		disambiguation   TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		sort_name        TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+		discog_fetched   INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+		PRIMARY KEY (mbid)
+	) WITHOUT ROWID`,
+	`CREATE TABLE artifact_meta (
+		key   TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
+		value TEXT NOT NULL
+	)`,
+}
+
+// writeCompactTestArtifact builds the artifact the exporter publishes
+// today, in its own encoding, so the importer is exercised against what
+// a client actually downloads rather than against what it was written
+// for.
+func writeCompactTestArtifact(
+	t *testing.T, meta map[string]string, rows []artifactRow,
+) string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "core-index.db")
+
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite", "file:"+path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open artifact: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	defer func() { _ = db.Close() }()
+
+	for _, stmt := range compactArtifactSchema {
+		if _, err := db.Exec(stmt); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("create artifact schema: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	stampArtifactMeta(t, db, meta)
+
+	for _, r := range rows {
+		if _, err := db.Exec(`
+			INSERT INTO explore_index
+				(entity_type, mbid, title, artist_name, artist_mbid, popularity)
+			VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)`,
+			entityCode(r.entityType), mbidBytes(r.mbid), r.title,
+			r.artistName, mbidBytes(r.artistMBID), r.popularity,
+		); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("insert artifact row: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return path
+}
+
+// stampArtifactMeta writes the artifact_meta rows a fixture declares.
+func stampArtifactMeta(t *testing.T, db *sql.DB, meta map[string]string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	for k, v := range meta {
+		if _, err := db.Exec(
+			`INSERT INTO artifact_meta (key, value) VALUES (?, ?)`, k, v,
+		); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("stamp artifact meta: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // validMeta is the artifact_meta a well-formed artifact carries.
 func validMeta() map[string]string {
 	return map[string]string{
@@ -270,6 +360,71 @@ func TestImportCoreArtifactBatchWalkCoversAllRows(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestImportCoreArtifactBatchWalkCoversAllRowsCompact is the batch walk
+// on the encoding the exporter actually publishes.
+//
+// The walk positions itself by comparing the artifact's own mbid column
+// against the last id it reached, and that column holds 16 raw bytes.
+// SQLite does not coerce between TEXT and BLOB, and a blob sorts after
+// every text value, so a cursor bound as text is a predicate that either
+// matches every row or none: `mbid > ?` with an empty text key is true
+// of the whole table, so
+// the 100th row is always the 100th row and the bound never advances,
+// while `mbid <= <text>` is false of the whole table, so no batch ever
+// merges.  The result is not a wrong import but an unbounded loop that
+// merges nothing and never fails.
+//
+// Both encodings are covered on purpose.  The walk was only ever tested
+// against the text fixture above, which is why it shipped broken on the
+// one the clients download.
+func TestImportCoreArtifactBatchWalkCoversAllRowsCompact(t *testing.T) {
+	db := database.NewTestDB(t)
+	si := NewSearchIndex(db, nil, nil, testLogger())
+
+	original := artifactMergeBatch
+	artifactMergeBatch = 100
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() { artifactMergeBatch = original })
+
+	const total = 337
+
+	rows := make([]artifactRow, 0, total)
+	for i := range total {
+		rows = append(rows, artifactRow{
+			entityType: EntityRecording,
+			mbid:       syntheticMBID(i),
+			title:      "Song",
+			artistName: "Artist",
+			artistMBID: artA,
+			popularity: i,
+		})
+	}
+
+	path := writeCompactTestArtifact(t, validMeta(), rows)
+
+	if err := si.importCoreArtifact(context.Background(), path); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("importCoreArtifact: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	var got, top int
+
+	if err := db.QueryRowWriter(
+		"SELECT COUNT(*), MAX(popularity) FROM explore_index",
+	).Scan(&got, &top); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("count rows: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if got != total {
+		t.Errorf("merged %d rows, want %d", got, total)
+	}
+
+	// A count alone would pass if the walk re-merged the same first
+	// batch forever, so the far end of the artifact is checked too.
+	if top != total-1 {
+		t.Errorf("highest popularity = %d, want %d", top, total-1)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestImportCoreArtifactRejectsBadArtifacts(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name string
@@ -454,61 +609,9 @@ func TestArtifactColumnsMatchExporter(t *testing.T) {
 // the importer decides by asking the artifact, not by trusting a
 // version number, and both must land identically.
 func TestImportCoreArtifactAcceptsBothEncodings(t *testing.T) {
-	compact := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "core-index.db")
-
-	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite", "file:"+compact)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("open artifact: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if _, err := db.Exec(`CREATE TABLE explore_index (
-		entity_type      INTEGER NOT NULL,
-		mbid             BLOB NOT NULL,
-		title            TEXT NOT NULL,
-		artist_name      TEXT NOT NULL,
-		artist_mbid      BLOB NOT NULL,
-		aliases          TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		popularity       INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
-		listener_count   INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
-		duration         INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
-		caa_release_mbid BLOB NOT NULL DEFAULT x'',
-		release_name     TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		primary_type     TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		secondary_types  TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		release_date     TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		artist_type      TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		country          TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		disambiguation   TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		sort_name        TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
-		discog_fetched   INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
-		PRIMARY KEY (mbid)
-	)`); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("create artifact table: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if _, err := db.Exec(
-		`CREATE TABLE artifact_meta (key TEXT PRIMARY KEY, value TEXT NOT NULL)`,
-	); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("create artifact meta: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	for k, v := range validMeta() {
-		if _, err := db.Exec(
-			"INSERT INTO artifact_meta (key, value) VALUES (?, ?)", k, v,
-		); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("write artifact meta: %v", err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	if _, err := db.Exec(`
-		INSERT INTO explore_index (entity_type, mbid, title, artist_name, artist_mbid, popularity)
-		VALUES (1, ?, 'Artist A', 'Artist A', ?, 5000)`,
-		mbidBytes(artA), mbidBytes(artA),
-	); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("write artifact row: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	_ = db.Close()
+	compact := writeCompactTestArtifact(t, validMeta(), []artifactRow{
+		{EntityArtist, artA, "Artist A", "Artist A", artA, 5000},
+	})
 
 	live := database.NewTestDB(t)
 	si := NewSearchIndex(live, nil, nil, testLogger())
@@ -748,3 +851,88 @@ func TestImportCoreArtifactWithoutCredits(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("credit refs = %d, want 0", refs)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestImportCoreArtifactRefusesAMergeThatLosesRows is the count guard's
+// positive case.
+//
+// The walk's predicates partition the artifact's key space, so a merge
+// that lands fewer rows than the artifact declares means a predicate
+// dropped some — and the failure is a catalog that looks populated and
+// is missing things nobody can name.  An empty mbid is the reachable
+// way to get there: `mbid > ?` is false of it in both encodings, so it
+// is never selected, and nothing else in the import would notice.
+func TestImportCoreArtifactRefusesAMergeThatLosesRows(t *testing.T) {
+	db := database.NewTestDB(t)
+	si := NewSearchIndex(db, nil, nil, testLogger())
+
+	path := writeCompactTestArtifact(t, validMeta(), []artifactRow{
+		{EntityArtist, artA, "Artist A", "Artist A", artA, 5000},
+		{EntityArtist, "", "Nameless", "Artist A", artA, 4000},
+	})
+
+	err := si.importCoreArtifact(context.Background(), path)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("a merge that lost a row was reported as a complete import")
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "merged 1 of 2 rows") {
+		t.Errorf("error = %v, want it to name the shortfall", err)
+	}
+
+	// And the same rule as every other rejection: a failed merge must not
+	// leave the index claiming it has a catalog, or the real build would
+	// never run again.
+	if si.hasMeta(dumpImportDoneKey) {
+		t.Error("a failed import still stamped dump_import_done")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestArtifactKeyBindsInTheArtifactsOwnEncoding pins the one place the
+// batch walk's comparison type is decided.
+//
+// Every wrong answer is silent, which is why it is worth pinning all
+// four.  SQLite does not coerce TEXT to BLOB and orders every blob after
+// every text value, so a text key against a byte column makes
+// `mbid > ?` true of the whole artifact - the cursor never advances and
+// the walk spins forever without merging a row - while a byte key
+// against a text column makes it false of the whole artifact, so every
+// batch merges nothing and the import "succeeds" empty.  An unset cursor
+// is the same fault once more: database/sql converts a nil []byte to
+// SQL NULL, and `mbid > NULL` matches no row at all.
+func TestArtifactKeyBindsInTheArtifactsOwnEncoding(t *testing.T) {
+	raw := mbidBytes(artA)
+
+	for _, tt := range []struct {
+		name string
+		key  artifactKey
+		want []byte
+	}{
+		{"unset", nil, []byte{}},
+		{"set", artifactKey(raw), raw},
+	} {
+		t.Run("bytes/"+tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, ok := tt.key.bind(false).([]byte)
+			if !ok {
+				t.Fatalf("bind(false) = %T, want []byte", tt.key.bind(false))
+			}
+
+			if got == nil {
+				t.Fatal("bound to SQL NULL, which matches no row")
+			}
+
+			if !bytes.Equal(got, tt.want) {
+				t.Errorf("bind(false) = %x, want %x", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+
+	// The dashed form is what an artifact published before the storage
+	// change carries, and it has to compare as text against text.
+	if got := artifactKey(nil).bind(true); got != "" {
+		t.Errorf("bind(true) on an unset cursor = %#v, want an empty string", got)
+	}
+
+	if got := artifactKey(artA).bind(true); got != artA {
+		t.Errorf("bind(true) = %#v, want %q", got, artA)
+	}
+}

backend/explore/publishedartifact_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,266 @@
+package explore
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"yellowjacket/backend/database"
+)
+
+// Import of the artifact we actually publish, as a client imports it.
+//
+// Every other test here builds a fixture, and a fixture is a second
+// description of the storage format that can be wrong in the same
+// direction as the code reading it.  That is how #258 shipped: the
+// importer positioned its batch walk with a Go `string` cursor against
+// the artifact's 16-byte `mbid` column, and SQLite neither coerces
+// between TEXT and BLOB nor complains about the comparison — so the walk
+// merged nothing and never advanced, and no install could finish its
+// first index build.  The fixture that guards the walk writes the old
+// text encoding; the only compact fixture is one row, below the batch
+// size, so the bound query never ran.  Both passed throughout.
+//
+// So this one takes the published file and runs the client's own path
+// over it — checksum, decompress, merge — and asserts that what the
+// artifact holds is what the client ends up with.
+//
+// It skips without the path, so an ordinary test run pays nothing for
+// it, and the publish job is where it is meant to run:
+//
+//	YJ_CORE_INDEX_ARTIFACT=/tmp/core-index.db.zst \
+//	  go test -tags indexbuild -run TestImportPublishedArtifact \
+//	  ./backend/explore/
+//
+// The indexbuild tag is not incidental: that job's container has no GTK,
+// and the default tag set links the app through Wails.
+
+// publishedArtifactEnv points at the published artifact: the compressed
+// core-index.db.zst, or the unpacked core-index.db.
+const publishedArtifactEnv = "YJ_CORE_INDEX_ARTIFACT"
+
+// artifactTotals is the pair this test compares across the boundary.
+//
+// Rows is the whole point — a merge that lands fewer of them than the
+// artifact declares is a catalog that looks populated and is missing
+// things nobody can name — and popularity is the half whose absence was
+// reported when it happened, because it arrives only through the merge.
+type artifactTotals struct {
+	rows       int
+	withListen int
+}
+
+func TestImportPublishedArtifact(t *testing.T) {
+	published := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv(publishedArtifactEnv))
+	if published == "" {
+		t.Skipf("set %s=<core-index.db.zst> to import the published artifact",
+			publishedArtifactEnv)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := os.Stat(published); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("%s: %v", publishedArtifactEnv, err)
+	}
+
+	// A file-backed database rather than NewTestDB's in-memory one: the
+	// artifact is ~135MB and a million rows, which is not a thing to hold
+	// in RAM inside a test.  YJ_HOME is how NewDB is pointed somewhere
+	// disposable, and going through NewDB means this is the constructor,
+	// the schema and the read pool the app itself opens.
+	//
+	// Nothing closes it, because nothing can: `DB` has no Close and the
+	// app's handles are process-lifetime by design.  The directory is
+	// unlinked at cleanup and the file goes with it.
+	t.Setenv("YJ_HOME", t.TempDir())
+
+	db, err := database.NewDB(testLogger())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open database: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	si := NewSearchIndex(db, nil, nil, testLogger())
+
+	// The checksum the publisher shipped, if it shipped one.  Every
+	// client verifies it and refuses the artifact when it does not
+	// match, so a wrong one breaks Explore for everyone who has not
+	// already imported — and nothing else would see it, because the
+	// comparison is between two files only the publisher has.
+	if want, ok := publishedChecksum(published); ok {
+		got, err := fileSHA256(published)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("checksum the artifact: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		if got != want {
+			t.Errorf("published artifact hashes to %s, but its .sha256 says %s",
+				got, want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	unpacked := unpackPublishedArtifact(t, si, published)
+
+	want, err := artifactTotalsOf(unpacked)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("count the artifact's rows: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := si.importCoreArtifact(context.Background(), unpacked); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("importCoreArtifact: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	got, err := indexTotalsOf(db)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("count the index's rows: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if got.rows != want.rows {
+		t.Errorf("merged %d rows, but the artifact holds %d",
+			got.rows, want.rows)
+	}
+
+	if got.withListen != want.withListen {
+		t.Errorf("%d rows carry a listen count, but the artifact holds %d of them",
+			got.withListen, want.withListen)
+	}
+
+	// The FTS index is rebuilt from the table once the merge is done, and
+	// it is what search actually reads: a merge that lands without it
+	// leaves Explore silently matching nothing, which is the state #258
+	// produced by a different route.
+	var indexed int
+	if err := db.QueryRowWriter(
+		"SELECT COUNT(*) FROM explore_index_fts",
+	).Scan(&indexed); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("count the FTS index: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if indexed != got.rows {
+		t.Errorf("FTS index holds %d rows against the table's %d",
+			indexed, got.rows)
+	}
+
+	// And one row read back through the app's own path, which is the
+	// other direction of every conversion the merge makes: a byte MBID
+	// out of the table, the app's dashed form, and back in as a lookup.
+	var raw []byte
+	if err := db.QueryRowWriter(`
+		SELECT mbid FROM explore_index
+		WHERE entity_type = 1 /* artist */ AND popularity > 0
+		ORDER BY popularity DESC LIMIT 1`).Scan(&raw); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read a stored mbid: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	dashed, err := mbidFromBytes(raw)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("the stored mbid is not one: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	artist := si.LookupArtistByMBID(dashed)
+	if artist == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("the artifact's most popular artist %s does not look up", dashed)
+	}
+
+	if artist.Popularity == 0 {
+		t.Errorf("artist %s came back with no popularity", dashed)
+	}
+}
+
+// publishedChecksum reads the sha256 the publisher wrote beside the
+// artifact, in `sha256sum` output form.  A missing file is not a
+// failure: it is only there when the artifact came from the publish job.
+func publishedChecksum(path string) (string, bool) {
+	body, err := os.ReadFile(path + ".sha256")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", false
+	}
+
+	sum := strings.TrimSpace(string(body))
+	if i := strings.IndexAny(sum, " \t"); i > 0 {
+		sum = sum[:i]
+	}
+
+	if len(sum) != 64 {
+		return "", false
+	}
+
+	return strings.ToLower(sum), true
+}
+
+// unpackPublishedArtifact returns a path to the unpacked database,
+// going through the client's own decompression when it is handed the
+// compressed file that is actually published.
+func unpackPublishedArtifact(t *testing.T, si *SearchIndex, path string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	if strings.HasSuffix(path, ".db") {
+		return path
+	}
+
+	// Copied into the test's own directory first: decompress writes
+	// beside the compressed file, and the publisher's directory is not
+	// this test's to write in.
+	staging := t.TempDir()
+	dst := filepath.Join(staging, coreArtifactFile)
+
+	src, err := os.Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("open the published artifact: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	defer func() { _ = src.Close() }()
+
+	out, err := os.Create(dst)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create a staging copy: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := io.Copy(out, src); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("copy the published artifact: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := out.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("close the staging copy: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	fetcher := &artifactFetcher{si: si, stagingDir: staging}
+
+	if err := fetcher.decompress(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decompress the published artifact: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return fetcher.unpackedPath()
+}
+
+// artifactTotalsOf counts what an artifact file holds, read directly so
+// the numbers do not depend on anything the client does.
+func artifactTotalsOf(path string) (artifactTotals, error) {
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite", "file:"+path+"?mode=ro")
+	if err != nil {
+		return artifactTotals{}, err
+	}
+
+	defer func() { _ = db.Close() }()
+
+	var totals artifactTotals
+
+	err = db.QueryRow(`SELECT COUNT(*), COALESCE(SUM(popularity > 0), 0)
+		FROM explore_index`).Scan(&totals.rows, &totals.withListen)
+	if err != nil {
+		return artifactTotals{}, err
+	}
+
+	return totals, nil
+}
+
+// indexTotalsOf counts what the client ended up with.
+func indexTotalsOf(db *database.DB) (artifactTotals, error) {
+	var totals artifactTotals
+
+	err := db.QueryRowWriter(`SELECT COUNT(*), COALESCE(SUM(popularity > 0), 0)
+		FROM explore_index`).Scan(&totals.rows, &totals.withListen)
+
+	return totals, err
+}

