diff --git a/simulator/static/app.js b/simulator/static/app.js
index 7cba5a1..92bee4f 100644
--- a/simulator/static/app.js
+++ b/simulator/static/app.js
@@ -927,20 +927,24 @@ const FADE_MS = 500;
 const AUD_ERR = ["", "aborted", "network", "decode", "format-not-supported"];
 function audioStatusText() {
   if (!$("audio").checked) return "audio: off";
-  if (aud.error) return `audio: MEDIA ERROR ${aud.error.code} (${AUD_ERR[aud.error.code] || "?"})`;
-  if (audLastErr) return "audio: " + audLastErr;
-  if (aud.paused) return `audio: on, PAUSED (readyState ${aud.readyState})`;
-  return `audio: ▶ playing ${aud.currentTime.toFixed(1)}s · vol ${Math.round(aud.volume * 100)}% · rs ${aud.readyState}`;
+  const s = ring && ring.scales[ringIndex];
+  const url = soundtrackUrl();
+  const head = `ON · scale=${s ? s.id : "?"} · ring=${serverRing ? "server" : "SYNTH"} · url=${url || "NONE"}`;
+  if (!url) return "audio: " + head + " ← no soundtrack URL for this scale";
+  if (aud.error) return `audio: ${head} · MEDIA ERROR ${aud.error.code} (${AUD_ERR[aud.error.code] || "?"})`;
+  if (audLastErr) return `audio: ${head} · ${audLastErr}`;
+  if (aud.paused) return `audio: ${head} · PAUSED rs=${aud.readyState}`;
+  return `audio: ${head} · ▶ ${aud.currentTime.toFixed(1)}s vol=${Math.round(aud.volume * 100)}% rs=${aud.readyState}`;
 }
 function updateAudioStatus() {
   const el = $("audio-status");
   if (!el) return;
   el.textContent = audioStatusText();
-  const playing = $("audio").checked && !aud.paused && !aud.error && !audLastErr;
+  const playing = $("audio").checked && !!soundtrackUrl() && !aud.paused && !aud.error && !audLastErr;
   el.classList.toggle("playing", playing);
-  el.classList.toggle("blocked", !!aud.error || !!audLastErr);
+  el.classList.toggle("blocked", $("audio").checked && (!soundtrackUrl() || !!aud.error || !!audLastErr));
 }
-aud.addEventListener("error", () => { audLastErr = ""; updateAudioStatus(); });
+aud.addEventListener("error", updateAudioStatus);
 setInterval(updateAudioStatus, 400);
 
 function fadeVolume(el, to, ms, done) {