diff --git a/backend/app.go b/backend/app.go
index af3af30..5173a4f 100644
--- a/backend/app.go
+++ b/backend/app.go
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func StartupApp(appName, displayAppName, appVersion, appVersionTag, latestReleas
 		log.Printf("failed to create audio cache: %s", err.Error())
 	}
 	a.AudioCache = ac
-	a.PlaybackManager = NewPlaybackManager(a.bgrndCtx, a.ServerManager, a.LocalPlayer, &a.Config.Playback, &a.Config.Scrobbling, &a.Config.Transcoding, &a.Config.Application)
+	a.PlaybackManager = NewPlaybackManager(a.bgrndCtx, a.ServerManager, a.AudioCache, a.LocalPlayer, &a.Config.Playback, &a.Config.Scrobbling, &a.Config.Transcoding, &a.Config.Application)
 	a.Config.Application.MaxImageCacheSizeMB = clamp(a.Config.Application.MaxImageCacheSizeMB, 1, 500)
 	a.ImageManager.SetMaxOnDiskCacheSizeBytes(int64(a.Config.Application.MaxImageCacheSizeMB) * 1_048_576)
 	a.ServerManager.SetPrefetchAlbumCoverCallback(func(coverID string) {
diff --git a/backend/audiocache.go b/backend/audiocache.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..965d14d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/audiocache.go
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+package backend
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/20after4/configdir"
+	"github.com/dweymouth/supersonic/sharedutil"
+)
+
+// AudioCache manages temporary local storage of audio files fetched from the remote music server.
+// It prefetches and stores tracks on disk based on an upcoming play queue.
+type AudioCache struct {
+	mutex sync.Mutex
+
+	s            *ServerManager
+	rootCtx      context.Context
+	baseCacheDir string
+
+	entries map[string]*cacheEntry
+}
+
+type cacheEntry struct {
+	done   bool
+	cancel context.CancelFunc
+}
+
+// AudioCacheRequest represents a request to prefetch and cache an audio file.
+type AudioCacheRequest struct {
+	ID          string
+	DownloadURL string
+}
+
+// NewAudioCache initializes an AudioCache using the given context, server manager,
+// and local filesystem directory for storing audio files.
+func NewAudioCache(ctx context.Context, s *ServerManager, baseCacheDir string) (*AudioCache, error) {
+	if err := configdir.MakePath(baseCacheDir); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("failed to create audio cache dir")
+	}
+	return &AudioCache{
+		s:            s,
+		rootCtx:      ctx,
+		baseCacheDir: baseCacheDir,
+		entries:      make(map[string]*cacheEntry),
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// PathForCachedFile returns the local filesystem path for a cached track,
+// if the file has finished downloading. If not cached, it returns an empty string.
+func (a *AudioCache) PathForCachedFile(id string) string {
+	if item, ok := a.entries[id]; ok && item.done {
+		return a.pathForID(id)
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// cacheFile begins downloading a file (if not already downloading) and stores it
+// to the cache directory under its ID as filename. The download is asynchronous.
+func (a *AudioCache) cacheFile(id, dlURL string) {
+	s := a.s.Server
+	if s == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := a.entries[id]; !ok {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(a.rootCtx)
+		a.entries[id] = &cacheEntry{cancel: cancel}
+		go func() {
+			ok, err := sharedutil.DownloadFileWithContext(ctx, dlURL, a.pathForID(id))
+			if ok {
+				a.mutex.Lock()
+				if e, ok := a.entries[id]; ok {
+					e.done = true
+				}
+				a.mutex.Unlock()
+			} else if err != context.DeadlineExceeded {
+				log.Printf("error downloading audio file: %v", err)
+			}
+			cancel() // release ctx resources when done
+		}()
+	}
+}
+
+// CacheOnly ensures that only the given 'fetch' list of files (plus one extra 'keep' ID) remain cached.
+// Any other cached files are cancelled and deleted from disk.
+func (a *AudioCache) CacheOnly(keep string, fetch []AudioCacheRequest) {
+	a.mutex.Lock()
+	defer a.mutex.Unlock()
+
+	// delete files we're not keeping
+	for id, e := range a.entries {
+		if id != keep && !slices.ContainsFunc(fetch, func(a AudioCacheRequest) bool {
+			return a.ID == id
+		}) {
+			e.cancel()
+			_ = os.Remove(a.pathForID(id))
+			delete(a.entries, id)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// start caching the ones from fetch if not already present
+	for _, item := range fetch {
+		if _, ok := a.entries[item.ID]; !ok {
+			a.cacheFile(item.ID, item.DownloadURL)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Shutdown cancels all in-progress downloads and deletes all files in the audio cache directory.
+// This should be called during application shutdown to clean up temporary audio data.
+func (a *AudioCache) Shutdown() {
+	a.mutex.Lock()
+	// Cancel all active downloads
+	for _, entry := range a.entries {
+		if entry.cancel != nil {
+			entry.cancel()
+		}
+	}
+	a.entries = nil // clear cache state
+	a.mutex.Unlock()
+
+	// Remove all files in the cache directory
+	if a.baseCacheDir != "" {
+		_ = os.RemoveAll(a.baseCacheDir)
+	}
+}
+
+func (a *AudioCache) pathForID(id string) string {
+	return filepath.Join(a.baseCacheDir, id)
+}
diff --git a/backend/playbackengine.go b/backend/playbackengine.go
index fa54680..cad0e6d 100644
--- a/backend/playbackengine.go
+++ b/backend/playbackengine.go
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ type playbackEngine struct {
 	ctx           context.Context
 	cancelPollPos context.CancelFunc
 	sm            *ServerManager
+	audiocache    *AudioCache
 	player        player.BasePlayer
 