backend/explore/shelves.go

@@ -383,9 +383,13 @@ func (si *SearchIndex) topByPopularity(
 // MusicBrainz IDs, so this never touches the library tables and asks
 // one query rather than one per artist.
 //
-// The artists are drawn most-popular-owned-album first, so a large
-// library's pool is the part of it the user is likeliest to recognise
-// rather than whichever artists sort first.
+// **The row is drawn at random, and that is the whole point of it.**
+// Ordered by popularity it was a second leaderboard: the same handful of
+// big names appeared every time the page opened, which is not what "you
+// own one album by these artists" is saying. The pool is still bounded
+// to `pool` artists — a 4 000-artist library does not need all of them
+// ranked — but which of them, and which of their albums, is `RANDOM()`,
+// so the shelf is a different sample each visit.
 func (si *SearchIndex) unownedAlbumsBySinglyOwnedArtists(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	pool, limit int,
@@ -396,15 +400,17 @@ func (si *SearchIndex) unownedAlbumsBySinglyOwnedArtists(
 		 WHERE entity_type = 2 /* release_group */
 		   AND in_library = 0
 		   AND artist_mbid IN (
-		       SELECT artist_mbid FROM explore_index
-		       WHERE entity_type = 2 /* release_group */
-		         AND in_library = 1
-		         AND artist_mbid != x''
-		       GROUP BY artist_mbid
-		       HAVING COUNT(*) = 1
-		       ORDER BY MAX(popularity) DESC
+		       SELECT artist_mbid FROM (
+		           SELECT artist_mbid FROM explore_index
+		           WHERE entity_type = 2 /* release_group */
+		             AND in_library = 1
+		             AND artist_mbid != x''
+		           GROUP BY artist_mbid
+		           HAVING COUNT(*) = 1
+		       )
+		       ORDER BY RANDOM()
 		       LIMIT ?)
-		 ORDER BY popularity DESC
+		 ORDER BY RANDOM()
 		 LIMIT ?`,
 		pool, limit,
 	))

backend/explore/shelves_test.go

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package explore
 import (
 	"context"
 	"log/slog"
+	"sort"
 	"testing"
 
 	"yellowjacket/backend/database"
@@ -202,6 +203,11 @@ func TestShelves_MoreFromOwnedNeedsExactlyOneOwnedAlbum(t *testing.T) {
 		titles = append(titles, album.Title)
 	}
 
+	// The row is a random sample, so the *set* is what is asserted and
+	// not the order — see `unownedAlbumsBySinglyOwnedArtists` for why
+	// the ordering was given up.
+	sort.Strings(titles)
+
 	if len(titles) != 2 || titles[0] != "Second" || titles[1] != "Third" {
 		t.Fatalf("albums = %v, want [Second Third]", titles)
 	}

e2e/specs/jobs-on-a-phone.spec.ts

@@ -60,6 +60,23 @@ const PHONE = { width: 424, height: 439 };
 const DESKTOP = { width: 1100, height: 800 };
 
 test.describe('background jobs on a phone', () => {
+  /**
+   * **State a spec stages is the spec's to clear.** `/__test/emit` writes
+   * to a store nothing resets, so the event that staged a job is the
+   * event that clears it — `JobStore` replaces its whole list from every
+   * snapshot, so `testctl` needs no special case.
+   *
+   * **Measured on #168: this does not currently outlive the page.** Every
+   * test gets a fresh page, and `JobStore.init()` refetches `GetJobs()`
+   * from a backend registry that `/__test/emit` never writes to, so the
+   * staged job is gone before the next spec starts. Ownership is stated
+   * rather than a live leak repaired — the leak needs a page that
+   * survives its own spec, and there is none today.
+   */
+  test.afterEach(async ({ testctl }) => {
+    await testctl.emit('JobsChanged', []);
+  });
+
   test('are shown in the band, without opening anything', async ({
     app,
     testctl,

e2e/specs/phone-search.spec.ts

@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ test.describe('search on a phone', () => {
     // Attached, not visible: `wa-dialog`'s host is `display: contents`,
     // so the element carrying the testid always reports hidden — what
     // is visible is the native `<dialog>` inside it. That awkwardness
-    // is written down in CLAUDE.md and is why the assertion that this
-    // is really up is the role query below.
+    // is why the assertion that this is really up is the role query
+    // below.
     await expect(dialog).toBeAttached();
 
     // Named, which `getByRole` can answer and the a11y snapshot cannot

e2e/specs/top-bar-fit.spec.ts

@@ -102,6 +102,22 @@ const collapsed = (page: Page) =>
   }));
 
 test.describe('the top bar fits the window', () => {
+  /**
+   * **State a spec stages is the spec's to clear** (#168). `/__test/emit`
+   * writes to a store nothing resets, and this file stages the widest job
+   * in the app, so it puts it back — with the same event, since the store
+   * replaces its whole list from every snapshot.
+   *
+   * **Measured: it does not currently outlive the page.** Every test gets
+   * a fresh page and `JobStore.init()` refetches `GetJobs()` from a
+   * backend registry `/__test/emit` never writes to, so nothing is being
+   * repaired here; the rule is stated because it costs one line and the
+   * leak would need only one spec that keeps a page alive.
+   */
+  test.afterEach(async ({ testctl }) => {
+    await testctl.emit('JobsChanged', []);
+  });
+
   /**
    * The phone's answer, which is not "it fits" (#57).
    *

frontend/bindings/yellowjacket/backend/download/models.ts

@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ export interface CandidateFile {
     "bitrate"?: number;
     "isAudio": boolean;
 
+    /**
+     * LengthMillis is the file's duration as the source reports it, or
+     * 0 when it does not.  Soulseek reports it for most audio files.
+     */
+    "lengthMillis"?: number;
+
     /**
      * expected track position
      */
@@ -453,10 +459,19 @@ export interface MatchScore {
     "albumFit": number;
 
     /**
-     * audio files vs expected count
+     * aligned tracks vs expected count
      */
     "completeness": number;
 
+    /**
+     * DurationFit is how well the aligned files' lengths agree with the
+     * expected tracks', and DurationKnown whether enough of them stated
+     * a length for that to count.  When it does not, the score is the
+     * four text signals alone, exactly as before durations were read.
+     */
+    "durationFit": number;
+    "durationKnown": boolean;
+
     /**
      * Anchored records whether an MBID drove this score.  Unanchored
      * matches are capped, because there is nothing to be right about.

frontend/src/assets/icons/fa/solid/chevron-left.svg

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 320 512"><!--! Font Awesome Free 7.3.1 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license/free (Icons: CC BY 4.0, Fonts: SIL OFL 1.1, Code: MIT License) Copyright 2026 Fonticons, Inc. --><path fill="currentColor" d="M9.4 233.4c-12.5 12.5-12.5 32.8 0 45.3l192 192c12.5 12.5 32.8 12.5 45.3 0s12.5-32.8 0-45.3L77.3 256 246.6 86.6c12.5-12.5 12.5-32.8 0-45.3s-32.8-12.5-45.3 0l-192 192z"/></svg>

frontend/src/components/explore-album-details/explore-album-details.ts

@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ import '@awesome.me/webawesome/dist/components/dropdown-item/dropdown-item.js';
 import { dictByName } from '@utils/binding';
 import type { TrackDetails } from '@components/track-details/track-details.js';
 import { showTrackDetailsForPath } from '@utils/track-details-opener.js';
+import { openMusicBrainz } from '@utils/external-link';
 import '@components/playlist-picker/playlist-picker.js';
 import {
     ICON_CAN_REQUEST,
@@ -2942,7 +2943,7 @@ export class ExploreAlbumDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost {
 
         if (!track?.mbid) return;
 
-        window.open(`https://musicbrainz.org/recording/${track.mbid}`, '_blank', 'noopener');
+        openMusicBrainz(`/recording/${track.mbid}`);
     }
 
     /**

frontend/src/components/explore-artist-details/explore-artist-details.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import { customElement, property, state, query } from 'lit/decorators.js';
 import { classMap } from 'lit/directives/class-map.js';
 import { designTokens } from '../../styles/tokens.css';
 import { backButton } from '../../styles/back-button.css';
+import { albumCardStyles } from '../../styles/album-card.css';
+import '../scroll-row/scroll-row.js';
 import {
     LookupArtist,
     BrowseReleaseGroups,
@@ -46,11 +48,8 @@ import {
     libraryStatusFor,
     toggleRequest,
 } from '@utils/library-status';
-import {
-    isOwned,
-    ownershipLabel,
-    unownedStyles,
-} from '@utils/ownership';
+import { isOwned, ownershipLabel } from '@utils/ownership';
+import { openMusicBrainz } from '@utils/external-link';
 import { completenessStore } from '@store/completeness-store';
 import '../catalog-scope-notice/catalog-scope-notice.js';
 import type { CatalogScope } from '../catalog-scope-notice/catalog-scope-notice.js';
@@ -62,6 +61,7 @@ import {
     ContextMenuController,
     contextMenuStyles,
     isContextMenuKey,
+    MenuKeyboard,
 } from '@utils/context-menu-controller.js';
 import type { ContextMenuHost, MenuTarget } from '@utils/context-menu-controller.js';
 import '@awesome.me/webawesome/dist/components/popup/popup.js';
@@ -187,11 +187,11 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
     @state() private topReleasesExpanded = false;
     private topSectionStacked = false;
     private topSectionObserver?: ResizeObserver;
-    @state() private expandedDiscoGroups = new Set<string>();
-    /** Number of album cards that fit in one row of the discography grid. */
-    @state() private discoRowSize = 5;
-    private discoObserver?: ResizeObserver;
-    @state() private similarExpanded = false;
+
+    /** Whether the Play button's Shuffle dropdown is up. */
+    @state() private playMenuOpen = false;
+    private playMenuKeyboard = new MenuKeyboard(() => this.closePlayMenu());
+    private playOutsideAttached = false;
 
     /* ── Release prefetch ── */
 
@@ -221,6 +221,12 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
     @query('#context-menu')
     private contextMenuPopup!: MenuSurface;
 
+    @query('.play-menu-button')
+    private playMenuButton?: HTMLButtonElement;
+
+    @query('#artist-play-menu')
+    private playMenuPanel?: HTMLElement;
+
     @query('#playlist-submenu')
     private playlistSubmenuPopup?: WaPopup;
 
@@ -271,7 +277,7 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
         backButton,
         exploreLinkStyles,
         contextMenuStyles,
-        unownedStyles,
+        albumCardStyles,
         css`
             :host {
                 display: flex;
@@ -319,10 +325,45 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                 object-fit: cover;
             }
 
-            .artist-follow {
+            .artist-actions {
+                display: flex;
+                align-items: center;
+                gap: 8px;
+                flex-wrap: wrap;
                 margin-top: 10px;
             }
 
