diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 34b98f7..483b1df 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { ConnectScreen } from './components/ConnectScreen';
 import { DedupeScreen } from './components/DedupeScreen';
+import { Loading } from './components/Loading';
 import { PlaylistPicker, type Mode } from './components/PlaylistPicker';
 import { SwipeScreen } from './components/SwipeScreen';
 import { createHistoryStore } from './core/historyStore';
@@ -101,7 +102,11 @@ export function App() {
 
   switch (screen.name) {
     case 'loading':
-      return <main className="center muted">Connecting to Spotify…</main>;
+      return (
+        <main className="center">
+          <Loading>Connecting to Spotify…</Loading>
+        </main>
+      );
     case 'connect':
       return <ConnectScreen clientIdMissing={!CLIENT_ID} error={screen.error} onConnect={() => void auth.login()} />;
     case 'picker':
diff --git a/src/components/DedupeScreen.tsx b/src/components/DedupeScreen.tsx
index ca53b9d..a7c2c81 100644
--- a/src/components/DedupeScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/components/DedupeScreen.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { useSnapshot } from '../hooks/useSnapshot';
 import type { SpotifyApi } from '../spotify/api';
 import { AuthError, describeError } from '../spotify/errors';
 import { HistoryPanel } from './HistoryPanel';
+import { Loading } from './Loading';
 import { Toast } from './Toast';
 
 interface Props {
@@ -76,7 +77,12 @@ export function DedupeScreen(props: Props) {
       </main>
     );
   }
-  if (!loaded) return <main className="center muted">Loading songs…</main>;
+  if (!loaded)
+    return (
+      <main className="center">
+        <Loading>Loading songs…</Loading>
+      </main>
+    );
   return (
     <DedupeView
       key={loaded.runId}
diff --git a/src/components/Loading.tsx b/src/components/Loading.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..311d8d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Loading.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+/** Bouncing equalizer bars above a status message while we wait on Spotify. */
+export function Loading({ children }: { children: string }) {
+  return (
+    <div className="loading" role="status">
+      <span className="eq" aria-hidden="true">
+        <span />
+        <span />
+        <span />
+        <span />
+      </span>
+      {children}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/components/PlaylistPicker.tsx b/src/components/PlaylistPicker.tsx
index 120268f..ef8ace7 100644
--- a/src/components/PlaylistPicker.tsx
+++ b/src/components/PlaylistPicker.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { editablePlaylists, LIKED_SONGS_ID, type PlaylistSummary } from '../core/playlists';
 import type { SpotifyApi } from '../spotify/api';
 import { AuthError, describeError } from '../spotify/errors';
+import { Loading } from './Loading';
 
 export type Mode = 'swipe' | 'dedupe';
 
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ export function PlaylistPicker({ api, mode, onModeChange, onPick, onAuthLost, on
           {error} <button onClick={() => setAttempt((n) => n + 1)}>Retry</button>
         </p>
       )}
-      {!error && !playlists && <p className="muted">Loading your playlists…</p>}
+      {!error && !playlists && <Loading>Loading your playlists…</Loading>}
       {playlists?.length === 0 && <p className="muted">You don't own or collaborate on any playlists yet.</p>}
       {playlists && (
         <div className="grid">
diff --git a/src/components/SwipeScreen.tsx b/src/components/SwipeScreen.tsx
index 6c0509e..0e6463c 100644
--- a/src/components/SwipeScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SwipeScreen.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { AuthError, describeError } from '../spotify/errors';
 import type { WebPlayer } from '../spotify/player';
 import { DoneScreen } from './DoneScreen';
 import { HistoryPanel } from './HistoryPanel';
+import { Loading } from './Loading';
 import { PlayerControls } from './PlayerControls';
 import { SwipeCard, type SwipeDirection } from './SwipeCard';
 import { Toast } from './Toast';
@@ -63,7 +64,12 @@ export function SwipeScreen(props: Props) {
       </main>
     );
   }
-  if (!loaded) return <main className="center muted">Loading songs…</main>;
+  if (!loaded)
+    return (
+      <main className="center">
+        <Loading>Loading songs…</Loading>
+      </main>
+    );
   return <SwipeView {...props} controller={loaded.controller} sessionId={loaded.sessionId} />;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/styles.css b/src/styles.css
index 1f209f9..f0ce277 100644
--- a/src/styles.css
+++ b/src/styles.css
@@ -24,6 +24,22 @@ button.link:hover { color: var(--text); }
 .error { color: var(--red); }
 .center { min-height: 100vh; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 1rem; padding: 1rem; text-align: center; }
 .row { display: flex; gap: 0.75rem; justify-content: center; }
+.loading { display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; gap: 0.9rem; padding: 1.5rem 0; color: var(--muted); }
+.eq { display: flex; align-items: flex-end; gap: 4px; height: 28px; }
+.eq span { width: 6px; height: 100%; border-radius: 3px; background: var(--green); transform-origin: bottom; animation: eq 1s ease-in-out infinite; }
+.eq span:nth-child(2) { animation-duration: 0.8s; animation-delay: -0.4s; }
+.eq span:nth-child(3) { animation-duration: 1.1s; animation-delay: -0.2s; }
+.eq span:nth-child(4) { animation-duration: 0.9s; animation-delay: -0.6s; }
+@keyframes eq {
+  0%, 100% { transform: scaleY(0.3); }
+  50% { transform: scaleY(1); }
+}
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .eq span { animation: none; transform: scaleY(0.5); }
+  .eq span:nth-child(2) { transform: scaleY(0.9); }
+  .eq span:nth-child(3) { transform: scaleY(0.4); }
+  .eq span:nth-child(4) { transform: scaleY(0.7); }
+}
 
 /* Playlist picker */
 .picker { max-width: 1100px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 1.5rem; }