diff --git a/services/mam-api/src/db/migrations/025-hls-key.sql b/services/mam-api/src/db/migrations/025-hls-key.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8442178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/mam-api/src/db/migrations/025-hls-key.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+-- HLS VOD playback: per-asset HLS rendition (fMP4) generated by the proxy
+-- worker alongside the MP4 proxy. Presence of hls_s3_key means an HLS
+-- playlist exists at hls/<asset_id>/playlist.m3u8 and /assets/:id/stream
+-- should prefer it (type: 'hls') over the MP4 range-stitched /video path.
+ALTER TABLE assets ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS hls_s3_key TEXT;
diff --git a/services/mam-api/src/routes/assets.js b/services/mam-api/src/routes/assets.js
index b7c216a..d31387e 100644
--- a/services/mam-api/src/routes/assets.js
+++ b/services/mam-api/src/routes/assets.js
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ const filmstripQueue = new Queue('filmstrip', {
   connection: parseRedisUrl(process.env.REDIS_URL || 'redis://queue:6379'),
 });
 
+const hlsQueue = new Queue('hls', {
+  connection: parseRedisUrl(process.env.REDIS_URL || 'redis://queue:6379'),
+});
+
 // GET / - List assets with filtering
 router.get('/', async (req, res, next) => {
   try {
@@ -477,8 +481,8 @@ router.post('/:id/reprocess', async (req, res, next) => {
   try {
     const { id } = req.params;
     const type = req.query.type || 'proxy';
-    if (!['proxy', 'thumbnail', 'filmstrip'].includes(type)) {
-      return res.status(400).json({ error: 'type must be "proxy", "thumbnail", or "filmstrip"' });
+    if (!['proxy', 'thumbnail', 'filmstrip', 'hls'].includes(type)) {
+      return res.status(400).json({ error: 'type must be "proxy", "thumbnail", "filmstrip", or "hls"' });
     }
     const r = await pool.query('SELECT * FROM assets WHERE id = $1', [id]);
     if (r.rows.length === 0) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Asset not found' });
@@ -501,6 +505,12 @@ router.post('/:id/reprocess', async (req, res, next) => {
       await filmstripQueue.add('generate', { assetId: id, proxyKey: asset.proxy_s3_key });
       return res.json({ queued: 'filmstrip', assetId: id });
     }
+    if (type === 'hls') {
+      // Backfill: remux the existing proxy MP4 into an HLS rendition (no re-encode).
+      if (!asset.proxy_s3_key) return res.status(400).json({ error: 'Asset has no proxy — generate proxy first' });
+      await hlsQueue.add('generate', { assetId: id, proxyKey: asset.proxy_s3_key });
+      return res.json({ queued: 'hls', assetId: id });
+    }
   } catch (err) { next(err); }
 });
 
@@ -585,6 +595,11 @@ router.get('/:id/stream', async (req, res, next) => {
     if (r.rows.length === 0) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Asset not found' });
     const a = r.rows[0];
     if (a.status === 'live') return res.json({ url: `/live/${a.id}/index.m3u8`, type: 'hls', live: true });
+    // Prefer the HLS rendition for recorded assets — whole-file segment GETs
+    // avoid the RustFS ranged-GET stitching the MP4 /video path has to do.
+    if (a.hls_s3_key) {
+      return res.json({ url: `/api/v1/assets/${id}/hls/playlist.m3u8`, type: 'hls', source: 'proxy' });
+    }
     const VIDEO_EXTS = ['.mp4', '.mov', '.mxf', '.ts', '.m4v', '.mkv', '.avi', '.webm'];
     const key = a.proxy_s3_key ||
       (a.original_s3_key && VIDEO_EXTS.some(ext => a.original_s3_key.toLowerCase().endsWith(ext))
@@ -596,6 +611,42 @@ router.get('/:id/stream', async (req, res, next) => {
   } catch (err) { next(err); }
 });
 