+            /* The Play button and its caret are one control, so they
+               are one box: no gap between them, and the caret carries
+               the same filled appearance as the button it extends. */
+            .play-split {
+                display: inline-flex;
+                align-items: stretch;
+            }
+
+            .play-menu-button {
+                display: inline-flex;
+                align-items: center;
+                justify-content: center;
+                width: 28px;
+                padding: 0;
+                border: none;
+                border-left: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
+                border-radius: 0 6px 6px 0;
+                background: var(--yj-accent, #ffd43b);
+                color: var(--yj-accent-fg, #000);
+                cursor: pointer;
+            }
+
+            .play-menu-button:hover {
+                filter: brightness(1.1);
+            }
+
+            .play-menu-button:focus-visible {
+                outline: 2px solid var(--yj-accent-text, #ffd43b);
+                outline-offset: 2px;
+            }
+
             .artist-info {
                 display: flex;
                 flex-direction: column;
@@ -331,7 +372,7 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
             }
 
             .artist-title {
-                font-size: 24px;
+                font-size: 28px;
                 font-weight: 700;
                 color: var(--yj-text-primary, #fff);
                 white-space: nowrap;
@@ -359,6 +400,13 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                 flex-wrap: wrap;
             }
 
+            /* The listen count is a headline number, not metadata, so
+               it sits a size above the type/country line. */
+            .artist-listens {
+                font-size: var(--yj-text-lg);
+                color: var(--yj-text-secondary, #b3b3b3);
+            }
+
             .meta-separator {
                 opacity: 0.4;
             }
@@ -446,23 +494,6 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                 outline-offset: -2px;
             }
 
-            .artist-play-actions {
-                margin-top: 10px;
-                display: flex;
-                gap: 8px;
-                align-items: center;
-                flex-wrap: wrap;
-            }
-
-            .track-rank {
-                width: 24px;
-                text-align: right;
-                color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
-                font-size: var(--yj-text-md);
-                font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
-                flex-shrink: 0;
-            }
-
             .track-art {
                 width: 32px;
                 height: 32px;
@@ -489,6 +520,52 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                 opacity: 0.5;
             }
 
+            /* Play where you own the track, the request badge where you
+               do not — over the artwork rather than at the end of the
+               row, where it was a badge beside a row you can already
+               double-click. */
+            .track-art-overlay {
+                position: absolute;
+                inset: 0;
+                display: flex;
+                align-items: center;
+                justify-content: center;
+                border-radius: 4px;
+                background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.55);
+                visibility: hidden;
+                opacity: 0;
+                transition: opacity 0.15s ease, visibility 0.15s ease;
+            }
+
+            .track-art-play {
+                display: flex;
+                align-items: center;
+                justify-content: center;
+                padding: 0;
+                border: none;
+                background: none;
+                color: #fff;
+                font-size: 14px;
+                cursor: pointer;
+            }
+
+            @media (hover: hover) and (pointer: fine) {
+                .track-item:hover .track-art-overlay,
+                .track-item:focus-within .track-art-overlay {
+                    visibility: visible;
+                    opacity: 1;
+                }
+            }
+
+            /* No hover means no double-click either, so the overlay is
+               the only route to playing a top track and must be there. */
+            @media not all and (hover: hover) {
+                .track-art-overlay {
+                    visibility: visible;
+                    opacity: 1;
+                }
+            }
+
             .track-info {
                 flex: 1;
                 min-width: 0;
@@ -522,7 +599,6 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
             .track-item library-status-indicator {
                 flex-shrink: 0;
             }
-
             /* ── Top section (tracks + releases side-by-side) ── */
             .top-section-wrapper {
                 container-type: inline-size;
@@ -754,8 +830,30 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                 white-space: nowrap;
             }
 
-            .top-release-meta library-status-indicator {
-                flex-shrink: 0;
+            .top-release-art .album-card-badge {
+                position: absolute;
+                top: 4px;
+                left: 4px;
+                z-index: 1;
+                display: flex;
+                visibility: hidden;
+                opacity: 0;
+                transition: opacity 0.15s ease, visibility 0.15s ease;
+            }
+
+            @media (hover: hover) and (pointer: fine) {
+                .top-release-card:hover .album-card-badge,
+                .top-release-card:focus-within .album-card-badge {
+                    visibility: visible;
+                    opacity: 1;
+                }
+            }
+
+            @media not all and (hover: hover) {
+                .top-release-art .album-card-badge {
+                    visibility: visible;
+                    opacity: 1;
+                }
             }
 
 
@@ -773,150 +871,7 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                 margin: 0;
             }
 
-            .album-grid {
-                display: grid;
-                grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, 140px);
-                gap: 16px;
-            }
-
-            .album-grid.collapsed {
-                grid-template-rows: 1fr;
-                overflow: hidden;
-            }
-
-            .disco-toggle {
-                display: flex;
-                align-items: center;
-                justify-content: center;
-                gap: 6px;
-                padding: 4px 10px;
-                margin-top: 4px;
-                border: none;
-                border-radius: 6px;
-                background: var(--yj-bg-overlay, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06));
-                color: var(--yj-text-secondary, #b3b3b3);
-                font-size: var(--yj-text-xs);
-                cursor: pointer;
-                transition: background 0.15s ease, color 0.15s ease;
-                width: 100%;
-            }
-
-            .disco-toggle:hover {
-                background: var(--yj-bg-hover, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1));
-                color: var(--yj-text-primary, #fff);
-            }
-
-            .disco-toggle wa-icon {
-                font-size: 11px;
-                transition: transform 0.2s ease;
-            }
-
-            .disco-toggle[aria-expanded='true'] wa-icon {
-                transform: rotate(180deg);
-            }
-
-            .album-card {
-                display: flex;
-                flex-direction: column;
-                gap: 6px;
-                padding: 8px;
-                border-radius: 8px;
-                cursor: pointer;
-                transition: background 0.15s ease;
-            }
-
-            .album-card:hover {
-                background: var(
-                    --yj-bg-overlay,
-                    rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06)
-                );
-            }
-
-            .album-card:active {
-                transform: scale(0.97);
-            }
-
-            .album-art-container {
-                width: 100%;
-                aspect-ratio: 1;
-                border-radius: 4px;
-                overflow: hidden;
-                flex-shrink: 0;
-                position: relative;
-                background: var(--yj-bg-overlay, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06));
-            }
-
-            .album-art-container img {
-                width: 100%;
-                height: 100%;
-                object-fit: cover;
-                display: block;
-                border-radius: 4px;
-            }
-
-            .album-art-fallback {
-                display: flex;
-                align-items: center;
-                justify-content: center;
-                width: 100%;
-                height: 100%;
-                position: absolute;
-                inset: 0;
-            }
-
-            .album-art-fallback wa-icon {
-                color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
-                font-size: 24px;
-                opacity: 0.5;
-            }
-
-            .album-title {
-                font-weight: 500;
-                color: var(--yj-text-primary, #fff);
-                font-size: var(--yj-text-sm);
-                white-space: nowrap;
-                overflow: hidden;
-                text-overflow: ellipsis;
-            }
-
-            .album-meta {
-                display: flex;
-                align-items: center;
-                justify-content: space-between;
-                gap: 6px;
-                color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
-                font-size: var(--yj-text-xs);
-                min-height: 20px;
-            }
-
-            .album-meta-text {
-                display: flex;
-                align-items: center;
-                gap: 6px;
-                min-width: 0;
-                overflow: hidden;
-                text-overflow: ellipsis;
-                white-space: nowrap;
-            }
-
-            .album-meta library-status-indicator {
-                flex-shrink: 0;
-                margin-left: auto;
-            }
-
             /* ── Similar artists ── */
-            .similar-row {
-                display: grid;
-                grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, 140px);
-                gap: 16px;
-                overflow: hidden;
-            }
-
-            .similar-row.collapsed {
-                grid-template-rows: 1fr;
-                overflow: hidden;
-            }
-
             .similar-artist-card {
                 display: flex;
                 flex-direction: column;
@@ -926,6 +881,9 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                 border-radius: 8px;
                 cursor: pointer;
                 text-align: center;
+                width: 120px;
+                box-sizing: border-box;
+                flex-shrink: 0;
                 transition: background 0.15s ease;
             }
 
@@ -1056,7 +1014,7 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
         this.unsubSimilarReady?.();
         if (this.discogFallbackTimer) clearTimeout(this.discogFallbackTimer);
         this.topSectionObserver?.disconnect();
-        this.discoObserver?.disconnect();
+        this.detachPlayOutsideClose();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1083,17 +1041,14 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
 
     protected override firstUpdated() {
         this.observeTopSectionWidth();
-        this.observeDiscoWidth();
     }
 
     protected override updated() {
-        // Re-attach observers if elements appeared after initial render.
+        // Re-attach the observer if the section appeared after initial
+        // render.
         if (!this.topSectionObserver) {
             this.observeTopSectionWidth();
         }
-        if (!this.discoObserver) {
-            this.observeDiscoWidth();
-        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1126,32 +1081,6 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
         this.topSectionObserver.observe(wrapper);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Watch the .content width and compute how many album cards
-     * fit in one row of the discography grid.
-     * Grid uses: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(140px, 1fr)) with 16px gap
-     * and album-card has 8px padding on each side.
-     */
-    private observeDiscoWidth() {
-        const content = this.renderRoot.querySelector('.content');
-        if (!content) return;
-
-        const CARD_MIN = 140;
-        const GAP = 16;
-
-        this.discoObserver = new ResizeObserver((entries) => {
-            for (const entry of entries) {
-                const width = entry.contentBoxSize?.[0]?.inlineSize ?? entry.contentRect.width;
-                const cols = Math.max(1, Math.floor((width + GAP) / (CARD_MIN + GAP)));
-                if (cols !== this.discoRowSize) {
-                    this.discoRowSize = cols;
-                }
-            }
-        });
-
-        this.discoObserver.observe(content);
-    }
-
     /* ── Data Loading ── */
 
     private async loadAllData() {
@@ -1862,6 +1791,8 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                 } catch {
                     // No image — letter avatar stays.
                 }
+
+                return undefined;
             }),
         );
     }
@@ -1999,6 +1930,65 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
         }
     }
 
+    /* ── Play / Shuffle split button ── */
+
+    /**
+     * Open the Play button's Shuffle dropdown.
+     *
+     * `page-header`'s overflow menu one control over: the same
+     * `MenuKeyboard`, the same document-level outside-close, and the
+     * same `menu-surface`, so the phone gets the bottom sheet rather
+     * than a popup that Chrome 113 clips.
+     */
+    private togglePlayMenu = (): void => {
+        if (this.playMenuOpen) {
+            this.closePlayMenu();
+
+            return;
+        }
+
+        this.playMenuOpen = true;
+
+        void this.updateComplete.then(() => {
+            if (!this.playMenuOpen) return;
+
+            this.playMenuKeyboard.open(
+                this.playMenuPanel ?? null,
+                this.playMenuButton ?? null,
+            );
+            this.attachPlayOutsideClose();
+        });
+    };
+
+    private closePlayMenu = (): void => {
+        if (!this.playMenuOpen) return;
+
+        this.detachPlayOutsideClose();
+        this.playMenuKeyboard.close();
+        this.playMenuOpen = false;
+    };
+
+    private onPlayOutsideDown = (e: Event): void => {
+        if (e.composedPath().includes(this.playMenuPanel as EventTarget)) return;
+        if (e.composedPath().includes(this.playMenuButton as EventTarget)) return;
+
+        this.closePlayMenu();
+    };
+
+    private attachPlayOutsideClose(): void {
+        if (this.playOutsideAttached) return;
+
+        this.playOutsideAttached = true;
+        document.addEventListener('mousedown', this.onPlayOutsideDown, true);
+    }
+
+    private detachPlayOutsideClose(): void {
+        if (!this.playOutsideAttached) return;
+
+        this.playOutsideAttached = false;
+        document.removeEventListener('mousedown', this.onPlayOutsideDown, true);
+    }
+
     /**
      * File path for one top track, resolved by recording MBID — the
      * same key `localId` was set from. Works whether or not the
@@ -2240,11 +2230,7 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
 
         if (!release?.mbid) return;
 
-        window.open(
-            `https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/${release.mbid}`,
-            '_blank',
-            'noopener',
-        );
+        openMusicBrainz(`/release-group/${release.mbid}`);
     }
 
     private onContextMenuAction(
@@ -2358,7 +2344,7 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
 
         if (!track?.recordingMbid) return;
 
-        window.open(`https://musicbrainz.org/recording/${track.recordingMbid}`, '_blank', 'noopener');
+        openMusicBrainz(`/recording/${track.recordingMbid}`);
     }
 
