diff --git a/MainWindow.xaml b/MainWindow.xaml
index 249c282..e0e4173 100644
--- a/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -924,6 +924,12 @@
                                                    VerticalAlignment="Stretch"/>
                                         <Rectangle Width="2" Fill="#00000080" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="230,0,0,0"
                                                    VerticalAlignment="Stretch"/>
+                                        <ScrollViewer HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Auto" VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Disabled"
+                                                      Visibility="{Binding TraxError, Converter={StaticResource NotNullToVis}}"
+                                                      VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="4,0">
+                                            <TextBlock Text="{Binding TraxError}" Foreground="#e94560" FontSize="9"
+                                                       FontWeight="SemiBold" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
+                                        </ScrollViewer>
                                     </Grid>
                                 </Border>
                                 <Grid Width="16" Height="16" Cursor="Hand" Margin="0,0,8,0"
diff --git a/Services/Audio/MusicPlayer.cs b/Services/Audio/MusicPlayer.cs
index fedf728..6d82ba1 100644
--- a/Services/Audio/MusicPlayer.cs
+++ b/Services/Audio/MusicPlayer.cs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public sealed class MusicPlayer : IDisposable
     private float _localGain = 1f;
 
     /// <summary>Raised when playback ends or is stopped (not on natural-end loop).</summary>
-    public event Action? PlaybackEnded;
+    public event Action<Exception?>? PlaybackEnded;
 
     public string? TrackPath { get; private set; }
 
@@ -122,6 +122,6 @@ public sealed class MusicPlayer : IDisposable
             return;
         }
 
-        PlaybackEnded?.Invoke();
+        PlaybackEnded?.Invoke(e.Exception);
     }
 }
diff --git a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
index c793651..53b6536 100644
--- a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
+++ b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs
@@ -476,6 +476,7 @@ public class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
     // ─── Mic status dot (the MIC button) ───
 
     private static readonly SolidColorBrush MicProblemBrush = CreateBrush("#f1c40f");
+    private static readonly SolidColorBrush TraxIdleBrush = CreateBrush("#555");
 
     /// <summary>Mic connection state, driven by the mixer's MicConnected/MicFailed
     /// events and the startup device check (see StartMicCaptureAsync).</summary>
@@ -525,12 +526,19 @@ public class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
         }
     }
 
-    /// <summary>TRAX status dot: green = playing, yellow = loaded/stopped, red = no track.</summary>
+    private string? _traxError;
+
+    /// <summary>Error message from the last TRAX load/playback failure; null = no error.</summary>
+    public string? TraxError
+    {
+        get => _traxError;
+        private set => SetProperty(ref _traxError, value);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>TRAX status dot: green = playing, gray = idle or no track.</summary>
     public SolidColorBrush TraxDotBrush => _musicPlayer.IsPlaying
         ? BarOnBrush
-        : _music != null && !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_music.TrackPath)
-            ? MicProblemBrush
-            : BarOffBrush;
+        : TraxIdleBrush;
 
     public string TraxToolTip => _musicPlayer.TrackName != null
         ? $"TRAX: {_musicPlayer.TrackName} — left-click {(IsMusicPlaying ? "pauses" : "plays")}, right-click chooses a track"
@@ -574,13 +582,14 @@ public class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
             _musicPlayer.Load(_music.TrackPath);
             UpdateTraxLocalGain();
             _music.IsEnabled = true;
+            TraxError = null;
             if (play)
                 _musicPlayer.Play();
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {
             AppLog.Write($"TRAX: failed to load '{_music.TrackPath}': {ex.Message}");
-            _music = null;
+            TraxError = $"Failed to load: {Path.GetFileName(_music.TrackPath)} — {ex.Message}";
         }
         RefreshTraxUi();
         ScheduleSave();
@@ -590,10 +599,13 @@ public class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
 
     private void PauseTrax() => _musicPlayer.Pause();
 
-    private void OnTraxPlaybackEnded()
+    private void OnTraxPlaybackEnded(Exception? ex)
     {
-        // Natural end loops inside the player; here only an explicit stop or a
-        // device failure lands — flip the dot back to loaded/stopped.
+        if (ex != null)
+        {
+            AppLog.Write($"TRAX: playback error: {ex.Message}");
+            TraxError = $"Playback error: {ex.Message}";
+        }
         RefreshTraxUi();
     }