diff --git a/MUSIC_API.md b/MUSIC_API.md
index a30f688a..f45dc94a 100644
--- a/MUSIC_API.md
+++ b/MUSIC_API.md
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ Returns the album's `meta.json`. Sends `ETag: <v>`; a request with `If-None-Matc
       "title": "Live Shit: Seattle",       // from the container title tag, if any
       "durationSec": 8130,
       "width": 1280,
-      "height": 720
+      "height": 720,
+      "poster": "posters/1989 - Seattle.mp4.jpg"  // present when a poster was generated (see §2.3.1)
     }
     // …
   ]
@@ -124,6 +125,15 @@ GET /api/music/cover?path=<rel>
 Compressed JPEG (≤600px on the long edge, ~30–80 KB). Sends `ETag: <v>`; `If-None-Match: <v>` → `304`.
 Only meaningful when the manifest entry has `"cover": true`.
 
+#### 2.3.1 Video poster
+
+```
+GET /api/music/poster?path=<rel>&file=<video filename>
+```
+A compressed frame grab for a video (≤600px, same treatment as covers), taken ~10% into the clip. `file` is
+the video's filename within `<rel>` (URL-encode it). Sends `ETag: <v>`; `If-None-Match: <v>` → `304`; `404`
+when the video has no poster. Only request it when that video's `meta.videos[]` entry has a `poster` field.
+
 ### 2.4 Discography (artist album grouping)
 
 For artist folders (manifest entry with `"disco": true`), this returns a map of **album folder → release
@@ -174,7 +184,7 @@ GET  /api/music/reindex/status   → IndexStatus snapshot
   "running": true,
   "startedAt": 1785034701973, "finishedAt": null,
   "foldersScanned": 45, "albumsBuilt": 12, "albumsSkipped": 3,
-  "tracksIndexed": 320, "videosIndexed": 4, "coversSaved": 12, "discographies": 3,
+  "tracksIndexed": 320, "videosIndexed": 4, "coversSaved": 12, "postersSaved": 4, "discographies": 3,
   "currentPath": "Albums/AC-DC/[1980] Back in Black",
   "error": null
 }
diff --git a/src/servers/sidecar/music/index.ts b/src/servers/sidecar/music/index.ts
index f8054e59..79c34442 100644
--- a/src/servers/sidecar/music/index.ts
+++ b/src/servers/sidecar/music/index.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   metaFilePath,
   coverFilePath,
   discographyFilePath,
+  posterFilePath,
   onIndexProgress,
   buildReport,
 } from './indexer';
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ const DATA_PATH = process.env.DATA_PATH ?? join(process.cwd(), 'data');
 //                                          { version, generatedAt, albums: { "<rel>": { v, cover, tracks, disco? } } }
 //   GET  /meta?path=<rel>                  album meta.json (IndexMeta). ETag: <v>; If-None-Match → 304.
 //   GET  /cover?path=<rel>                 compressed cover.jpg.       ETag: <v>; If-None-Match → 304.
+//   GET  /poster?path=<rel>&file=<video>   compressed video poster (frame grab). ETag: <v>; 304. 404 if none.
 //   GET  /discography?path=<artist rel>    artist discography.json (only where manifest entry has
 //                                          disco:true) = { artist, albums: { "<[year] album folder>":
 //                                          "<Type>" } }, Type ∈ Studio/Live/Compilation/Single/EP/…
@@ -151,6 +153,19 @@ const server = Bun.serve({
       return json(await getManifest());
     }
 