+// GET /:id/hls/:file — serve an HLS rendition file (playlist / init / segment).
+// Whole-object passthrough from S3: no Range handling, so this sidesteps the
+// RustFS ranged-GET bug entirely (every segment is a small, complete GET).
+// :file is strictly validated to prevent path traversal into the bucket.
+const HLS_FILE_RE = /^(playlist\.m3u8|init\.mp4|segment_\d+\.m4s)$/;
+router.get('/:id/hls/:file', async (req, res, next) => {
+  try {
+    const { id, file } = req.params;
+    if (!HLS_FILE_RE.test(file)) return res.status(400).json({ error: 'Invalid HLS file' });
+
+    const r = await pool.query('SELECT hls_s3_key FROM assets WHERE id = $1', [id]);
+    if (r.rows.length === 0) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Asset not found' });
+    const playlistKey = r.rows[0].hls_s3_key;
+    if (!playlistKey) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'No HLS rendition for this asset' });
+
+    // Derive the prefix from the stored playlist key (hls/<id>/playlist.m3u8)
+    // and request the specific file under it.
+    const prefix = playlistKey.replace(/\/[^/]+$/, '');
+    const key = `${prefix}/${file}`;
+
+    const isPlaylist = file.endsWith('.m3u8');
+    const s3Res = await s3Client.send(new GetObjectCommand({ Bucket: getS3Bucket(), Key: key }));
+    res.writeHead(200, {
+      'Content-Type': isPlaylist ? 'application/vnd.apple.mpegurl' : 'video/mp4',
+      'Cache-Control': isPlaylist ? 'no-cache' : 'private, max-age=3600',
+      ...(s3Res.ContentLength ? { 'Content-Length': String(s3Res.ContentLength) } : {}),
+    });
+    s3Res.Body.pipe(res);
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err && (err.name === 'NoSuchKey' || err.$metadata?.httpStatusCode === 404)) {
+      return res.status(404).json({ error: 'HLS file not found' });
+    }
+    next(err);
+  }
+});
+
 // GET /:id/live-path
 router.get('/:id/live-path', async (req, res, next) => {
   try {
diff --git a/services/worker/src/index.js b/services/worker/src/index.js
index 23b6cb2..9152e76 100644
--- a/services/worker/src/index.js
+++ b/services/worker/src/index.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { filmstripWorker } from './workers/filmstrip.js';
 import { conformWorker } from './workers/conform.js';
 import { youtubeImportWorker, proxyQueue as youtubeProxyQueue } from './workers/youtube-import.js';
 import { trimWorker } from './workers/trimWorker.js';
+import { hlsWorker } from './workers/hls.js';
 import { startPromotionWorker } from './workers/promotion.js';
 
