diff --git a/backend/playbackmanager.go b/backend/playbackmanager.go
index b40b971..bb1c086 100644
--- a/backend/playbackmanager.go
+++ b/backend/playbackmanager.go
@@ -190,6 +190,15 @@ func (p *PlaybackManager) handleWaveformImageSongChange(item mediaprovider.Media
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	if item == nil || item.Metadata().Type != mediaprovider.MediaItemTypeTrack {
+		// set a zero waveform image when we're not playing anything
+		// or playing a media type we can't derive a waveform from (e.g. radio)
+		img := NewWaveformImage()
+		for _, cb := range p.onWaveformImgUpdate {
+			cb(img)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func (p *PlaybackManager) ScanRemotePlayers(ctx context.Context, fastScan bool) {
diff --git a/backend/waveformimage.go b/backend/waveformimage.go
index 4965771..fbfeac9 100644
--- a/backend/waveformimage.go
+++ b/backend/waveformimage.go
@@ -28,7 +28,16 @@ type WaveformImageGenerator struct {
 type WaveformImage = image.NRGBA
 
 func NewWaveformImage() *WaveformImage {
-	return image.NewNRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, 1024, 48))
+	img := image.NewNRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, 1024, 48))
+	centerTop := img.Rect.Dy() / 2 // 24
+	centerBottom := centerTop - 1  // 23
+
+	// color in center line
+	for x := 0; x < img.Bounds().Dx(); x++ {
+		setPixel(img, x, centerTop, color.NRGBA{R: 255, G: 255, B: 255, A: 255})
+		setPixel(img, x, centerBottom, color.NRGBA{R: 255, G: 255, B: 255, A: 255})
+	}
+	return img
 }
 
 type WaveformImageJob struct {
diff --git a/ui/widgets/waveformseekbar.go b/ui/widgets/waveformseekbar.go
index 955285c..8e5dc29 100644
--- a/ui/widgets/waveformseekbar.go
+++ b/ui/widgets/waveformseekbar.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ func NewWaveformSeekbar() *WaveformSeekbar {
 	w := &WaveformSeekbar{
 		img: &canvas.Image{
 			ScaleMode: canvas.ImageScaleFastest,
+			Image:     backend.NewWaveformImage(),
 		},
 		cursor: canvas.NewRectangle(color.Transparent),
 	}