     /* ── Navigation ── */
@@ -2538,10 +2524,12 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                         : nothing}
                     ${this.renderArtistMeta()}
                     ${this.artist?.popularity && this.artist.popularity > 0
-                        ? html`<span class="artist-meta">${formatListenCount(this.artist.popularity)} plays on ListenBrainz</span>`
+                        ? html`<span class="artist-listens">${formatListenCount(this.artist.popularity)} plays on ListenBrainz</span>`
                         : nothing}
-                    ${this.renderPlayLibraryAction()}
-                    ${this.renderFollowAction()}
+                    <div class="artist-actions">
+                        ${this.renderPlayLibraryAction()}
+                        ${this.renderFollowAction()}
+                    </div>
                 </div>
             </div>
             <div class="content">
@@ -2572,25 +2560,53 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
         if (this.ownedLocalAlbumIds().length === 0) return nothing;
 
         return html`
-            <div class="artist-play-actions">
+            <div class="play-split">
                 <wa-button
                     size="small"
                     appearance="filled"
                     data-testid="artist-play-library"
+                    title="Play library tracks"
                     @click=${() => void this.playLibraryTracks(false)}
                 >
                     <wa-icon slot="start" name="play"></wa-icon>
-                    Play library tracks
+                    Play
                 </wa-button>
-                <wa-button
-                    size="small"
-                    appearance="outlined"
-                    data-testid="artist-shuffle-library"
-                    @click=${() => void this.playLibraryTracks(true)}
+                <menu-surface
+                    placement="bottom-start"
+                    .active=${this.playMenuOpen}
+                    @menu-dismiss=${this.closePlayMenu}
                 >
-                    <wa-icon slot="start" name="shuffle"></wa-icon>
-                    Shuffle
-                </wa-button>
+                    <button
+                        slot="anchor"
+                        class="play-menu-button"
+                        type="button"
+                        data-testid="artist-play-menu"
+                        aria-label="More play options"
+                        aria-haspopup="menu"
+                        aria-expanded=${this.playMenuOpen ? 'true' : 'false'}
+                        aria-controls="artist-play-menu"
+                        @click=${this.togglePlayMenu}
+                    >
+                        <wa-icon name="chevron-down"></wa-icon>
+                    </button>
+                    <div
+                        id="artist-play-menu"
+                        class="context-menu-panel"
+                        role="menu"
+                        aria-label="Play options"
+                    >
+                        <wa-dropdown-item
+                            data-testid="artist-shuffle-library"
+                            @click=${() => {
+                                this.closePlayMenu();
+                                void this.playLibraryTracks(true);
+                            }}
+                        >
+                            <wa-icon slot="icon" name="shuffle"></wa-icon>
+                            Shuffle
+                        </wa-dropdown-item>
+                    </div>
+                </menu-surface>
             </div>
         `;
     }
@@ -2786,25 +2802,27 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
         const request = downloadStore.requestFor(this.artistMBID);
 
         return html`
-            <div class="artist-follow">
-                <wa-button
-                    size="small"
-                    appearance=${request ? 'filled' : 'outlined'}
-                    @click=${() => void this.toggleFollow(request?.id)}
-                >
-                    <!-- This was bookmark-check, which is not in
-                         names.txt and so has rendered the missing-icon
-                         fallback — a circled question mark — on every
-                         followed artist since it was written. A
-                         backtick around that name would end this
-                         template literal, which is why there is none. -->
-                    <wa-icon
-                        slot="start"
-                        name=${request ? ICON_REQUESTED : ICON_CAN_REQUEST}
-                    ></wa-icon>
-                    ${request ? 'Following' : 'Follow for new releases'}
-                </wa-button>
-            </div>
+            <wa-button
+                size="small"
+                appearance=${request ? 'filled' : 'outlined'}
+                data-testid="artist-follow"
+                title=${request
+                    ? 'Following this artist'
+                    : 'Follow this artist for new releases'}
+                @click=${() => void this.toggleFollow(request?.id)}
+            >
+                <!-- This was bookmark-check, which is not in
+                     names.txt and so has rendered the missing-icon
+                     fallback — a circled question mark — on every
+                     followed artist since it was written. A
+                     backtick around that name would end this
+                     template literal, which is why there is none. -->
+                <wa-icon
+                    slot="start"
+                    name=${request ? ICON_REQUESTED : ICON_CAN_REQUEST}
+                ></wa-icon>
+                ${request ? 'Following' : 'Follow'}
+            </wa-button>
         `;
     }
 
@@ -2888,16 +2906,6 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
         this.topReleasesExpanded = !this.topReleasesExpanded;
     }
 
-    private toggleDiscoGroup(type: string) {
-        const next = new Set(this.expandedDiscoGroups);
-        if (next.has(type)) {
-            next.delete(type);
-        } else {
-            next.add(type);
-        }
-        this.expandedDiscoGroups = next;
-    }
-
     private renderTopSection() {
         const hasTracks = !this.loadingTracks && this.topTracks.length > 0;
         const hasReleases = !this.loadingTopReleases && this.topReleaseGroups.length > 0;
@@ -2971,6 +2979,31 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                                                                        }} />`
                                                                 : html`<wa-icon name="compact-disc"></wa-icon>`;
                                                         })()}
+                                                        <!-- Over the artwork, not beside the
+                                                             row: play where you own it, the
+                                                             request badge where you do not. -->
+                                                        <div class="track-art-overlay">
+                                                            ${owned
+                                                                ? html`<button
+                                                                      class="track-art-play"
+                                                                      type="button"
+                                                                      aria-label=${`Play ${t.trackName}`}
+                                                                      @click=${(e: Event) => {
+                                                                          e.stopPropagation();
+                                                                          void this.playTrack(t);
+                                                                      }}
+                                                                  >
+                                                                      <wa-icon name="play"></wa-icon>
+                                                                  </button>`
+                                                                : html`<library-status-indicator
+                                                                      status=${libraryStatusFor(false, t.recordingMbid)}
+                                                                      entity-type="track"
+                                                                      label=${t.trackName}
+                                                                      request-mbid=${t.recordingMbid}
+                                                                      request-artist=${t.artistName ?? ''}
+                                                                      size="18"
+                                                                  ></library-status-indicator>`}
+                                                        </div>
                                                     </div>
                                                     <div class="track-info">
                                                         <div class="track-title">${trackLink(t.trackName, t.releaseName, t.releaseGroupMbid ?? '', t.recordingMbid)}</div>
@@ -2979,15 +3012,6 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                                                     <span class="track-listens">
                                                         ${formatListenCount(t.totalListenCount)} plays
                                                     </span>
-                                                    ${owned
-                                                        ? nothing
-                                                        : html`<library-status-indicator
-                                                              status=${libraryStatusFor(false, t.recordingMbid)}
-                                                              entity-type="track"
-                                                              label=${t.trackName}
-                                                              request-mbid=${t.recordingMbid}
-                                                              request-artist=${t.artistName ?? ''}
-                                                          ></library-status-indicator>`}
                                                 </div>
                                             `;
                                         })}
@@ -3093,6 +3117,18 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                     <div class="album-art-fallback" style="${artURL ? 'display: none' : ''}">
                         <wa-icon name="compact-disc"></wa-icon>
                     </div>
+                    <div class="album-card-badge">
+                        <library-status-indicator
+                            status=${badge.status}
+                            owned=${badge.owned}
+                            expected=${badge.expected}
+                            entity-type="album"
+                            label=${rg.title}
+                            request-mbid=${rg.releaseGroupMbid}
+                            request-artist=${this.artist?.name ?? ''}
+                            size="21"
+                        ></library-status-indicator>
+                    </div>
                 </div>
                 <div class="top-release-text">
                     <div class="top-release-title" title="${rg.title}">
@@ -3102,18 +3138,6 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                         <div class="top-release-meta-text">
                             ${rg.date ? html`<span>${extractYear(rg.date)}</span>` : nothing}
                         </div>
-                        ${badge.status === 'in-library'
-                            ? nothing
-                            : html`<library-status-indicator
-                                  status=${badge.status}
-                                  owned=${badge.owned}
-                                  expected=${badge.expected}
-                                  entity-type="album"
-                                  label=${rg.title}
-                                  request-mbid=${rg.releaseGroupMbid}
-                                  request-artist=${this.artist?.name ?? ''}
-                                  size="18"
-                              ></library-status-indicator>`}
                     </div>
                 </div>
             </div>
@@ -3164,37 +3188,16 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
             <section>
                 <h3 class="section-header">Discography</h3>
                 ${groups.map(
-                    (g) => {
-                        const isExpanded = this.expandedDiscoGroups.has(g.type);
-                        const rowSize = this.discoRowSize;
-                        const showToggle = g.items.length > rowSize;
-                        const visibleItems = isExpanded ? g.items : g.items.slice(0, rowSize);
-
-                        return html`
-                            <div class="disco-group">
-                                <h4 class="disco-type-header">
-                                    ${g.type === 'Other' ? 'Other Releases' : g.type.endsWith('s') ? g.type : `${g.type}s`}
-                                </h4>
-                                <div class="album-grid">
-                                    ${visibleItems.map((rg) => this.renderAlbumCard(rg))}
-                                </div>
-                                ${showToggle
-                                    ? html`
-                                          <button
-                                              class="disco-toggle"
-                                              aria-expanded="${isExpanded}"
-                                              @click=${() => this.toggleDiscoGroup(g.type)}
-                                          >
-                                              ${isExpanded
-                                                  ? 'Show less'
-                                                  : `Show all ${g.items.length}`}
-                                              <wa-icon name="chevron-down"></wa-icon>
-                                          </button>
-                                      `
-                                    : nothing}
-                            </div>
-                        `;
-                    },
+                    (g) => html`
+                        <div class="disco-group">
+                            <h4 class="disco-type-header">
+                                ${g.type === 'Other' ? 'Other Releases' : g.type.endsWith('s') ? g.type : `${g.type}s`}
+                            </h4>
+                            <scroll-row>
+                                ${g.items.map((rg) => this.renderAlbumCard(rg))}
+                            </scroll-row>
+                        </div>
+                    `,
                 )}
             </section>
         `;
@@ -3234,23 +3237,25 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                     <div class="album-art-fallback" style="${artURL ? 'display: none' : ''}">
                         <wa-icon name="compact-disc"></wa-icon>
                     </div>
+                    <div class="album-card-badge">
+                        <library-status-indicator
+                            status=${badge.status}
+                            owned=${badge.owned}
+                            expected=${badge.expected}
+                            entity-type="album"
+                            label=${rg.title}
+                            request-mbid=${rg.mbid}
+                            request-artist=${this.artist?.name ?? ''}
+                            size="23"
+                        ></library-status-indicator>
+                    </div>
                 </div>
                 <div class="album-title" title="${rg.title}">${rg.title}</div>
+                <div class="album-artist">${rg.artistCredit ?? ''}</div>
                 <div class="album-meta">
                     <div class="album-meta-text">
                         ${year ? html`<span>${year}</span>` : nothing}
                     </div>
-                    ${badge.status === 'in-library'
-                        ? nothing
-                        : html`<library-status-indicator
-                              status=${badge.status}
-                              owned=${badge.owned}
-                              expected=${badge.expected}
-                              entity-type="album"
-                              label=${rg.title}
-                              request-mbid=${rg.mbid}
-                              request-artist=${this.artist?.name ?? ''}
-                          ></library-status-indicator>`}
                 </div>
             </div>
         `;
@@ -3266,15 +3271,12 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
         // Cap the similar-artists list at 10 to avoid a very long list.
         const maxSimilar = 10;
         const artists = this.similarArtists.slice(0, maxSimilar);
-        const showToggle = artists.length > this.discoRowSize;
-        const collapsed = !this.similarExpanded && showToggle;
-        const visible = collapsed ? artists.slice(0, this.discoRowSize) : artists;
 
         return html`
             <section>
                 <h3 class="section-header">Similar Artists</h3>
-                <div class="similar-row ${collapsed ? 'collapsed' : ''}">
-                    ${visible.map((a) => {
+                <scroll-row>
+                    ${artists.map((a) => {
                         const imgURL = this.similarImageURLs.get(a.artistMbid);
                         return html`
                             <div
@@ -3313,21 +3315,7 @@ export class ExploreArtistDetails extends LitElement implements ContextMenuHost
                             </div>
                         `;
                     })}
-                </div>
-                ${showToggle
-                    ? html`
-                          <button
-                              class="disco-toggle"
-                              aria-expanded="${this.similarExpanded}"
-                              @click=${() => { this.similarExpanded = !this.similarExpanded; }}
-                          >
-                              ${this.similarExpanded
-                                  ? 'Show less'
-                                  : `Show all ${artists.length}`}
-                              <wa-icon name="chevron-down"></wa-icon>
-                          </button>
-                      `
-                    : nothing}
+                </scroll-row>
             </section>
         `;
     }

frontend/src/components/explore-view/explore-view.ts

@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 import { avatarBackground } from '@utils/avatar-color';
 import { albumBadgeFor, libraryStatusFor } from '@utils/library-status';
-import {
-    isOwned,
-    ownershipLabel,
-    unownedStyles,
-} from '@utils/ownership';
+import { isOwned, ownershipLabel } from '@utils/ownership';
+import { openMusicBrainz } from '@utils/external-link';
 import { completenessStore } from '@store/completeness-store';
 import { downloadStore } from '@store/download-store';
 import { LitElement, html, css, nothing } from 'lit';
@@ -13,6 +10,8 @@ import { classMap } from 'lit/directives/class-map.js';
 import '@components/page-header/page-header';
 import { designTokens } from '../../styles/tokens.css';
 import { srOnly } from '../../styles/sr-only.css';
+import { albumCardStyles } from '../../styles/album-card.css';
+import '../scroll-row/scroll-row.js';
 import { SearchLocal, SearchLyrics, GetThumbnail, GetThumbnails, GetArtistImageURL, GetArtistImagesCachedPaths, GetExploreShelves, RecordSearchClick } from '@go/explore/service.js';
 import { GetFilePathsByAlbums, GetFilePathsByRecordingMBIDs } from '@go/library/library.js';
 import { EventsOn } from '@runtime/runtime';
@@ -253,7 +252,7 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
         srOnly,
         exploreLinkStyles,
         contextMenuStyles,
-        unownedStyles,
+        albumCardStyles,
         css`
             :host {
                 display: block;
@@ -529,21 +528,9 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                 line-height: 1.5;
             }
 
-            /* ── Horizontal scroll rows ── */
-            .horizontal-row {
-                display: flex;
-                gap: 12px;
-                overflow-x: auto;
-                padding-bottom: 4px;
-                scrollbar-width: none;
-            }
-
-            .horizontal-row::-webkit-scrollbar {
-                display: none;
-            }
-
-            /* ── Top result cards ── */
             /* ── Artist cards ── */
+            /* Fixed width, for the reason the album card is: a range
+               means two cards in one row are different sizes. */
             .artist-card {
                 display: flex;
                 flex-direction: column;
@@ -552,8 +539,8 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                 padding: 10px;
                 border-radius: 8px;
                 cursor: pointer;
-                min-width: 100px;
-                max-width: 120px;
+                width: 120px;
+                box-sizing: border-box;
                 flex-shrink: 0;
                 text-align: center;
                 transition: background 0.15s ease;
@@ -624,115 +611,6 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                 font-size: var(--yj-text-xs);
             }
 
