diff --git a/Marks/Info.plist b/Marks/Info.plist
index f92ba43..662dabe 100644
--- a/Marks/Info.plist
+++ b/Marks/Info.plist
@@ -24,5 +24,9 @@
     <array>
         <string>UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait</string>
     </array>
+    <key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
+    <array>
+        <string>audio</string>
+    </array>
 </dict>
 </plist>
diff --git a/Marks/Services/ClaudeService.swift b/Marks/Services/ClaudeService.swift
index 5c5ca45..26a19a2 100644
--- a/Marks/Services/ClaudeService.swift
+++ b/Marks/Services/ClaudeService.swift
@@ -67,14 +67,23 @@ struct ClaudeService: Sendable {
         return try JSONDecoder().decode(PodcastStatus.self, from: data)
     }
 
-    func downloadPodcastAudio(jobId: String) async throws -> URL {
+    func downloadPodcastAudio(jobId: String, articleUrl: String) async throws -> URL {
+        let dest = ClaudeService.cachedPodcastURL(for: articleUrl)
+        try FileManager.default.createDirectory(at: dest.deletingLastPathComponent(),
+                                                withIntermediateDirectories: true)
         let data = try await get("/v1/podcast/audio/\(jobId)")
-        let dest = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory
-            .appendingPathComponent("podcast-\(jobId).mp3")
         try data.write(to: dest, options: .atomic)
         return dest
     }
 
+    static func cachedPodcastURL(for articleUrl: String) -> URL {
+        // djb2 hash — stable, no CryptoKit needed
+        let hash = articleUrl.utf8.reduce(UInt64(5381)) { ($0 &* 31) &+ UInt64($1) }
+        let dir = FileManager.default.urls(for: .applicationSupportDirectory, in: .userDomainMask)[0]
+            .appendingPathComponent("podcasts")
+        return dir.appendingPathComponent("\(hash).mp3")
+    }
+
     // MARK: - HTTP primitives
 
     private func post(_ path: String, body: [String: Any]) async throws -> Data {
diff --git a/Marks/Views/PodcastPlayerView.swift b/Marks/Views/PodcastPlayerView.swift
index cb21074..ca06e6c 100644
--- a/Marks/Views/PodcastPlayerView.swift
+++ b/Marks/Views/PodcastPlayerView.swift
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import SwiftUI
 import AVFoundation
+import MediaPlayer
 
 // MARK: - ViewModel
 
@@ -21,8 +22,16 @@ final class PodcastPlayerViewModel {
 
     private var pollingTask: Task<Void, Never>?
     private var timeObserver: Any?
+    private var currentTitle: String = "Marks Podcast"
 
     func start(articleUrl: String, claude: ClaudeService) {
+        // Play from cache if already generated
+        let cached = ClaudeService.cachedPodcastURL(for: articleUrl)
+        if FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: cached.path) {
+            setupPlayer(url: cached, title: "Podcast")
+            return
+        }
+
         pollingTask = Task {
             do {
                 let jobId = try await claude.generatePodcast(url: articleUrl)
@@ -34,7 +43,7 @@ final class PodcastPlayerViewModel {
                     )
                     if job.isDone {
                         phase = .downloading
-                        let audioUrl = try await claude.downloadPodcastAudio(jobId: jobId)
+                        let audioUrl = try await claude.downloadPodcastAudio(jobId: jobId, articleUrl: articleUrl)
                         setupPlayer(url: audioUrl, title: job.title ?? "Podcast")
                         return
                     }
@@ -56,11 +65,13 @@ final class PodcastPlayerViewModel {
         guard let player else { return }
         if isPlaying { player.pause() } else { player.play() }
         isPlaying.toggle()
+        updateNowPlaying()
     }
 
     func seek(to time: Double) {
         player?.seek(to: CMTime(seconds: time, preferredTimescale: 600))
         currentTime = time
+        updateNowPlaying()
     }
 
     func teardown() {
@@ -68,22 +79,78 @@ final class PodcastPlayerViewModel {
         player?.pause()
         if let obs = timeObserver { player?.removeTimeObserver(obs) }
         player = nil
+        MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = nil
+        let c = MPRemoteCommandCenter.shared()
+        c.playCommand.removeTarget(nil)
+        c.pauseCommand.removeTarget(nil)
+        c.changePlaybackPositionCommand.removeTarget(nil)
+        try? AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(false, options: .notifyOthersOnDeactivation)
     }
 
     private func setupPlayer(url: URL, title: String) {
+        currentTitle = title
+
+        try? AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(.playback, mode: .spokenAudio,
+                                                          options: [.allowBluetoothA2DP])
+        try? AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true)
+
         let item = AVPlayerItem(url: url)
         let p = AVPlayer(playerItem: item)
         player = p
+
         Task {
             if let d = try? await item.asset.load(.duration), d.isNumeric {
                 duration = max(d.seconds, 1)
+                updateNowPlaying()
             }
         }
+
         let interval = CMTime(seconds: 0.5, preferredTimescale: 600)
         timeObserver = p.addPeriodicTimeObserver(forInterval: interval, queue: .main) { [weak self] t in
             self?.currentTime = t.seconds
+            self?.updateNowPlaying()
         }
+
+        setupRemoteCommands()
         phase = .ready(title: title)
+        updateNowPlaying()
+        p.play()
+        isPlaying = true
+    }
+
+    private func setupRemoteCommands() {
+        let c = MPRemoteCommandCenter.shared()
+        c.playCommand.isEnabled = true
+        c.playCommand.addTarget { [weak self] _ in
+            self?.player?.play()
+            self?.isPlaying = true
+            self?.updateNowPlaying()
+            return .success
+        }
+        c.pauseCommand.isEnabled = true
+        c.pauseCommand.addTarget { [weak self] _ in
+            self?.player?.pause()
+            self?.isPlaying = false
+            self?.updateNowPlaying()
+            return .success
+        }
+        c.changePlaybackPositionCommand.isEnabled = true
+        c.changePlaybackPositionCommand.addTarget { [weak self] event in
+            guard let e = event as? MPChangePlaybackPositionCommandEvent else { return .commandFailed }
+            self?.player?.seek(to: CMTime(seconds: e.positionTime, preferredTimescale: 600))
+            self?.currentTime = e.positionTime
+            return .success
+        }
+    }
+
+    private func updateNowPlaying() {
+        var info: [String: Any] = [:]
+        info[MPMediaItemPropertyTitle] = currentTitle
+        info[MPMediaItemPropertyArtist] = "Marks"
+        info[MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyPlaybackRate] = isPlaying ? 1.0 : 0.0
+        info[MPNowPlayingInfoPropertyElapsedPlaybackTime] = currentTime
+        if duration > 1 { info[MPMediaItemPropertyPlaybackDuration] = duration }
+        MPNowPlayingInfoCenter.default().nowPlayingInfo = info
     }
 
     private static func statusLabel(_ status: String) -> String {