diff --git a/DeepDrftPublic.Client/Pages/TracksView.razor b/DeepDrftPublic.Client/Pages/TracksView.razor
index 22b16a0..7154022 100644
--- a/DeepDrftPublic.Client/Pages/TracksView.razor
+++ b/DeepDrftPublic.Client/Pages/TracksView.razor
@@ -8,8 +8,11 @@
         {
             <div class="tracks-content">
                 <TracksGallery Tracks="@ViewModel.Page.Items"
-                               SelectedTrack="_selectedTrack"
-                               SelectedTrackChanged="@PlayTrack"/>
+                               ActiveTrack="@PlayerService.CurrentTrack"
+                               IsPlaying="@PlayerService.IsPlaying"
+                               IsPaused="@PlayerService.IsPaused"
+                               OnPlay="@PlayTrack"
+                               OnPause="@PauseTrack"/>
             </div>
             <div class="tracks-footer py-4">
                 <MudPagination Count="@ViewModel.Page.TotalPages"
diff --git a/DeepDrftPublic.Client/Pages/TracksView.razor.cs b/DeepDrftPublic.Client/Pages/TracksView.razor.cs
index 579ddb6..bb2b3fa 100644
--- a/DeepDrftPublic.Client/Pages/TracksView.razor.cs
+++ b/DeepDrftPublic.Client/Pages/TracksView.razor.cs
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ public partial class TracksView : ComponentBase, IDisposable
     [Inject] public required PersistentComponentState PersistentState { get; set; }
     [CascadingParameter] public required IStreamingPlayerService PlayerService { get; set; }
 
-    private TrackDto? _selectedTrack = null;
     private IStreamingPlayerService? _subscribedService;
     private PersistingComponentStateSubscription _persistingSubscription;
 
@@ -41,11 +40,11 @@ public partial class TracksView : ComponentBase, IDisposable
 
     protected override void OnParametersSet()
     {
-        // The Stop/Close buttons on the player bar reset the player directly,
-        // bypassing PlayTrack — so the gallery's selection must follow player
-        // state rather than only its own clicks. Subscribe to the multicast
-        // side-channel (the cascade is IsFixed, so provider re-renders don't
-        // reach us) and clear the highlight when nothing is loaded.
+        // The gallery's per-card icons read off the player's live state (CurrentTrack /
+        // IsPlaying / IsPaused), which mutates outside this component's render path:
+        // the player bar's play/pause/stop/close all change it directly. The cascade is
+        // IsFixed, so the provider's re-render never reaches us — subscribe to the
+        // multicast side-channel and re-render on every state change.
         if (PlayerService != null && !ReferenceEquals(PlayerService, _subscribedService))
         {
             if (_subscribedService != null)
@@ -56,17 +55,7 @@ public partial class TracksView : ComponentBase, IDisposable
         }
     }
 
-    private void OnPlayerStateChanged()
-    {
-        // Sync the gallery selection to the player. When the player is no longer
-        // loaded (stopped/closed/ended) drop the highlight; guard against a
-        // redundant re-render when nothing actually changed.
-        if (!PlayerService.IsLoaded && _selectedTrack != null)
-        {
-            _selectedTrack = null;
-            InvokeAsync(StateHasChanged);
-        }
-    }
+    private void OnPlayerStateChanged() => InvokeAsync(StateHasChanged);
 
     private Task PersistTracks()
     {
@@ -88,20 +77,25 @@ public partial class TracksView : ComponentBase, IDisposable
         }
     }
 
-    private async Task PlayTrack(TrackDto? track)
+    private async Task PlayTrack(TrackDto track)
     {
-        if (track == null && _selectedTrack == null || track?.Id == _selectedTrack?.Id) return;
-
-        if (track is null)
+        // Resume the current track if it's merely paused; otherwise stream the new selection.
+        if (PlayerService.CurrentTrack?.Id == track.Id && PlayerService.IsPaused)
         {
-            await PlayerService.Unload();
+            await PlayerService.TogglePlayPause();
         }
         else
         {
             await PlayerService.SelectTrack(track);
         }
+    }
 