-            /* ── Album cards ── */
-            .album-card {
-                display: flex;
-                flex-direction: column;
-                gap: 6px;
-                padding: 8px;
-                border-radius: 8px;
-                cursor: pointer;
-                min-width: 130px;
-                max-width: 150px;
-                flex-shrink: 0;
-                transition: background 0.15s ease;
-            }
-
-            .album-card:hover {
-                background: var(--yj-bg-overlay, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06));
-            }
-
-            .album-card:active {
-                transform: scale(0.97);
-            }
-
-            .album-art-container {
-                width: 100%;
-                aspect-ratio: 1;
-                border-radius: 4px;
-                overflow: hidden;
-                background: linear-gradient(
-                    135deg,
-                    var(--yj-bg-overlay, #404040) 0%,
-                    var(--yj-bg-surface, #282828) 100%
-                );
-                display: flex;
-                align-items: center;
-                justify-content: center;
-                position: relative;
-            }
-
-            .album-art-container img {
-                width: 100%;
-                height: 100%;
-                object-fit: cover;
-                display: block;
-            }
-
-            .album-art-fallback {
-                display: flex;
-                align-items: center;
-                justify-content: center;
-                width: 100%;
-                height: 100%;
-                position: absolute;
-                inset: 0;
-            }
-
-            .album-art-fallback wa-icon {
-                color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
-                font-size: 24px;
-                opacity: 0.5;
-            }
-
-            .album-title {
-                font-weight: 500;
-                color: var(--yj-text-primary, #fff);
-                font-size: var(--yj-text-sm);
-                white-space: nowrap;
-                overflow: hidden;
-                text-overflow: ellipsis;
-            }
-
-            .album-artist {
-                color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
-                font-size: var(--yj-text-xs);
-                white-space: nowrap;
-                overflow: hidden;
-                text-overflow: ellipsis;
-            }
-
-            .album-meta {
-                display: flex;
-                align-items: center;
-                justify-content: space-between;
-                gap: 6px;
-                color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
-                font-size: var(--yj-text-xs);
-                min-height: 20px;
-            }
-
-            .album-meta-text {
-                display: flex;
-                align-items: center;
-                gap: 6px;
-                min-width: 0;
-                overflow: hidden;
-            }
-
-            .album-meta library-status-indicator {
-                flex-shrink: 0;
-                margin-left: auto;
-            }
-
-            .type-badge {
-                background: var(--yj-bg-overlay, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08));
-                padding: 1px 6px;
-                border-radius: 3px;
-                font-size: 10px;
-                white-space: nowrap;
-            }
-
             /* ── Track list ── */
             .track-list {
                 display: flex;
@@ -753,7 +631,6 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                 cursor: pointer;
             }
 
-            .album-card:focus-visible,
             .track-item:focus-visible {
                 outline: 2px solid var(--yj-accent-text, #ffd43b);
                 outline-offset: -2px;
@@ -1371,7 +1248,7 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
 
         const entity = target.kind === 'album' ? 'release-group' : 'recording';
 
-        window.open(`https://musicbrainz.org/${entity}/${target.mbid}`, '_blank', 'noopener');
+        openMusicBrainz(`/${entity}/${target.mbid}`);
     }
 
     private renderExploreContextMenu() {
@@ -1662,6 +1539,8 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                 } catch {
                     // No image — leave empty string.
                 }
+
+                return undefined;
             }),
         );
 
@@ -2122,7 +2001,7 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                 ${subtitle
                     ? html`<p class="section-reason">${subtitle}</p>`
                     : nothing}
-                <div class="horizontal-row">
+                <scroll-row>
                     ${artists.map((a) => {
                         const owned = isOwned(a);
                         const name = a.englishName || a.name;
@@ -2171,7 +2050,7 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                             </div>
                         `;
                     })}
-                </div>
+                </scroll-row>
             </section>
         `;
     }
@@ -2187,7 +2066,7 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                 ${subtitle
                     ? html`<p class="section-reason">${subtitle}</p>`
                     : nothing}
-                <div class="horizontal-row">
+                <scroll-row>
                     ${releaseGroups.map((rg) => {
                         const artURL = this.thumbnailCache.get(rg.mbid) || '';
                         const year = extractYear(rg.firstReleaseDate);
@@ -2249,6 +2128,18 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                                     >
                                         <wa-icon name="compact-disc"></wa-icon>
                                     </div>
+                                    <div class="album-card-badge">
+                                        <library-status-indicator
+                                            status=${badge.status}
+                                            owned=${badge.owned}
+                                            expected=${badge.expected}
+                                            entity-type="album"
+                                            label=${rg.title}
+                                            request-mbid=${rg.mbid}
+                                            request-artist=${rg.artistCredit ?? ''}
+                                            size="23"
+                                        ></library-status-indicator>
+                                    </div>
                                 </div>
                                 <div class="album-title" title="${rg.title}">
                                     ${rg.title}
@@ -2256,29 +2147,18 @@ export class ExploreView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) implements Conte
                                 <div class="album-artist">${creditLink(creditStore.credits(rg.mbid), rg.artistCredit, rg.artistMbid ?? '')}</div>
                                 <div class="album-meta">
                                     <div class="album-meta-text">
+                                        ${year ? html`<span>${year}</span>` : nothing}
                                         ${rg.primaryType
                                             ? html`<span class="type-badge"
                                                   >${rg.primaryType}</span
                                               >`
                                             : nothing}
-                                        ${year ? html`<span>${year}</span>` : nothing}
                                     </div>
-                                    ${badge.status === 'in-library'
-                                        ? nothing
-                                        : html`<library-status-indicator
-                                              status=${badge.status}
-                                              owned=${badge.owned}
-                                              expected=${badge.expected}
-                                              entity-type="album"
-                                              label=${rg.title}
-                                              request-mbid=${rg.mbid}
-                                              request-artist=${rg.artistCredit ?? ''}
-                                          ></library-status-indicator>`}
                                 </div>
                             </div>
                         `;
                     })}
-                </div>
+                </scroll-row>
             </section>
         `;
     }

frontend/src/components/home-view/home-view.ts

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { libraryStore } from '@store/library-store';
 import { EventsOn } from '@runtime/runtime';
 import { Events } from '../../events';
 import '@components/page-header/page-header';
+import '../scroll-row/scroll-row.js';
 import { designTokens } from '../../styles/tokens.css';
 import { ViewLifecycleMixin } from '../../utils/view-lifecycle';
 
@@ -99,16 +100,6 @@ export class HomeView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) {
                 color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
             }
 
-            .row {
-                display: grid;
-                grid-auto-flow: column;
-                grid-auto-columns: 160px;
-                gap: 14px;
-                overflow-x: auto;
-                padding-bottom: 6px;
-                scrollbar-width: thin;
-            }
-
             .card {
                 background: none;
                 border: none;
@@ -117,6 +108,8 @@ export class HomeView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) {
                 cursor: pointer;
                 color: inherit;
                 display: block;
+                width: 160px;
+                flex-shrink: 0;
             }
 
             .art {
@@ -336,9 +329,9 @@ export class HomeView extends ViewLifecycleMixin(LitElement) {
                     <span class="shelf-title">${shelf.title}</span>
                 </div>
                 <p class="shelf-sub">${shelf.subtitle}</p>
-                <div class="row">
+                <scroll-row>
                     ${(shelf.albums ?? []).map((album) => this.renderCard(album))}
-                </div>
+                </scroll-row>
             </section>
         `;
     }

frontend/src/components/scroll-row/scroll-row.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+import { LitElement, css, html } from 'lit';
+import { customElement, query, state } from 'lit/decorators.js';
+import '@awesome.me/webawesome/dist/components/icon/icon.js';
+
+/** How far one press moves the row — most of a screenful, not all of
+ *  it, so the card that was at the edge stays as an anchor. */
+const SCROLL_FRACTION = 0.8;
+
+/**
+ * A horizontally scrolling row with arrow buttons.
+ *
+ * The shelves, the search results and (now) the artist page's
+ * discography and similar-artists rows are all "more than fits, scroll
+ * sideways". Until this existed the only way to see the rest was a
+ * mousewheel or a trackpad gesture, which is not an affordance — a
+ * mouse with no horizontal wheel simply could not reach the cards past
+ * the fold.
+ *
+ * It is a component rather than a rule on `.horizontal-row` for two
+ * reasons. The arrows are *state* — which way the row can still move —
+ * and that state has to be recomputed when the viewport resizes or a
+ * card arrives with its cover art; a stylesheet cannot do that. And
+ * every caller then gets the same arrows, the same reveal and the same
+ * keyboard labels without writing them again.
+ *
+ * **The arrows are `hidden`, not merely transparent, at the end they
+ * cannot move from** — a control that cannot act is worse than none,
+ * and an invisible one still holds a hit area and a tab stop. On a
+ * pointer device the pair fades in with the row's hover; where there is
+ * no hover they are always visible, because there is no other route to
+ * them there (a swipe is not an affordance a mouse-less keyboard user
+ * has either).
+ *
+ * The cards are light DOM children and stay in the *host's* shadow
+ * root, so the host's own `.album-card` / `.artist-card` styles apply
+ * unchanged — this component only owns the box they scroll inside.
+ */
+@customElement('scroll-row')
+export class ScrollRow extends LitElement {
+    @query('.viewport') private viewport?: HTMLElement;
+
+    @state() private atStart = true;
+
+    @state() private atEnd = true;
+
+    @state() private overflowing = false;
+
+    private observer?: ResizeObserver;
+
+    static override styles = css`
+        :host {
+            display: block;
+            position: relative;
+        }
+
+        .viewport {
+            overflow-x: auto;
+            overflow-y: hidden;
+            scrollbar-width: none;
+            /* A swipe that reaches the row's end should not drag the
+               whole page sideways with it. */
+            overscroll-behavior-x: contain;
+        }
+
+        .viewport::-webkit-scrollbar {
+            display: none;
+        }
+
+        .track {
+            display: flex;
+            gap: 12px;
+        }
+
+        .arrow {
+            position: absolute;
+            top: 50%;
+            transform: translateY(-50%);
+            z-index: 2;
+            display: flex;
+            align-items: center;
+            justify-content: center;
+            width: 36px;
+            height: 36px;
+            padding: 0;
+            border-radius: 50%;
+            border: 1px solid var(--yj-border-subtle, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1));
+            background: var(--yj-bg-elevated, #343a40);
+            color: var(--yj-text-primary, #fff);
+            cursor: pointer;
+            opacity: 0;
+            transition: opacity 0.15s ease;
+        }
+
+        .arrow[hidden] {
+            display: none;
+        }
+
+        .arrow.prev {
+            left: 4px;
+        }
+
+        .arrow.next {
+            right: 4px;
+        }
+
+        .arrow:hover {
+            background: var(--yj-bg-overlay, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12));
+        }
+
+        .arrow:focus-visible {
+            outline: 2px solid var(--yj-accent, #ffd43b);
+            outline-offset: 2px;
+        }
+
+        @media (hover: hover) and (pointer: fine) {
+            :host(:hover) .arrow,
+            .arrow:focus-visible {
+                opacity: 1;
+            }
+        }
+
+        @media not all and (hover: hover) {
+            .arrow {
+                opacity: 1;
+            }
+        }
+    `;
+
+    override firstUpdated(): void {
+        const viewport = this.viewport;
+
+        if (!viewport) return;
+
+        this.observer = new ResizeObserver(() => this.measure());
+
+        this.observer.observe(viewport);
+
+        // The track's own size is what changes when a card arrives with
+        // its cover art, and a ResizeObserver on the viewport alone
+        // never fires for that.
+        const track = viewport.firstElementChild;
+
+        if (track) this.observer.observe(track);
+
+        this.measure();
+    }
+
+    override disconnectedCallback(): void {
+        super.disconnectedCallback();
+        this.observer?.disconnect();
+        this.observer = undefined;
+    }
+
+    private measure(): void {
+        const viewport = this.viewport;
+
+        if (!viewport) return;
+
+        this.overflowing = viewport.scrollWidth > viewport.clientWidth + 1;
+        this.atStart = viewport.scrollLeft <= 1;
+        this.atEnd =
+            viewport.scrollLeft + viewport.clientWidth >=
+            viewport.scrollWidth - 1;
+    }
+
+    private onScroll = (): void => this.measure();
+
+    private scrollStep(direction: -1 | 1): void {
+        const viewport = this.viewport;
+
+        if (!viewport) return;
+
+        viewport.scrollBy({
+            left: direction * viewport.clientWidth * SCROLL_FRACTION,
+            behavior: 'smooth',
+        });
+    }
+
+    override render() {
+        const showPrev = this.overflowing && !this.atStart;
+        const showNext = this.overflowing && !this.atEnd;
+
+        return html`
+            <button
+                class="arrow prev"
+                type="button"
+                aria-label="Scroll left"
+                ?hidden=${!showPrev}
+                @click=${() => this.scrollStep(-1)}
+            >
+                <wa-icon name="chevron-left"></wa-icon>
+            </button>
+            <div class="viewport" @scroll=${this.onScroll}>
+                <div class="track"><slot></slot></div>
+            </div>
+            <button
+                class="arrow next"
+                type="button"
+                aria-label="Scroll right"
+                ?hidden=${!showNext}
+                @click=${() => this.scrollStep(1)}
+            >
+                <wa-icon name="chevron-right"></wa-icon>
+            </button>
+        `;
+    }
+}
+
+declare global {
+    interface HTMLElementTagNameMap {
+        'scroll-row': ScrollRow;
+    }
+}

frontend/src/components/top-results-row/top-results-row.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { LitElement, html, css, nothing } from 'lit';
 import { customElement, property } from 'lit/decorators.js';
 import { designTokens } from '../../styles/tokens.css';
+import '../scroll-row/scroll-row.js';
 import type * as explore from '@go/explore/models.js';
 import {
     GetArtistImageURL,
@@ -15,7 +16,6 @@ import { albumBadgeFor, libraryStatusFor } from '../../utils/library-status';
 import {
     isOwned,
     ownershipLabel,
-    unownedStyles,
     type OwnableKind,
 } from '../../utils/ownership';
 import { completenessStore } from '../../store/completeness-store';
@@ -103,20 +103,12 @@ export class TopResultsRow extends LitElement {
     static override styles = [
         designTokens,
         exploreLinkStyles,
-        unownedStyles,
         css`
             :host {
                 display: block;
                 margin-bottom: 16px;
             }
 
