diff --git a/settings/quickshell.nix b/settings/quickshell.nix
index 381f69d..9e8a106 100644
--- a/settings/quickshell.nix
+++ b/settings/quickshell.nix
@@ -3853,13 +3853,38 @@ in
                     // widget. null when no stream matches.
                     function streamFor(player) {
                         if (!player) return null;
-                        let id = (player.identity || "").toLowerCase();
+                        // Apps are inconsistent about which property carries their
+                        // name — Spotify doesn't fill application.name the way
+                        // browsers do — so try every property that plausibly
+                        // holds it, against both MPRIS names. Candidates shorter
+                        // than 3 chars are skipped: substring matching on those
+                        // matches almost anything.
+                        let want = [];
+                        let add = s => {
+                            s = (s || "").toLowerCase();
+                            if (s.length >= 3) want.push(s);
+                        };
+                        add(player.identity);
+                        add(player.desktopEntry);
+
                         let ns = Pipewire.nodes.values;
                         for (let i = 0; i < ns.length; i++) {
                             let n = ns[i];
                             if (!n.isStream || !n.audio) continue;
-                            let an = (n.properties["application.name"] || "").toLowerCase();
-                            if (an && (an === id || an.includes(id) || id.includes(an))) return n;
+                            let p = n.properties;
+                            let cands = [
+                                p["application.name"],
+                                p["node.name"],
+                                p["application.process.binary"]
+                            ];
+                            for (let c = 0; c < cands.length; c++) {
+                                let an = (cands[c] || "").toLowerCase();
+                                if (an.length < 3) continue;
+                                for (let w = 0; w < want.length; w++) {
+                                    if (an === want[w] || an.includes(want[w]) || want[w].includes(an))
+                                        return n;
+                                }
+                            }
                         }
                         return null;
                     }
@@ -4137,8 +4162,14 @@ in
                                                     Rectangle {
                                                         id: eqBar
                                                         required property int index
+                                                        // cava hears the whole output mix,
+                                                        // not this stream, so a paused
+                                                        // card must flatten its own ring —
+                                                        // otherwise every card dances to
+                                                        // whatever else is playing.
                                                         readonly property real lvl:
-                                                            index < calPopup.levels.length
+                                                            (mediaCard.modelData.isPlaying
+                                                             && index < calPopup.levels.length)
                                                                 ? calPopup.levels[index] / 100 : 0
                                                         width: 3
                                                         radius: 1.5
@@ -4164,67 +4195,36 @@ in
                                                     width: vinyl.discSize
                                                     height: vinyl.discSize
                                                     radius: width / 2
-                                                    color: Theme.base02
+                                                    color: Theme.base01
 
-                                                    // Art-less fallback: an actual record
-                                                    // rather than a flat placeholder, so
-                                                    // a source with no MediaSession
-                                                    // artwork (Jellyfin's web player, a
-                                                    // plain <video> tag) still reads as
-                                                    // deliberate. Grooves only turn
-                                                    // visibly because they're eccentric
-                                                    // to the disc — concentric rings
-                                                    // would look static while spinning.
+                                                    // Art-less fallback: a dark record with
+                                                    // faint grooves. Deliberately low
+                                                    // contrast — this is a placeholder, it
+                                                    // shouldn't out-shout the actual
+                                                    // covers it stands in for. Grooves are
+                                                    // eccentric by 1px so they visibly
+                                                    // turn; concentric rings look static
+                                                    // while spinning.
                                                     Item {
                                                         id: blankLabel
                                                         anchors.fill: parent
                                                         visible: albumArt.status !== Image.Ready
 
                                                         Repeater {
-                                                            model: 3
+                                                            model: 4
                                                             Rectangle {
                                                                 required property int index
                                                                 anchors.centerIn: parent
                                                                 anchors.horizontalCenterOffset: 1
-                                                                width: vinyl.discSize - 10 - index * 14
+                                                                width: vinyl.discSize - 8 - index * 11
                                                                 height: width
                                                                 radius: width / 2
                                                                 color: "transparent"
                                                                 border.width: 1
                                                                 border.color: Theme.base03
-                                                                opacity: 0.5
+                                                                opacity: 0.18
                                                             }
                                                         }
-                                                        Rectangle {
-                                                            anchors.centerIn: parent
-                                                            width: 40; height: 40
-                                                            radius: 20
-                                                            color: Theme.base0C
-                                                            opacity: 0.25
-                                                        }
-                                                        // The site's own favicon, if it
-                                                        // has one. Kept small and centred
-                                                        // rather than filling the disc —
-                                                        // most are 16-32px and look awful
-                                                        // upscaled to 86.
-                                                        Image {
-                                                            id: faviconImg
-                                                            anchors.centerIn: parent
-                                                            width: 28; height: 28
-                                                            fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectFit
-                                                            asynchronous: true
-                                                            smooth: true
-                                                            mipmap: true
-                                                            visible: status === Image.Ready
-                                                            source: mediaCard.faviconUrl
-                                                        }
-                                                        SIcon {
-                                                            anchors.centerIn: parent
-                                                            visible: faviconImg.status !== Image.Ready
-                                                            text: sourceBadge.glyph !== "" ? sourceBadge.glyph : "music"
-                                                            color: Theme.base05
-                                                            font.pixelSize: 18
-                                                        }
                                                     }
 
                                                     Image {
@@ -4247,10 +4247,54 @@ in
                                                     }
                                                 }
 
-                                                // Spindle hole — outside the disc so
-                                                // it stays put while the label turns.
+                                                // Label content sits outside the rotating
+                                                // disc so the favicon stays upright —
+                                                // only the grooves turn. Doubles as the
+                                                // record's centre label, so no spindle
+                                                // hole is drawn over it.
+                                                Item {
+                                                    anchors.centerIn: parent
+                                                    width: 38; height: 38
+                                                    visible: albumArt.status !== Image.Ready
+
+                                                    Rectangle {
+                                                        anchors.fill: parent
+                                                        radius: width / 2
+                                                        color: Theme.base02
+                                                    }
+                                                    // Circular crop: most favicons are a
+                                                    // square plate on their own dark
+                                                    // background, which fights the disc.
+                                                    ClippingRectangle {
+                                                        anchors.centerIn: parent
+                                                        width: 24; height: 24
+                                                        radius: width / 2
+                                                        color: "transparent"
+                                                        Image {
+                                                            id: faviconImg
+                                                            anchors.fill: parent
+                                                            fillMode: Image.PreserveAspectCrop
+                                                            asynchronous: true
+                                                            smooth: true
+                                                            mipmap: true
+                                                            visible: status === Image.Ready
+                                                            source: mediaCard.faviconUrl
+                                                        }
+                                                    }
+                                                    SIcon {
+                                                        anchors.centerIn: parent
+                                                        visible: faviconImg.status !== Image.Ready
+                                                        text: sourceBadge.glyph !== "" ? sourceBadge.glyph : "music"
+                                                        color: Theme.base04
+                                                        font.pixelSize: 15
+                                                    }
+                                                }
+
+                                                // Spindle hole, only over real artwork —
+                                                // the blank label already owns the centre.
                                                 Rectangle {
                                                     anchors.centerIn: parent
+                                                    visible: albumArt.status === Image.Ready
                                                     width: 14; height: 14
                                                     radius: 7
                                                     color: Theme.cardBg