 	playTimeStopwatch   util.Stopwatch
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ type playbackEngine struct {
 func NewPlaybackEngine(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	s *ServerManager,
+	c *AudioCache,
 	p player.BasePlayer,
 	playbackCfg *PlaybackConfig,
 	scrobbleCfg *ScrobbleConfig,
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ func NewPlaybackEngine(
 	pm := &playbackEngine{
 		ctx:           ctx,
 		sm:            s,
+		audiocache:    c,
 		player:        p,
 		scrobbleCfg:   scrobbleCfg,
 		transcodeCfg:  transcodeCfg,
@@ -555,6 +558,25 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) SetReplayGainMode(mode player.ReplayGainMode) {
 	})
 }
 
+func (p *playbackEngine) cacheNextTracks() {
+	if p.audiocache != nil {
+		// fetch up to the 2 next tracks in the queue to the cache
+		fetch := make([]AudioCacheRequest, 0, 2)
+		for _, idx := range [2]int{p.nowPlayingIdx + 1, p.nowPlayingIdx + 2} {
+			if idx < len(p.playQueue) {
+				item := p.playQueue[idx]
+				if item.Metadata().Type == mediaprovider.MediaItemTypeTrack {
+					fetch = append(fetch, AudioCacheRequest{
+						ID:          p.playQueue[idx].Metadata().ID,
+						DownloadURL: p.getMediaURLForIdx(idx),
+					})
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		p.audiocache.CacheOnly(p.NowPlaying().Metadata().ID, fetch)
+	}
+}
+
 func (p *playbackEngine) handleOnTrackChange() {
 	// scrobble the previous song if needed
 	if !p.alreadyScrobbled {
@@ -585,6 +607,7 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) handleOnTrackChange() {
 	p.sendNowPlayingScrobble() // Must come before invokeOnChangeCallbacks b/c track may immediately be scrobbled
 	p.invokeOnSongChangeCallbacks()
 	p.doUpdateTimePos(false)
+	p.cacheNextTracks()
 	p.setNextTrackBasedOnLoopMode(false)
 }
 
@@ -648,23 +671,9 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) setTrack(idx int, next bool, startTime float64) error {
 		url := ""
 		var meta mediaprovider.MediaItemMetadata
 		if idx >= 0 {
-			var err error
-			item := p.playQueue[idx]
-			meta = item.Metadata()
-			if tr, ok := item.(*mediaprovider.Track); ok {
-				var ts *mediaprovider.TranscodeSettings
-				if p.transcodeCfg.RequestTranscode {
-					ts = &mediaprovider.TranscodeSettings{
-						Codec:       p.transcodeCfg.Codec,
-						BitRateKBPS: p.transcodeCfg.MaxBitRateKBPS,
-					}
-				}
-				url, err = p.sm.Server.GetStreamURL(tr.ID, ts, p.transcodeCfg.ForceRawFile)
-			} else {
-				url = item.(*mediaprovider.RadioStation).StreamURL
-			}
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
+			url = p.getMediaURLForIdx(idx)
+			if url == "" {
+				return errors.New("no stream URL")
 			}
 		}
 		if next {
@@ -687,6 +696,24 @@ func (p *playbackEngine) setTrack(idx int, next bool, startTime float64) error {
 	panic("Unsupported player type")
 }
 
+func (p *playbackEngine) getMediaURLForIdx(idx int) string {
+	var url string
+	item := p.playQueue[idx]
+	if tr, ok := item.(*mediaprovider.Track); ok {
+		var ts *mediaprovider.TranscodeSettings
+		if p.transcodeCfg.RequestTranscode {
+			ts = &mediaprovider.TranscodeSettings{
+				Codec:       p.transcodeCfg.Codec,
+				BitRateKBPS: p.transcodeCfg.MaxBitRateKBPS,
+			}
+		}
+		url, _ = p.sm.Server.GetStreamURL(tr.ID, ts, p.transcodeCfg.ForceRawFile)
+	} else {
+		url = item.(*mediaprovider.RadioStation).StreamURL
+	}
+	return url
+}
+
 func (p *playbackEngine) setNextTrack(idx int) error {
 	return p.setTrack(idx, true, 0)
 }
diff --git a/backend/playbackmanager.go b/backend/playbackmanager.go
index 153760f..c331747 100644
--- a/backend/playbackmanager.go
+++ b/backend/playbackmanager.go
@@ -46,13 +46,14 @@ type RemotePlaybackDevice struct {
 func NewPlaybackManager(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	s *ServerManager,
+	c *AudioCache,
 	p player.BasePlayer,
 	playbackCfg *PlaybackConfig,
 	scrobbleCfg *ScrobbleConfig,
 	transcodeCfg *TranscodingConfig,
 	appCfg *AppConfig,
 ) *PlaybackManager {
-	e := NewPlaybackEngine(ctx, s, p, playbackCfg, scrobbleCfg, transcodeCfg)
+	e := NewPlaybackEngine(ctx, s, c, p, playbackCfg, scrobbleCfg, transcodeCfg)
 	q := NewCommandQueue()
 	pm := &PlaybackManager{
 		engine:      e,