-        _selectedTrack = track;
+    private async Task PauseTrack(TrackDto track)
+    {
+        if (PlayerService.CurrentTrack?.Id == track.Id && PlayerService.IsPlaying)
+        {
+            await PlayerService.TogglePlayPause();
+        }
     }
 
     public void Dispose()
diff --git a/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TrackCard.razor.cs b/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TrackCard.razor.cs
index 31af189..cc998a5 100644
--- a/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TrackCard.razor.cs
+++ b/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TrackCard.razor.cs
@@ -8,13 +8,24 @@ public partial class TrackCard : ComponentBase
 {
     [Parameter] public required TrackDto TrackModel { get; set; }
     [Parameter] public EventCallback<TrackDto> OnPlay { get; set; }
+    [Parameter] public EventCallback<TrackDto> OnPause { get; set; }
     [Parameter] public bool IsPlaying { get; set; } = false;
+    [Parameter] public bool IsPaused { get; set; } = false;
 
-    private string PlayPauseIcon => IsPlaying ? Icons.Material.Filled.MusicNote : Icons.Material.Filled.PlayArrow;
+    // Pause only when actively playing; every other state (idle, paused) reads as "press to play".
+    private bool IsActivelyPlaying => IsPlaying && !IsPaused;
+
+    private string PlayPauseIcon =>
+        IsActivelyPlaying ? Icons.Material.Filled.Pause : Icons.Material.Filled.PlayArrow;
 
     private async Task PlayClick()
     {
-        if (!IsPlaying && OnPlay.HasDelegate)
+        if (IsActivelyPlaying)
+        {
+            if (OnPause.HasDelegate)
+                await OnPause.InvokeAsync(TrackModel);
+        }
+        else if (OnPlay.HasDelegate)
         {
             await OnPlay.InvokeAsync(TrackModel);
         }
diff --git a/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TracksGallery.razor b/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TracksGallery.razor
index 499c078..808e76d 100644
--- a/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TracksGallery.razor
+++ b/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TracksGallery.razor
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
         {
             <MudItem xs="12" sm="6" md="4" lg="3" xl="3">
                 <div class="deepdrft-track-gallery-item-center">
-                    <TrackCard TrackModel="@track" IsPlaying="@(track.Id == SelectedTrack?.Id)" OnPlay="@HandlePlayClick"/>
+                    <TrackCard TrackModel="@track"
+                               IsPlaying="@(IsPlaying && ActiveTrack?.Id == track.Id)"
+                               IsPaused="@(IsPaused && ActiveTrack?.Id == track.Id)"
+                               OnPlay="@HandlePlayClick"
+                               OnPause="@HandlePauseClick"/>
                 </div>
             </MudItem>
         }
diff --git a/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TracksGallery.razor.cs b/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TracksGallery.razor.cs
index 882a6e4..323b0b0 100644
--- a/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TracksGallery.razor.cs
+++ b/DeepDrftShared.Client/Components/TracksGallery.razor.cs
@@ -6,18 +6,20 @@ namespace DeepDrftShared.Client.Components;
 public partial class TracksGallery : ComponentBase
 {
     [Parameter] public IEnumerable<TrackDto> Tracks { get; set; } = [];
-    [Parameter] public TrackDto? SelectedTrack { get; set; }
-    [Parameter] public EventCallback<TrackDto?> SelectedTrackChanged { get; set; }
 
-    private async Task HandlePlayClick(TrackDto track)
-    {
-        if (SelectedTrack == track) return;
-        SelectedTrack = track;
-        StateHasChanged();
+    // Controlled play-state inputs: the parent owns playback truth (the player service)
+    // and drives these. The gallery is presentational — it only matches by id to decide
+    // which card reflects the active state.
+    [Parameter] public TrackDto? ActiveTrack { get; set; }
+    [Parameter] public bool IsPlaying { get; set; }
+    [Parameter] public bool IsPaused { get; set; }
 
-        if (SelectedTrackChanged.HasDelegate)
-        {
-            await SelectedTrackChanged.InvokeAsync(track);
-        }
-    }
+    [Parameter] public EventCallback<TrackDto> OnPlay { get; set; }
+    [Parameter] public EventCallback<TrackDto> OnPause { get; set; }
+
+    private Task HandlePlayClick(TrackDto track) =>
+        OnPlay.HasDelegate ? OnPlay.InvokeAsync(track) : Task.CompletedTask;
+
+    private Task HandlePauseClick(TrackDto track) =>
+        OnPause.HasDelegate ? OnPause.InvokeAsync(track) : Task.CompletedTask;
 }