-            .row {
-                display: flex;
-                gap: 12px;
-                overflow-x: auto;
-                padding-bottom: 4px;
-            }
-
             .card {
                 flex: 0 0 auto;
                 width: 200px;
@@ -285,9 +277,9 @@ export class TopResultsRow extends LitElement {
 
         return html`
             <div class="section-label">Top Results</div>
-            <div class="row">
+            <scroll-row>
                 ${this.results.map((r) => this.renderCard(r))}
-            </div>
+            </scroll-row>
         `;
     }
 

frontend/src/icons/names.txt

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ solid/bookmark
 solid/box-open
 solid/check
 solid/chevron-down
+solid/chevron-left
 solid/chevron-right
 solid/circle-check
 solid/circle-exclamation

frontend/src/styles/album-card.css.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+import { css } from 'lit';
+
+/**
+ * The Explore album card, once.
+ *
+ * Two components draw one — `explore-view`'s shelves and search
+ * results, and `explore-artist-details`'s discography — and they had
+ * grown two copies of the same rules. That is how the size came apart:
+ * `explore-view` clamped its cards to a 130–150px range so two cards in
+ * one row could be different widths, and since the artwork is square
+ * that made them different *heights* as well. A row of covers with
+ * ragged bottoms is the whole complaint.
+ *
+ * So the width is a fixed `--yj-album-card-width` and the lines below
+ * the art each reserve their own space, which is what makes every card
+ * the same size no matter what a given album happens to carry —
+ * `album-card-size.test.ts` measures that rather than trusting it.
+ *
+ * Three rules here are the parts that changed rather than moved.
+ *
+ * **The artwork is inset in the square, not cropped to it.** The
+ * container was already `aspect-ratio: 1` but the image was
+ * `object-fit: cover`, so a non-square cover lost its edges. It is
+ * `contain` now and the container's own background is transparent, so
+ * a tall or wide cover sits in the middle of the square with the page
+ * showing through beside it.
+ *
+ * **The badge lives on the artwork, top-left, and only under the
+ * pointer.** It used to sit in the metadata line and only for the
+ * unowned case. It draws for every card now — an owned album's tick is
+ * the answer to the same question — and it is revealed by hover on a
+ * pointer device. Where there is no hover it is *always* visible rather
+ * than never, because on those devices it is the only route to its
+ * action: `explore-view`'s card menu carries no request item, so a
+ * phone with the badge hidden could not ask for an album at all.
+ *
+ * **Nothing dims an unowned card.** `unownedStyles` was removed from
+ * the catalog surfaces on the rule that the badge is the mark; the
+ * album page's *tracklist* still dims unowned rows, which is a
+ * different statement about a different thing.
+ */
+export const albumCardStyles = css`
+    .album-card {
+        width: var(--yj-album-card-width, 150px);
+        display: flex;
+        flex-direction: column;
+        gap: 6px;
+        padding: 8px;
+        border-radius: 8px;
+        box-sizing: border-box;
+        flex-shrink: 0;
+        cursor: pointer;
+        transition: background 0.15s ease;
+    }
+
+    .album-card:hover {
+        background: var(--yj-bg-overlay, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06));
+    }
+
+    .album-card:active {
+        transform: scale(0.97);
+    }
+
+    .album-card:focus-visible {
+        outline: 2px solid var(--yj-accent-text, #ffd43b);
+        outline-offset: -2px;
+    }
+
+    .album-art-container {
+        position: relative;
+        width: 100%;
+        aspect-ratio: 1;
+        border-radius: 4px;
+        overflow: hidden;
+        background: transparent;
+        display: flex;
+        align-items: center;
+        justify-content: center;
+    }
+
+    .album-art-container img {
+        width: 100%;
+        height: 100%;
+        object-fit: contain;
+        display: block;
+    }
+
+    /* The placeholder is the one case that *is* a full square, so it
+       carries the background the container gave up. */
+    .album-art-fallback {
+        display: flex;
+        align-items: center;
+        justify-content: center;
+        width: 100%;
+        height: 100%;
+        position: absolute;
+        inset: 0;
+        background: linear-gradient(
+            135deg,
+            var(--yj-bg-overlay, #404040) 0%,
+            var(--yj-bg-surface, #282828) 100%
+        );
+    }
+
+    .album-art-fallback wa-icon {
+        color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
+        font-size: 24px;
+        opacity: 0.5;
+    }
+
+    .album-card-badge {
+        position: absolute;
+        top: 6px;
+        left: 6px;
+        z-index: 1;
+        display: flex;
+        visibility: hidden;
+        opacity: 0;
+        transition: opacity 0.15s ease, visibility 0.15s ease;
+    }
+
+    @media (hover: hover) and (pointer: fine) {
+        .album-card:hover .album-card-badge,
+        .album-card:focus-within .album-card-badge {
+            visibility: visible;
+            opacity: 1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    @media not all and (hover: hover) {
+        .album-card-badge {
+            visibility: visible;
+            opacity: 1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    .album-title {
+        font-weight: 500;
+        color: var(--yj-text-primary, #fff);
+        font-size: var(--yj-text-sm);
+        line-height: 1.3;
+        white-space: nowrap;
+        overflow: hidden;
+        text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    }
+
+    /* Reserved even where a surface has no artist to draw, so a card
+       in a row is never shorter than its neighbour. */
+    .album-artist {
+        color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
+        font-size: var(--yj-text-xs);
+        line-height: 1.3;
+        min-height: 1.3em;
+        white-space: nowrap;
+        overflow: hidden;
+        text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    }
+
+    .album-meta {
+        display: flex;
+        align-items: center;
+        justify-content: space-between;
+        gap: 6px;
+        color: var(--yj-text-tertiary, #888);
+        font-size: var(--yj-text-xs);
+        height: 20px;
+    }
+
+    .album-meta-text {
+        display: flex;
+        align-items: center;
+        gap: 6px;
+        min-width: 0;
+        overflow: hidden;
+    }
+
+    .type-badge {
+        background: var(--yj-bg-overlay, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08));
+        padding: 1px 6px;
+        border-radius: 3px;
+        font-size: 10px;
+        white-space: nowrap;
+    }
+`;

frontend/src/utils/external-link.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/**
+ * Opening an external page, with the destination pinned.
+ *
+ * Every external link this app opens is a MusicBrainz entity page built
+ * from an MBID that came from the catalog. Constructing the URL by
+ * string concatenation leaves the destination to whatever is in that
+ * string, so this parses it against the one origin the app means and
+ * refuses anything else — an MBID cannot change the host, and if it
+ * somehow did, nothing would open.
+ *
+ * It navigates through a real anchor rather than `window.open`: the
+ * same top-level `_blank` navigation with `noopener`, and it keeps the
+ * destination an ordinary link rather than an argument to a function
+ * whose first parameter is a URL.
+ */
+const MUSICBRAINZ_ORIGIN = 'https://musicbrainz.org';
+
+export function openMusicBrainz(path: string): void {
+    const url = new URL(path, MUSICBRAINZ_ORIGIN);
+
+    if (url.origin !== MUSICBRAINZ_ORIGIN) return;
+
+    const link = document.createElement('a');
+
+    link.href = url.toString();
+    link.target = '_blank';
+    link.rel = 'noopener noreferrer';
+    link.click();
+}

frontend/src/utils/ownership.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,16 @@
  * badge as the only difference. This is that rule, written once, so
  * eight surfaces cannot each keep their own version of it.
  *
+ * **The catalog's *cards* no longer dim.** A grid of dimmed covers read
+ * as a page that had failed to load rather than as a page of things you
+ * could ask for, so on Explore the mark is the badge alone — over the
+ * artwork, on hover, drawn for owned and unowned alike. The album
+ * page's *tracklist* still dims unowned rows: that is a different
+ * statement ("this one is not here") about a different thing, and the
+ * `aria-disabled` row that cannot be played is what it is for. So
+ * `unownedStyles` survives for that one surface and the cards simply do
+ * not include it.
+ *
  * ## Ownership is a file, and `localId` is the flag that says so
  *
  * The album page answers "do I own this row" with `filePaths`, a map
@@ -96,7 +106,8 @@ export function ownershipLabel(
 }
 
 /**
- * The dimming, shared so it cannot drift across surfaces.
+ * The dimming, shared so it cannot drift across surfaces — and now
+ * used by exactly one of them.
  *
  * Two things about it are load-bearing.
  *

frontend/test/components/album-card-size.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+/**
+ * Every album card is the same size, and its artwork is a square.
+ *
+ * The size came apart because `explore-view` clamped its cards to a
+ * 130–150px range, so two cards in one row could be different widths —
+ * and since the artwork is square, different *heights* as well. A row
+ * of covers with ragged bottoms is what that looks like.
+ *
+ * What makes the fix hold is that the lines below the art each reserve
+ * their own space (`album-card.css.ts`), so an album with no year, no
+ * release type or a one-character title is not shorter than its
+ * neighbour. This measures that rather than trusting it, because the
+ * next component to format a card is the way it comes back.
+ *
+ * The artwork half is the other change: the container was already
+ * square but the image was `object-fit: cover`, so a non-square cover
+ * was cropped to it. It is `contain` now, and the container has no
+ * background of its own, so a tall cover is inset with the page
+ * showing through beside it.
+ */
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import type { LitElement } from 'lit';
+
+import '@components/explore-view/explore-view';
+import { flush, stub, resetHarness } from '@test/support/harness';
+import { fixture, shadow, shadowAll, update } from '@test/support/render';
+import { completenessStore } from '@store/completeness-store';
+
+const SEARCH = 'explore.Service.SearchLocal';
+const SHELVES = 'explore.Service.GetExploreShelves';
+
+/** A 1x1 transparent gif, so the `<img>` branch renders. */
+const TINY_IMAGE =
+  'data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7';
+
+/** Release groups chosen so every optional line is present on one and
+ *  absent on another — that is what a size regression hides behind. */
+const ALBUMS = [
+  {
+    mbid: 'rg-1',
+    title: 'A',
+    artistCredit: '',
+    artistMbid: 'ar-1',
+    primaryType: '',
+    firstReleaseDate: '',
+    popularity: 1,
+    listenerCount: 1,
+    secondaryTypes: [],
+    inLibrary: false,
+    localId: 0,
+  },
+  {
+    mbid: 'rg-2',
+    title: 'A Very Long Album Name That Will Certainly Be Truncated By The Card',
+    artistCredit: 'An Artist With A Long Name',
+    artistMbid: 'ar-2',
+    primaryType: 'Album',
+    firstReleaseDate: '1994-05-01',
+    popularity: 1,
+    listenerCount: 1,
+    secondaryTypes: [],
+    inLibrary: false,
+    localId: 0,
+  },
+  {
+    mbid: 'rg-3',
+    title: 'Three',
+    artistCredit: 'Another',
+    artistMbid: 'ar-3',
+    primaryType: 'EP',
+    firstReleaseDate: '2001-01-01',
+    popularity: 1,
+    listenerCount: 1,
+    secondaryTypes: [],
+    inLibrary: false,
+    localId: 0,
+  },
+];
+
+async function exploreWithAlbums(): Promise<LitElement> {
+  stub(SHELVES, { shelves: [], state: 'ready' });
+  stub(SEARCH, {
+    artists: [],
+    releaseGroups: ALBUMS,
+    recordings: [],
+  });
+  stub('explore.Service.GetThumbnails', Object.fromEntries(
+    ALBUMS.map((a) => [a.mbid, TINY_IMAGE]),
+  ));
+  stub('explore.Service.GetThumbnail', TINY_IMAGE);
+
+  const el = await fixture<LitElement>('explore-view');
+
+  (el as unknown as { onViewActivate: () => void }).onViewActivate?.();
+  await update(el, {
+    results: { artists: [], releaseGroups: ALBUMS, recordings: [] },
+  });
+  await flush();
+  await el.updateComplete;
+
+  return el;
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  resetHarness();
+  stub('library.Library.GetAlbumsCompleteness', {});
+  completenessStore.invalidate();
+});
+
+describe('the album card size', () => {
+  it('is the same width and height for every card in a row', async () => {
+    const el = await exploreWithAlbums();
+    const cards = shadowAll(el, '.album-card');
+
+    expect(cards.length).toBe(ALBUMS.length);
+
+    const boxes = cards.map((c) => c.getBoundingClientRect());
+
+    // The first card is the reference; every other one must match it.
+    for (const box of boxes) {
+      expect(box.width).toBe(boxes[0]!.width);
+      expect(box.height).toBe(boxes[0]!.height);
+    }
+
+    // …and the reference is a real box, or the loop above is vacuous.
+    expect(boxes[0]!.width).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(boxes[0]!.height).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the artwork square', async () => {
+    const el = await exploreWithAlbums();
+
+    for (const art of shadowAll(el, '.album-art-container')) {
+      const box = art.getBoundingClientRect();
+
+      expect(Math.round(box.width)).toBe(Math.round(box.height));
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('insets a non-square cover rather than cropping it', async () => {
+    const el = await exploreWithAlbums();
+
+    // Read from the parsed stylesheet rather than from a rendered
+    // `<img>`: the search path is what calls `loadThumbnails`, and
+    // setting `results` directly skips it, so there is no image to
+    // measure. The regression worth catching is the rule going back to
+    // `cover`, which is a stylesheet fact.
+    const rules = (el.shadowRoot?.adoptedStyleSheets ?? []).flatMap((sheet) =>
+      Array.from(sheet.cssRules).map((rule) => rule.cssText),
+    );
+    const art = rules.find(
+      (text) =>
+        text.startsWith('.album-art-container img') &&
+        text.includes('object-fit'),
+    );
+
+    expect(art, 'no object-fit rule for the cover image').toBeDefined();
+    expect(art).toContain('object-fit: contain');
+  });
+
+  it('draws the badge over the artwork, and not in the metadata line', async () => {
+    const el = await exploreWithAlbums();
+    const card = shadow(el, '.album-card')!;
+
+    const badge = card.querySelector('.album-art-container .album-card-badge');
+
+    expect(badge).not.toBeNull();
+    // The badge is positioned inside the art box, so its parent is the
+    // square rather than the row underneath it.
+    expect(badge?.parentElement?.classList.contains('album-art-container')).toBe(
+      true,
+    );
+  });
+});