+    // Video poster (a compressed frame grab). Keyed by the video's folder rel + its filename.
+    if (url.pathname === '/poster') {
+      const rel = url.searchParams.get('path');
+      const file = url.searchParams.get('file');
+      if (rel === null || !file) return new Response('path and file are required', { status: 400 });
+      const posterPath = posterFilePath(rel, file);
+      if (!posterPath) return new Response('Invalid path', { status: 400 });
+      if (!(await Bun.file(posterPath).exists())) return new Response('Not found', { status: 404 });
+      const v = await albumVersion(rel);
+      if (v && req.headers.get('if-none-match') === v) return new Response(null, { status: 304 });
+      return new Response(Bun.file(posterPath), { headers: { 'Content-Type': 'image/jpeg', ...(v ? { ETag: v } : {}) } });
+    }
+
     if (url.pathname === '/meta' || url.pathname === '/cover' || url.pathname === '/discography') {
       const rel = url.searchParams.get('path');
       if (rel === null) return new Response('path is required', { status: 400 });
diff --git a/src/servers/sidecar/music/indexer.ts b/src/servers/sidecar/music/indexer.ts
index beab2ac5..e0cd193f 100644
--- a/src/servers/sidecar/music/indexer.ts
+++ b/src/servers/sidecar/music/indexer.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ export type IndexVideo = {
   durationSec?: number;
   width?: number;
   height?: number;
+  poster?: string; // relative to <rel>: "posters/<file>.jpg" — a compressed frame grab, when generated
 };
 export type IndexMeta = { path: string; cover?: string; tracks: IndexTrack[]; videos?: IndexVideo[] };
 
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ export type IndexStatus = {
   tracksIndexed: number;
   videosIndexed: number;
   coversSaved: number;
+  postersSaved: number;
   discographies: number; // artist discography.json files written
   currentPath: string;
   error: string | null;
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ const status: IndexStatus = {
   tracksIndexed: 0,
   videosIndexed: 0,
   coversSaved: 0,
+  postersSaved: 0,
   discographies: 0,
   currentPath: '',
   error: null,
@@ -338,6 +341,35 @@ async function compressCover(srcAbs: string, destAbs: string): Promise<boolean>
   }
 }
 
+/** Grab a representative frame (~10% in, capped at 30s to skip intros) and compress it like a cover. */
+async function generateVideoPoster(srcAbs: string, destAbs: string, durationSec?: number): Promise<boolean> {
+  const ts = durationSec && durationSec > 0 ? Math.min(30, Math.max(1, Math.floor(durationSec * 0.1))) : 5;
+  try {
+    const proc = Bun.spawn(
+      [
+        'ffmpeg',
+        '-y',
+        '-ss',
+        String(ts),
+        '-i',
+        srcAbs,
+        '-frames:v',
+        '1',
+        '-vf',
+        `scale='min(iw,${COVER_MAX_PX})':'min(ih,${COVER_MAX_PX})':force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease`,
+        '-q:v',
+        '5',
+        destAbs,
+      ],
+      { stdout: 'ignore', stderr: 'ignore' },
+    );
+    await proc.exited;
+    return proc.exitCode === 0 && existsSync(destAbs);
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 // ── Build ──
 
 export async function buildMusicIndex(): Promise<IndexStatus> {
@@ -352,6 +384,7 @@ export async function buildMusicIndex(): Promise<IndexStatus> {
     tracksIndexed: 0,
     videosIndexed: 0,
     coversSaved: 0,
+  postersSaved: 0,
     discographies: 0,
     currentPath: '',
     error: null,
@@ -502,8 +535,16 @@ async function walk(dirAbs: string, prev: Manifest, next: Manifest): Promise<voi
           emitProgress();
           return t;
         });
+        // Regenerate posters from scratch (drop any orphaned by removed videos).
+        const postersDir = join(cacheDir, 'posters');
+        await rm(postersDir, { recursive: true, force: true }).catch(() => {});
+        if (video.length) await mkdir(postersDir, { recursive: true });
         const videos = await mapPool(video, TRACK_CONCURRENCY, async (name) => {
           const vmeta = await ffprobeVideo(join(dirAbs, name), name);
+          if (await generateVideoPoster(join(dirAbs, name), join(postersDir, `${name}.jpg`), vmeta.durationSec)) {
+            vmeta.poster = `posters/${name}.jpg`;
+            status.postersSaved += 1;
+          }
           status.videosIndexed += 1;
           emitProgress();
           return vmeta;
@@ -561,3 +602,7 @@ export function coverFilePath(rel: string): string | null {
 export function discographyFilePath(rel: string): string | null {
   return resolveCachePath(rel, 'discography.json');
 }
+/** A video's poster: cache/<rel>/posters/<file>.jpg. `file` is basename'd to keep it within the folder. */
+export function posterFilePath(rel: string, file: string): string | null {
+  return resolveCachePath(rel, join('posters', `${basename(file)}.jpg`));
+}