diff --git a/neode-ui/src/components/GlobalAudioPlayer.vue b/neode-ui/src/components/GlobalAudioPlayer.vue
index ffb52363..ec6e2443 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/components/GlobalAudioPlayer.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/components/GlobalAudioPlayer.vue
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@
             class="flex-shrink-0 w-9 h-9 rounded-full bg-white/10 hover:bg-white/20 flex items-center justify-center transition-colors"
             @click="togglePlay"
           >
-            <svg v-if="!audioPlayer.playing.value" class="w-5 h-5 text-white ml-0.5" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
+            <svg v-if="audioPlayer.loading.value" class="w-5 h-5 animate-spin text-white" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
+              <circle class="opacity-25" cx="12" cy="12" r="10" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="4" />
+              <path class="opacity-75" fill="currentColor" d="M4 12a8 8 0 018-8V0C5.4 0 0 5.4 0 12h4z" />
+            </svg>
+            <svg v-else-if="!audioPlayer.playing.value" class="w-5 h-5 text-white ml-0.5" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
               <path d="M8 5v14l11-7L8 5z" />
             </svg>
             <svg v-else class="w-5 h-5 text-white" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/composables/useAudioPlayer.ts b/neode-ui/src/composables/useAudioPlayer.ts
index 70f5ea03..05d64f68 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/composables/useAudioPlayer.ts
+++ b/neode-ui/src/composables/useAudioPlayer.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const audio = ref<HTMLAudioElement | null>(null)
 const currentSrc = ref<string | null>(null)
 const currentName = ref('')
 const playing = ref(false)
+const loading = ref(false)
 const currentTime = ref(0)
 const duration = ref(0)
 const error = ref<string | null>(null)
@@ -21,8 +22,22 @@ function init() {
     duration.value = audio.value?.duration ?? 0
     error.value = null
   })
+  // Buffering / connecting over mesh|Tor → show a loader until it can play.
+  audio.value.addEventListener('loadstart', () => {
+    loading.value = true
+  })
+  audio.value.addEventListener('waiting', () => {
+    loading.value = true
+  })
+  audio.value.addEventListener('canplay', () => {
+    loading.value = false
+  })
+  audio.value.addEventListener('playing', () => {
+    loading.value = false
+  })
   audio.value.addEventListener('ended', () => {
     playing.value = false
+    loading.value = false
   })
   audio.value.addEventListener('pause', () => {
     playing.value = false
@@ -33,7 +48,8 @@ function init() {
   })
   audio.value.addEventListener('error', () => {
     playing.value = false
-    error.value = 'Could not play audio. File Browser may not be running.'
+    loading.value = false
+    error.value = 'Could not play this audio file. The peer may be offline, or the file may be unavailable.'
   })
 }
 
@@ -47,6 +63,7 @@ function play(src: string, name: string) {
   }
 
   if (currentSrc.value !== src) {
+    loading.value = true
     audio.value!.src = src
     currentSrc.value = src
     currentName.value = name
@@ -87,6 +104,7 @@ export function useAudioPlayer() {
     seek,
     stop,
     playing,
+    loading,
     currentName,
     currentTime,
     duration,
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
index 8af3c972..05558b4f 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
@@ -234,12 +234,30 @@
               </svg>
             </button>
             <!-- Video element -->
-            <video
-              :src="videoPlayerUrl"
-              class="w-full rounded-xl"
-              controls
-              autoplay
-            />
+            <div class="relative">
+              <video
+                :src="videoPlayerUrl"
+                class="w-full rounded-xl bg-black"
+                controls
+                autoplay
+                @playing="videoLoading = false"
+                @canplay="videoLoading = false"
+                @error="videoLoading = false; videoError = true"
+              />
+              <!-- Loader while the stream connects over mesh/Tor -->
+              <div v-if="videoLoading && !videoError" class="absolute inset-0 flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-3 rounded-xl bg-black/60 pointer-events-none">
+                <svg class="w-8 h-8 animate-spin text-white/80" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
+                  <circle class="opacity-25" cx="12" cy="12" r="10" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="4" />
+                  <path class="opacity-75" fill="currentColor" d="M4 12a8 8 0 018-8V0C5.4 0 0 5.4 0 12h4z" />
+                </svg>
+                <span class="text-sm text-white/70">Connecting to peer…</span>
+              </div>
+              <!-- Error state -->
+              <div v-if="videoError" class="absolute inset-0 flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-xl bg-black/70 text-center px-4">
+                <p class="text-sm text-white/80">Couldn't play this video</p>
+                <p class="text-xs text-white/50">The peer may be offline, or this preview can't be played. Try downloading it instead.</p>
+              </div>
+            </div>
             <!-- Info bar -->
             <div class="mt-3 flex items-center justify-between">
               <div>
@@ -320,6 +338,10 @@ const audioPlayer = useAudioPlayer()
 const videoPlayerItem = ref<CatalogItem | null>(null)
 const videoPlayerUrl = ref<string | null>(null)
 const videoPlayerPaid = ref(false)
+// Streaming a peer's file connects over mesh/Tor before the first frame, so
+// show a loader until the element can actually play (or errors).
+const videoLoading = ref(false)
+const videoError = ref(false)
 
 const peerDisplayName = computed(() => {
   if (currentPeer.value?.name) return currentPeer.value.name
@@ -604,8 +626,19 @@ function closeVideoPlayer() {
   videoPlayerItem.value = null
   videoPlayerUrl.value = null
   videoPlayerPaid.value = false
+  videoLoading.value = false
+  videoError.value = false
 }
 
+// Show the loader the moment a video opens; the element's playing/canplay/error
+// events clear it.
+watch(videoPlayerUrl, (url) => {
+  if (url) {
+    videoLoading.value = true
+    videoError.value = false
+  }
+})
+
 function triggerDownload(base64Data: string, item: CatalogItem) {
   const blob = new Blob(
     [Uint8Array.from(atob(base64Data), c => c.charCodeAt(0))],