frontend/test/components/artist-header.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+/**
+ * The artist page's header and its top tracks.
+ *
+ * Two cleanups, asserted together because they are one screen:
+ *
+ *  - the Play/Shuffle pair became one split button ("Play" with the
+ *    words on its title, Shuffle behind the caret), the Follow button
+ *    moved onto the same line, and the name and listen count went up a
+ *    size;
+ *  - a top track's play/request affordance moved onto its artwork,
+ *    where a hover reveals it, instead of a badge at the end of the
+ *    row beside a row that already plays on a double-click.
+ */
+import { describe, expect, it, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import type { LitElement } from 'lit';
+
+import '@components/explore-artist-details/explore-artist-details';
+import { stub, flush, emit, resetHarness } from '@test/support/harness';
+import { Events } from '../../src/events';
+import { fixture, shadow, shadowAll } from '@test/support/render';
+
+const ARTIST = 'artist-0001';
+
+const track = (name: string, localId = 0) => ({
+  recordingMbid: `rec-${name}`,
+  artistName: 'Tideline',
+  trackName: name,
+  totalListenCount: 100,
+  caaReleaseMbid: '',
+  releaseName: 'Foreshore',
+  releaseGroupMbid: 'rg-owned',
+  length: 200000,
+  inLibrary: localId > 0,
+  localId,
+});
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  resetHarness();
+
+  stub('explore.Service.LookupArtist', {
+    mbid: ARTIST,
+    name: 'Tideline',
+    popularity: 1200,
+    type: 'Group',
+    country: 'GB',
+  });
+  stub('explore.Service.TopReleaseGroupsForArtist', []);
+  stub('explore.Service.TopRecordingsForArtist', [
+    track('Owned Song', 7),
+    track('Absent Song'),
+  ]);
+  stub('explore.Service.SimilarArtists', []);
+  stub('explore.Service.PrefetchReleases', undefined);
+  stub('explore.Service.BrowseReleaseGroups', [
+    {
+      mbid: 'rg-owned',
+      title: 'Foreshore',
+      artistCredit: 'Tideline',
+      primaryType: 'Album',
+      inLibrary: true,
+      localId: 7,
+    },
+  ]);
+  stub('library.Library.GetAlbumsCompleteness', {});
+  stub('download.Service.ListRequests', []);
+});
+
+async function mount(): Promise<LitElement> {
+  const el = await fixture<LitElement>('explore-artist-details', {
+    artistMBID: ARTIST,
+    artistName: 'Tideline',
+  });
+
+  await flush();
+
+  return el;
+}
+
+describe('the artist header', () => {
+  it('offers Play, with Shuffle behind its caret', async () => {
+    const el = await mount();
+    const play = shadow<HTMLElement>(el, '[data-testid="artist-play-library"]')!;
+
+    // The words moved to the title, which is where "Play library
+    // tracks" can still be read without taking the width of a button.
+    expect(play.textContent?.trim()).toBe('Play');
+    expect(play.getAttribute('title')).toBe('Play library tracks');
+
+    const menuButton = shadow(el, '[data-testid="artist-play-menu"]');
+
+    expect(menuButton).not.toBeNull();
+
+    const menu = shadow(el, '#artist-play-menu');
+
+    expect(menu?.textContent).toContain('Shuffle');
+  });
+
+  it('puts Follow on the same line as Play', async () => {
+    const el = await mount();
+    const actions = shadow(el, '.artist-actions')!;
+
+    expect(actions.querySelector('[data-testid="artist-play-library"]')).not.toBeNull();
+
+    const follow = actions.querySelector('[data-testid="artist-follow"]') as HTMLElement;
+
+    expect(follow).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(follow.textContent?.trim()).toBe('Follow');
+  });
+
+  it('says Following once the artist is on the request list', async () => {
+    const el = await mount();
+
+    // The store is a singleton and caches its list, so the change is
+    // announced the way the backend announces one.
+    stub('download.Service.ListRequests', [
+      { id: 3, mbid: ARTIST, state: 'queued' },
+    ]);
+    emit(Events.RequestsChanged);
+    await flush();
+    await el.updateComplete;
+
+    const follow = shadow<HTMLElement>(el, '[data-testid="artist-follow"]')!;
+
+    expect(follow.textContent?.trim()).toBe('Following');
+  });
+
+  it('sizes the name and the listen count above the metadata line', async () => {
+    const el = await mount();
+
+    const title = shadow<HTMLElement>(el, '.artist-title')!;
+    const listens = shadow<HTMLElement>(el, '.artist-listens')!;
+    const meta = shadow<HTMLElement>(el, '.artist-meta')!;
+
+    expect(listens.textContent).toContain('plays on ListenBrainz');
+
+    const titleSize = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(title).fontSize);
+    const listensSize = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(listens).fontSize);
+    const metaSize = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(meta).fontSize);
+
+    expect(titleSize).toBeGreaterThan(24);
+    expect(listensSize).toBeGreaterThan(metaSize);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('a top track’s affordance', () => {
+  it('plays from the artwork when it is owned', async () => {
+    const el = await mount();
+    const rows = shadowAll<HTMLElement>(el, '.track-item');
+
+    const owned = rows.find((r) => r.textContent?.includes('Owned Song'))!;
+
+    expect(owned.querySelector('.track-art-overlay .track-art-play')).not.toBeNull();
+    // Nothing beside the row any more.
+    expect(owned.querySelector(':scope > library-status-indicator')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('requests from the artwork when it is not', async () => {
+    const el = await mount();
+    const rows = shadowAll<HTMLElement>(el, '.track-item');
+
+    const absent = rows.find((r) => r.textContent?.includes('Absent Song'))!;
+
+    expect(
+      absent.querySelector('.track-art-overlay library-status-indicator'),
+    ).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(absent.querySelector('.track-art-overlay .track-art-play')).toBeNull();
+  });
+});

frontend/test/components/artist-release-menu.test.ts

@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ const ARTIST = 'artist-0001';
 
 /** The labels of the open menu's items, trimmed. */
 function menuItems(el: LitElement): string[] {
-  const panel = shadow(el, '.context-menu-panel');
+  // Scoped to the context menu: the artist page also has a Play/Shuffle
+  // dropdown, and its panel carries the same class.
+  const panel = shadow(el, '#context-menu .context-menu-panel');
 
   if (!panel) return [];
 
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ describe('the context menu on an artist page release', () => {
 
     await openMenuOnAlbum(el, 0);
 
-    const panel = shadow(el, '.context-menu-panel');
+    const panel = shadow(el, '#context-menu .context-menu-panel');
 
     expect(panel).toBeTruthy();
     // The panel is shared with the track menu, so a label that does not

frontend/test/components/progress-line.test.ts

@@ -172,8 +172,7 @@ describe('<player-progress-line>', () => {
      * The reason this component asks `matchMedia` instead of letting a
      * stylesheet hide it: a media query cannot stop a 1 Hz interval
      * running for the life of every desktop session. That claim is
-     * load-bearing in CLAUDE.md, so it is asserted rather than
-     * described — the timer count, because a desktop render is empty
+     * load-bearing, so it is asserted rather than described — the timer count, because a desktop render is empty
      * either way and so cannot tell the two apart.
      */
     it('runs no interpolation timer above the breakpoint', async () => {

frontend/test/components/scroll-row.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+/**
+ * A horizontally scrolling row can be moved without a wheel.
+ *
+ * Until this existed the only way to see the cards past the fold on the
+ * shelves, the search results and the artist page's discography was a
+ * mousewheel or a trackpad gesture — which is not an affordance. A
+ * mouse with no horizontal wheel simply could not reach them.
+ *
+ * What is asserted here is the state that makes the arrows honest: an
+ * arrow is `hidden` at the end it cannot move from, because a control
+ * that cannot act is worse than none, and an invisible one still holds
+ * a hit area and a tab stop.
+ */
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import type { LitElement } from 'lit';
+
+import '@components/scroll-row/scroll-row';
+import { fixture } from '@test/support/render';
+
+/** Six 100px cards in a 320px row — comfortably overflowing. */
+function content(el: Element): void {
+  for (let i = 0; i < 6; i += 1) {
+    const card = document.createElement('div');
+
+    card.style.cssText = 'flex: 0 0 100px; height: 40px';
+    card.textContent = String(i);
+    el.append(card);
+  }
+}
+
+function arrows(el: LitElement): { prev: HTMLButtonElement; next: HTMLButtonElement } {
+  const root = el.shadowRoot!;
+
+  return {
+    prev: root.querySelector('.arrow.prev') as HTMLButtonElement,
+    next: root.querySelector('.arrow.next') as HTMLButtonElement,
+  };
+}
+
+function viewport(el: LitElement): HTMLElement {
+  return el.shadowRoot!.querySelector('.viewport') as HTMLElement;
+}
+
+async function row(): Promise<LitElement> {
+  const el = await fixture<LitElement>('scroll-row');
+
+  el.style.display = 'block';
+  el.style.width = '320px';
+  content(el);
+  await el.updateComplete;
+  // The observer reports on a later frame than a microtask drain.
+  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 60));
+  await el.updateComplete;
+
+  return el;
+}
+
+describe('<scroll-row>', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    document.body.style.margin = '0';
+  });
+
+  it('draws an arrow for each direction it can still move', async () => {
+    const el = await row();
+    const { prev, next } = arrows(el);
+
+    expect(prev).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(next).not.toBeNull();
+
+    // At the start there is nothing behind, so only the forward arrow is
+    // offered.
+    expect(prev.hasAttribute('hidden')).toBe(true);
+    expect(next.hasAttribute('hidden')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('offers the way back once the row has moved', async () => {
+    const el = await row();
+    const vp = viewport(el);
+
+    vp.scrollLeft = 120;
+    vp.dispatchEvent(new Event('scroll'));
+    await el.updateComplete;
+
+    expect(arrows(el).prev.hasAttribute('hidden')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('stands the forward arrow down at the end', async () => {
+    const el = await row();
+    const vp = viewport(el);
+
+    vp.scrollLeft = vp.scrollWidth;
+    vp.dispatchEvent(new Event('scroll'));
+    await el.updateComplete;
+
+    expect(arrows(el).next.hasAttribute('hidden')).toBe(true);
+    expect(arrows(el).prev.hasAttribute('hidden')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('moves the row when the arrow is pressed', async () => {
+    const el = await row();
+    const vp = viewport(el);
+
+    expect(vp.scrollLeft).toBe(0);
+
+    arrows(el).next.click();
+
+    await expect.poll(() => vp.scrollLeft).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+
+  it('shows nothing to scroll when the content fits', async () => {
+    const el = await fixture<LitElement>('scroll-row');
+
+    el.style.cssText = 'display: block; width: 320px';
+
+    const only = document.createElement('div');
+
+    only.style.cssText = 'flex: 0 0 100px; height: 40px';
+    only.textContent = 'one';
+    el.append(only);
+    await el.updateComplete;
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 60));
+    await el.updateComplete;
+    await new Promise((r) => requestAnimationFrame(() => r(null)));
+    await el.updateComplete;
+
+    const { prev, next } = arrows(el);
+
+    expect(prev.hasAttribute('hidden')).toBe(true);
+    expect(next.hasAttribute('hidden')).toBe(true);
+  });
+});

frontend/test/components/unowned-everywhere.test.ts

@@ -1,24 +1,28 @@
 /**
- * Owned is plain; unowned is what gets marked.
+ * The catalog's cards are not dimmed; the badge is the mark.
  *
- * `explore-album-details` had this right for one tracklist and nothing
- * else did: Explore's cards, the top-results row and the artist page's
- * three card shapes all mixed owned and unowned with a small badge as
- * the only difference — and drew a green tick on the *common* case,
- * which is the treatment the album page's own green ticks were removed
- * for.
+ * The rule this replaced had every unowned card dimmed *and* badged,
+ * which on a shelf of mostly-unowned covers read as a page that had
+ * failed to load rather than a page of things you could ask for. So the
+ * dimming is gone from the catalog surfaces and the badge carries the
+ * whole statement — over the artwork, on hover, drawn for owned and
+ * unowned alike.
  *
- * What is pinned here is the rule rather than any one surface, because
- * the fault this replaced was eight call sites each holding their own
- * version of it:
+ * What is still pinned here is the half that was never about dimming:
  *
- *  - an owned thing draws **no badge at all**;
- *  - an unowned one is dimmed *and* says so in its accessible name,
- *    because dimming is a colour and cannot be the only signal;
  *  - ownership is a **file** (`localId`), never the catalog's
  *    `inLibrary` ratchet, which is a flag that happens to agree;
- *  - and a partly-held album says *how* partly, which is the one thing
- *    a tick cannot.
+ *  - a row that cannot be played is `aria-disabled`, while a card that
+ *    still navigates is not;
+ *  - a partly-held album says *how* partly, which is the one thing a
+ *    tick cannot;
+ *  - and an unowned thing still says so in its accessible name, because
+ *    with the dimming gone that name is the whole signal for anyone not
+ *    seeing the badge.
+ *
+ * The album page's *tracklist* still dims unowned rows — a different
+ * statement about a different thing — and is covered by
+ * `album-request-badge-visibility.test.ts`.
  */
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 import { page } from 'vitest/browser';
@@ -26,7 +30,7 @@ import { page } from 'vitest/browser';
 import '@components/explore-view/explore-view';
 import '@components/top-results-row/top-results-row';
 import { flush, stub, resetHarness } from '@test/support/harness';
-import { fixture, shadow, shadowAll, update } from '@test/support/render';
+import { fixture, shadow, update } from '@test/support/render';
 import { completenessStore } from '@store/completeness-store';
 
 const SEARCH = 'explore.Service.SearchLocal';
@@ -105,27 +109,44 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   // absent one — which is the point, or 87% of a grid re-asks forever.
   // Two tests in one file are two sessions as far as it is concerned,
   // so a stale entry from the test above would otherwise decide the
-  // one below. Found by writing the assertion the wrong way round.
+  // one below.
   completenessStore.invalidate();
 });
 
-describe('an owned thing is plain', () => {
-  it('draws no badge on an album card it has files for', async () => {
+describe('an unowned card is marked by its badge alone', () => {
+  it('does not dim the artwork', async () => {
+    const el = await exploreShowing({
+      releaseGroups: [album('Absent', {})],
+    });
+
+    const art = shadow(el, '.album-card .album-art-container')!;
+
+    // The dimming was an opacity on this box. With it gone the cover is
+    // at full strength, and the badge is what says the card is not
+    // yours.
+    expect(getComputedStyle(art).opacity).toBe('1');
+    expect(shadow(el, '.album-card library-status-indicator')).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('still says so in the name the browser computes', async () => {
+    await exploreShowing({ releaseGroups: [album('Absent', {})] });
+
+    await expect
+      .element(page.getByRole('button', { name: /Absent — not in your library/ }))
+      .toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('an owned card is plain except for its badge', () => {
+  it('draws the in-library badge rather than nothing', async () => {
     const el = await exploreShowing({
       releaseGroups: [album('Held', { localId: 7 })],
     });
 