 const parseRedisUrl = (url) => {
@@ -85,6 +86,9 @@ const workers = [
   want('filmstrip') && createWorker('filmstrip', filmstripWorker, { concurrency: FILMSTRIP_CONCURRENCY }),
   want('conform')   && createWorker('conform',   conformWorker,   { concurrency: CONFORM_CONCURRENCY }),
   want('trim')      && createWorker('trim',      trimWorker,      { concurrency: TRIM_CONCURRENCY }),
+  // HLS backfill remux is a light stream-copy. Run it wherever proxy runs so
+  // existing proxy nodes pick up reprocess?type=hls jobs without an env change.
+  (want('proxy') || want('hls')) && createWorker('hls', hlsWorker, { concurrency: 2 }),
   want('import')    && createWorker('import', youtubeImportWorker, {
     concurrency: 1,
     lockDuration: 10 * 60 * 1000,
diff --git a/services/worker/src/workers/hls.js b/services/worker/src/workers/hls.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d721148
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/worker/src/workers/hls.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { join } from 'path';
+import { tmpdir } from 'os';
+import { mkdtemp, readdir, rm, unlink } from 'fs/promises';
+import { Queue } from 'bullmq';
+import { query } from '../db/client.js';
+import { downloadFromS3, uploadToS3 } from '../s3/client.js';
+import { segmentToHls } from '../ffmpeg/executor.js';
+
+const S3_BUCKET = process.env.S3_BUCKET || 'wild-dragon';
+
+const parseRedisUrl = (url) => {
+  const parsed = new URL(url);
+  return { host: parsed.hostname, port: parseInt(parsed.port, 10) };
+};
+
+// Remux a local, already-browser-compatible MP4 (H.264/AAC, as the proxy
+// worker produces) into an fMP4 HLS rendition and upload it to hls/<assetId>/.
+// This is a stream COPY (no re-encode) — it costs seconds, not minutes.
+//
+// HLS is served to the browser as whole-file GETs through mam-api, which
+// sidesteps the RustFS ranged-GET bug that the MP4 /video path has to stitch
+// around. The MP4 proxy is kept for the Premiere panel + downloads.
+//
+// Returns the playlist S3 key and sets assets.hls_s3_key.
+export async function remuxToHls(localMp4Path, assetId) {
+  const workDir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), `hls-${assetId}-`));
+  try {
+    // Produces playlist.m3u8 + init.mp4 + segment_NNNNN.m4s in workDir.
+    await segmentToHls(localMp4Path, workDir);
+
+    const prefix = `hls/${assetId}`;
+    const files = await readdir(workDir);
+    if (!files.includes('playlist.m3u8')) {
+      throw new Error('segmentToHls produced no playlist.m3u8');
+    }
+    for (const f of files) {
+      await uploadToS3(S3_BUCKET, `${prefix}/${f}`, join(workDir, f));
+    }
+
+    const playlistKey = `${prefix}/playlist.m3u8`;
+    await query(
+      'UPDATE assets SET hls_s3_key = $1, updated_at = NOW() WHERE id = $2',
+      [playlistKey, assetId]
+    );
+    return playlistKey;
+  } finally {
+    await rm(workDir, { recursive: true, force: true }).catch(() => {});
+  }
+}
+
+// Backfill worker: remux an EXISTING proxy MP4 into HLS for assets that
+// predate the proxy-worker HLS step. Enqueued by POST /assets/:id/reprocess?type=hls.
+export const hlsWorker = async (job) => {
+  const { assetId, proxyKey } = job.data;
+  if (!proxyKey) throw new Error('hls job requires proxyKey');
+  const tmpPath = join(tmpdir(), `hls-src-${job.id}.mp4`);
+  try {
+    await job.updateProgress(10);
+    console.log(`[hls] Downloading proxy ${proxyKey} for asset ${assetId}`);
+    await downloadFromS3(S3_BUCKET, proxyKey, tmpPath);
+    await job.updateProgress(40);
+    const key = await remuxToHls(tmpPath, assetId);
+    console.log(`[hls] Asset ${assetId} HLS rendition complete → ${key}`);
+    await job.updateProgress(100);
+    return { assetId, hlsKey: key };
+  } finally {
+    await unlink(tmpPath).catch(() => {});
+  }
+};
+
+export const hlsQueue = new Queue('hls', {
+  connection: parseRedisUrl(process.env.REDIS_URL || 'redis://queue:6379'),
+});
diff --git a/services/worker/src/workers/proxy.js b/services/worker/src/workers/proxy.js
index 6eb377a..de2711f 100644
--- a/services/worker/src/workers/proxy.js
+++ b/services/worker/src/workers/proxy.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { Queue } from 'bullmq';
 import { query } from '../db/client.js';
 import { downloadFromS3, uploadToS3 } from '../s3/client.js';
 import { transcodeVideo, transcodeImage, getMediaInfo, isHwCodec } from '../ffmpeg/executor.js';
+import { remuxToHls } from './hls.js';
 
 // Read the global proxy-encoder settings from the DB. These are written by
 // Settings → Proxy encoding in the GUI. Falls back to libx264 defaults if
@@ -223,6 +224,19 @@ export const proxyWorker = async (job) => {
         ]
       );
 
+    // Generate the HLS rendition from the proxy we just wrote. The file is
+    // still on local disk, so this is a fast stream-copy remux (no download,
+    // no re-encode). Best-effort: HLS is the preferred browser playback path,
+    // but the MP4 /video fallback still works if this fails, so never fail the
+    // proxy job over it.
+    await job.updateProgress(80);
+    try {
+      const hlsKey = await remuxToHls(outputPath, assetId);
+      console.log(`[proxy] HLS rendition generated for ${assetId} → ${hlsKey}`);
+    } catch (hlsErr) {
+      console.warn(`[proxy] HLS generation failed for ${assetId} (non-fatal): ${hlsErr.message}`);
+    }
+
     // Now proxy exists in S3 — safe to queue thumbnail generation
     const thumbnailKey = `thumbnails/${assetId}.jpg`;
     await thumbnailQueue.add('generate', {