-    expect(shadowAll(el, '.album-card')).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(shadow(el, '.album-card library-status-indicator')).toBeNull();
-  });
+    const badge = shadow(el, '.album-card library-status-indicator');
 
-  it('draws no badge on a track row it has a file for', async () => {
-    const el = await exploreShowing({
-      recordings: [recording('Held', { localId: 9 })],
-    });
-
-    expect(shadowAll(el, '.track-item')).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(shadow(el, '.track-item library-status-indicator')).toBeNull();
+    expect(badge).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(badge?.getAttribute('status')).toBe('in-library');
   });
 
   it('does not dim it', async () => {
@@ -139,56 +160,6 @@ describe('an owned thing is plain', () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe('an unowned thing is marked', () => {
-  it('dims the card and keeps its request badge', async () => {
-    const el = await exploreShowing({
-      releaseGroups: [album('Absent', {})],
-    });
-
-    expect(shadow(el, '.album-card')?.classList.contains('unowned')).toBe(true);
-    expect(shadow(el, '.album-card library-status-indicator')).not.toBeNull();
-  });
-
-  /**
-   * The name is the half of this that reaches anyone not seeing the
-   * dimming, so it has to be the browser's own answer — a shadow-root
-   * query cannot compute a name, and this repo has shipped a nameless
-   * control three times.
-   */
-  it('says so in the name the browser computes', async () => {
-    await exploreShowing({ releaseGroups: [album('Absent', {})] });
-
-    await expect
-      .element(page.getByRole('button', { name: /Absent — not in your library/ }))
-      .toBeInTheDocument();
-  });
-
-  /**
-   * A track row is `aria-disabled` and a card is not, and the
-   * difference is not cosmetic: activating an unowned row does nothing
-   * (`onRecordingRowDblClick` returns early), while a card navigates to
-   * the catalog page for it, which is a perfectly good thing to do with
-   * something you do not own.
-   */
-  it('marks a row that cannot be played as disabled', async () => {
-    const el = await exploreShowing({
-      recordings: [recording('Absent', {})],
-    });
-
-    expect(shadow(el, '.track-item')?.getAttribute('aria-disabled')).toBe(
-      'true',
-    );
-  });
-
-  it('leaves a card that still navigates enabled', async () => {
-    const el = await exploreShowing({
-      releaseGroups: [album('Absent', {})],
-    });
-
-    expect(shadow(el, '.album-card')?.getAttribute('aria-disabled')).toBeNull();
-  });
-});
-
 /**
  * The decision this issue turned on.
  *
@@ -206,7 +177,9 @@ describe('ownership is a file, not a flag', () => {
     });
 
     expect(shadow(el, '.album-card')?.classList.contains('unowned')).toBe(true);
-    expect(shadow(el, '.album-card library-status-indicator')).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(
+      shadow(el, '.album-card library-status-indicator')?.getAttribute('status'),
+    ).not.toBe('in-library');
   });
 
   it('does the same for a track row', async () => {
@@ -220,6 +193,26 @@ describe('ownership is a file, not a flag', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('a track row that cannot be played is disabled', () => {
+  it('marks an unowned row', async () => {
+    const el = await exploreShowing({
+      recordings: [recording('Absent', {})],
+    });
+
+    expect(shadow(el, '.track-item')?.getAttribute('aria-disabled')).toBe(
+      'true',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('leaves a card that still navigates enabled', async () => {
+    const el = await exploreShowing({
+      releaseGroups: [album('Absent', {})],
+    });
+
+    expect(shadow(el, '.album-card')?.getAttribute('aria-disabled')).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
 /**
  * The count, which is what `#16`'s deferred third step asked for: an
  * album held 2 tracks of 10 wore the same green tick as one held whole,
@@ -248,9 +241,13 @@ describe('a partly-held album says how partly', () => {
 
     // A partly-held album is *actionable* — it has three tracks left to
     // ask for — so the badge is a button, and the name has to carry the
-    // action and the count. Naming it after the action alone left the
-    // one state the ring exists for as the one state whose name did not
-    // mention it.
+    // action and the count. The badge is revealed by the card's focus
+    // (`:focus-within`), and `visibility: hidden` is what takes it out
+    // of the accessibility tree until then, so the card is focused
+    // first — which is exactly the route a keyboard user takes.
+    shadow<HTMLElement>(el, '.album-card')?.focus();
+    await el.updateComplete;
+
     await expect
       .element(
         page.getByRole('button', {
@@ -266,7 +263,7 @@ describe('a partly-held album says how partly', () => {
    * state, and a ring drawn from its absence would mark all of it
    * incomplete on no evidence. That is the rule `Known` exists for.
    */
-  it('says nothing when the total was never declared', async () => {
+  it('falls back to the plain in-library badge when the total was never declared', async () => {
     stub(COMPLETENESS, {
       '7': { owned: 3, expected: 0, known: false, complete: false },
     });
@@ -279,7 +276,9 @@ describe('a partly-held album says how partly', () => {
     await flush();
     await el.updateComplete;
 
-    expect(shadow(el, '.album-card library-status-indicator')).toBeNull();
+    expect(
+      shadow(el, '.album-card library-status-indicator')?.getAttribute('status'),
+    ).toBe('in-library');
   });
 
   it('asks about the owned albums only, in one call', async () => {
@@ -329,11 +328,13 @@ describe('the top-results row follows the same rule', () => {
       query: 'held',
     });
 
+    // A top-result card is a mixed bag — artist, album or track — and
+    // its badge is a corner mark rather than the cover overlay the
+    // album cards grew, so an owned one stays plain.
     expect(shadow(el, '.card library-status-indicator')).toBeNull();
-    expect(shadow(el, '.card')?.classList.contains('unowned')).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it('dims and names something it does not', async () => {
+  it('names something it does not own', async () => {
     const el = await fixture('top-results-row', {
       results: [result('Absent', 'release_group')],
       query: 'absent',
@@ -349,7 +350,7 @@ describe('the top-results row follows the same rule', () => {
   /**
    * An artist card has never had a badge — a discography subscription
    * is the artist page's Follow button, which can say what it commits
-   * to — so the dimming and the name are the whole signal there.
+   * to — so the name is the whole signal there.
    */
   it('marks an unowned artist without offering a request', async () => {
     const el = await fixture('top-results-row', {

go.mod

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module yellowjacket
 
-go 1.25.0
+go 1.26
 
 require (
 	github.com/BurntSushi/toml v1.6.0
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/go-git/gcfg v1.5.1-0.20230307220236-3a3c6141e376 // indirect
 	github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5 v5.9.0 // indirect
 	github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 v5.19.2 // indirect
-	github.com/go-json-experiment/json v0.0.0-20251027170946-4849db3c2f7e // indirect
+	github.com/go-json-experiment/json v0.0.0-20260820222146-c27c302e5fc3 // indirect
 	github.com/go-ole/go-ole v1.3.0 // indirect
 	github.com/go-resty/resty/v2 v2.17.1 // indirect
 	github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.9.3 // indirect

go.sum

@@ -362,8 +362,8 @@ github.com/go-git/go-git/v5 v5.19.2/go.mod h1:QqCBE1EFN5ddFmrliLQ3/ntRCUjZU3EJuw
 github.com/go-gl/glfw v0.0.0-20190409004039-e6da0acd62b1/go.mod h1:vR7hzQXu2zJy9AVAgeJqvqgH9Q5CA+iKCZ2gyEVpxRU=
 github.com/go-gl/glfw/v3.3/glfw v0.0.0-20191125211704-12ad95a8df72/go.mod h1:tQ2UAYgL5IevRw8kRxooKSPJfGvJ9fJQFa0TUsXzTg8=
 github.com/go-gl/glfw/v3.3/glfw v0.0.0-20200222043503-6f7a984d4dc4/go.mod h1:tQ2UAYgL5IevRw8kRxooKSPJfGvJ9fJQFa0TUsXzTg8=
-github.com/go-json-experiment/json v0.0.0-20251027170946-4849db3c2f7e h1:Lf/gRkoycfOBPa42vU2bbgPurFong6zXeFtPoxholzU=
-github.com/go-json-experiment/json v0.0.0-20251027170946-4849db3c2f7e/go.mod h1:uNVvRXArCGbZ508SxYYTC5v1JWoz2voff5pm25jU1Ok=
+github.com/go-json-experiment/json v0.0.0-20260820222146-c27c302e5fc3 h1:UADEEmDKgfXbtnGJZ97beY5XLo9ZechG1nlU4KnRrkE=
+github.com/go-json-experiment/json v0.0.0-20260820222146-c27c302e5fc3/go.mod h1:tphK2c80bpPhMOI4v6bIc2xWywPfbqi1Z06+RcrMkDg=
 github.com/go-kit/kit v0.8.0/go.mod h1:xBxKIO96dXMWWy0MnWVtmwkA9/13aqxPnvrjFYMA2as=
 github.com/go-kit/kit v0.9.0/go.mod h1:xBxKIO96dXMWWy0MnWVtmwkA9/13aqxPnvrjFYMA2as=
 github.com/go-kit/log v0.1.0/go.mod h1:zbhenjAZHb184qTLMA9ZjW7ThYL0H2mk7Q6pNt4vbaY=

main.go

@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ var frontendDistAssets embed.FS
 // Returning early is not a degraded mode: `nativeInit` has already
 // re-attached the bridge, so the recreated activity's WebView talks to
 // the app that is still running, with its queue and its playback
-// position intact. See CLAUDE.md, "An activity is a view onto the
-// process".
+// position intact.
 //
 // It is inert off Android, where a process has exactly one main().
 var mainStarted atomic.Bool

packaging/arch/PKGBUILD

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ arch=('x86_64')
 url="https://git.ljones.me/yonlu/yellowjacket"
 license=('custom')
 depends=('webkitgtk-6.0' 'gtk4' 'alsa-lib' 'hicolor-icon-theme')
-makedepends=('go>=1.25' 'nodejs>=22' 'pnpm' 'git')
+makedepends=('go>=1.26' 'nodejs>=22' 'pnpm' 'git')
 options=('!lto')
 
 # Source is overridable so the same PKGBUILD works two ways:

scripts/skill-check.sh

@@ -82,23 +82,69 @@ targets="$({ make -pqRr 2>/dev/null || true; } |
 # happened to break there, and a check that fails on reflow gets
 # disabled rather than fixed.
 #
+# **An inline span may be hard-wrapped, and then the mention is split
+# across two lines.**  `make` at the end of one line and its target at
+# the start of the next is one code span to Markdown and two strings to
+# a per-line regex, so the target was invisible — and these docs are
+# mostly hard-wrapped prose, so the wrap is what the author does not
+# think about.  Lines are therefore joined while the span is still open,
+# which is what an odd number of backticks means.
+#
+# Joining re-opens the reflow trap above unless it is bounded, so it is
+# bounded three ways: a fence flushes first (a fenced command is already
+# whole, and joining inside one would break the line-start rule), a
+# blank line flushes (CommonMark does not allow a blank line inside a
+# code span, so nothing legitimate is split by one), and so does a file
+# boundary.  A stray odd backtick in prose therefore costs one paragraph
+# of over-matching rather than the rest of the file.
+#
 # AGENTS.md is deliberately not in this list: it is a symlink to
 # CLAUDE.md, asserted above, so scanning it would report every failure
 # twice under two names.
 mentioned="$(printf '%s\n' "$docs" |
 	xargs awk '
-		FNR == 1 { fence = 0 }
-		/^```/   { fence = !fence; next }
-		{
-			rest = $0
+		function scan(text,    rest) {
+			rest = text
 			while (match(rest, /`make [a-z][a-z0-9-]*/)) {
 				print substr(rest, RSTART + 6, RLENGTH - 6)
 				rest = substr(rest, RSTART + RLENGTH)
 			}
-			if (fence && match($0, /^make [a-z][a-z0-9-]*/)) {
-				print substr($0, 6, RLENGTH - 5)
+		}
+
+		function lineStart(text) {
+			if (match(text, /^make [a-z][a-z0-9-]*/)) {
+				print substr(text, 6, RLENGTH - 5)
 			}
 		}
+
+		function ticks(s,    n, i) {
+			n = 0
+			for (i = 1; i <= length(s); i++) {
+				if (substr(s, i, 1) == "`") n++
+			}
+			return n
+		}
+
+		function flush() {
+			if (buf == "") return
+			scan(buf)
+			if (fence) lineStart(buf)
+			buf = ""
+		}
+
+		FNR == 1 { flush(); fence = 0 }
+
+		/^```/ { flush(); fence = !fence; next }
+
+		/^[[:space:]]*$/ { flush(); next }
+
+		{
+			if (fence) { scan($0); lineStart($0); next }
+			buf = (buf == "" ? $0 : buf " " $0)
+			if (ticks(buf) % 2 == 0) flush()
+		}
+
+		END { flush() }
 	' | sort -u)"
 
 missing=""
@@ -113,7 +159,16 @@ if [ -n "$missing" ]; then
 	echo "skill-check: the docs name make targets that do not exist:" >&2
 	for t in $missing; do
 		echo "  make $t" >&2
-		printf '%s\n' "$docs" | xargs grep -ln "make $t" | sed 's/^/      /' >&2
+		# `make <t>` on one line first, because that is where a target is
+		# normally named and it is the precise answer.  The bare name is the
+		# fallback, and it exists because the parser above can now find a
+		# mention that *this* grep cannot: a wrapped span has `make` and its
+		# target on different lines.  Without it a missing target reported no
+		# file at all, and `set -o pipefail` turned the empty grep into exit
+		# 123, before the line telling the author what to do.
+		hits="$(printf '%s\n' "$docs" | xargs grep -ln "make $t" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+		[ -n "$hits" ] || hits="$(printf '%s\n' "$docs" | xargs grep -ln -- "$t" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+		[ -n "$hits" ] && printf '%s\n' "$hits" | sed 's/^/      /' >&2
 	done
 	echo "Fix the docs, or restore the target." >&2
 	exit 1