diff --git a/backend/lib/metadata.js b/backend/lib/metadata.js
index 038ce76..317f89d 100644
--- a/backend/lib/metadata.js
+++ b/backend/lib/metadata.js
@@ -88,6 +88,19 @@ function normalizeTitle(s) {
     .trim();
 }
 
+// iTunes JP store returns localized genre names — map them to English equivalents
+const JP_GENRE_MAP = {
+  'アニメ': 'Anime', 'イージーリスニング': 'Easy Listening', 'ポップ': 'Pop',
+  'J-Pop': 'J-Pop', 'ロック': 'Rock', 'クラシック': 'Classical', 'ジャズ': 'Jazz',
+  'エレクトロニック': 'Electronic', 'R&B/ソウル': 'R&B/Soul', 'ヒップホップ/ラップ': 'Hip-Hop/Rap',
+  'オルタナティブ': 'Alternative', 'サウンドトラック': 'Soundtrack', 'ボーカル': 'Vocal',
+  'インストゥルメンタル': 'Instrumental', 'ワールド': 'World', 'フォーク': 'Folk',
+  'カントリー': 'Country', 'レゲエ': 'Reggae', 'ソウル': 'Soul', 'ブルース': 'Blues',
+  'メタル': 'Metal', 'パンク': 'Punk', 'ダンス': 'Dance', 'コメディ': 'Comedy',
+  'スピーチ': 'Speech', 'キッズ/ファミリー': 'Kids/Family',
+};
+function toEnglishGenre(g) { return JP_GENRE_MAP[g] || g; }
+
 // iTunes track lookup — fills in album, year, trackNum, totalTracks, genre when missing
 async function lookupItunesTrackMeta(artist, title) {
   try {
@@ -118,8 +131,9 @@ async function lookupItunesTrackMeta(artist, title) {
     let usMatch = strictMatch(usResults) || titleOnlyMatch(usResults);
     if (!match) match = usMatch;
     if (!match) return {};
-    // JP genre names are localized (e.g. イージーリスニング); always prefer US genre
-    const genre = (usMatch || match).primaryGenreName;
+    // JP genre names are localized (e.g. イージーリスニング); prefer US genre, map JP→EN as fallback
+    const rawGenre = (usMatch || match).primaryGenreName;
+    const genre = rawGenre ? toEnglishGenre(rawGenre) : undefined;
     return {
       album:            match.collectionName || '',
       year:             match.releaseDate ? new Date(match.releaseDate).getFullYear() : undefined,
@@ -127,7 +141,7 @@ async function lookupItunesTrackMeta(artist, title) {
       totalTracks:      match.trackCount    || undefined,
       discNum:          match.discNumber    || undefined,
       discTotal:        match.discCount     || undefined,
-      genre:            genre               || undefined,
+      genre:            genre,
       artworkUrl:       (match.artworkUrl100 || '').replace('100x100bb', '1000x1000bb'),
       durationMs:       match.trackTimeMillis  || undefined,
       itunesArtistName: match.artistName       || undefined,
diff --git a/backend/novasonic-server.js b/backend/novasonic-server.js
index 67b3a62..7eaece3 100644
--- a/backend/novasonic-server.js
+++ b/backend/novasonic-server.js
@@ -416,14 +416,19 @@ app.post('/api/download', async (req, res) => {
           artworkUrl: spArt, explicit: sp.trackExplicitness === 'explicit' || !!explicit,
           durationMs: sp.durationMs || undefined,
         };
+        const searchArtist = artist.split(',')[0].trim();
         if (!meta.album) {
-          const searchArtist = artist.split(',')[0].trim();
           log(jobId, '📋 Suche Album-Metadaten von iTunes…');
           const extra = await lookupItunesTrackMeta(searchArtist, title);
           if (extra.album) log(jobId, `📋 Album: "${extra.album}" (${extra.year || '?'})`);
           meta = { ...meta, ...extra, artworkUrl: spArt || extra.artworkUrl || '', genre: meta.genre || extra.genre || undefined };
         } else {
           log(jobId, `📋 Album aus Spotify: "${meta.album}"`);
+          // Spotify has no per-track genre — still look up genre from iTunes
+          if (!meta.genre) {
+            const genreMeta = await lookupItunesTrackMeta(searchArtist, title).catch(() => ({}));
+            if (genreMeta.genre) { meta.genre = genreMeta.genre; log(jobId, `📋 Genre: "${genreMeta.genre}"`); }
+          }
         }
         const finalArtist = meta.itunesArtistName || artist;
         const result = await downloadTrack({ jobId, artist: finalArtist, rawArtist: artist, title, ...meta, sourceUrl: sourceUrl || sp.sourceUrl || undefined });
@@ -492,11 +497,14 @@ app.post('/api/download', async (req, res) => {
             // trackNumber + durationMs all present), skip the re-lookup to avoid a different
             // iTunes result overriding the already-correct enriched metadata.
             const alreadyEnriched = !!(track.collectionName && track.trackNumber && track.durationMs);
+            const searchArtist = trackArtist.split(',')[0].trim();
             let itunes = {};
             if (alreadyEnriched) {
               log(jobId, `📋 Frontend-Metadaten: "${trackArtist} – ${trackTitle}" (${track.collectionName})`);
+              // Still look up genre — frontend enrichment doesn't include it and Spotify has no genre per track
+              const genreMeta = await lookupItunesTrackMeta(searchArtist, trackTitle).catch(() => ({}));
+              itunes = { genre: genreMeta.genre };
             } else {
-              const searchArtist = trackArtist.split(',')[0].trim();
               log(jobId, `📋 iTunes: "${trackArtist} – ${trackTitle}"`);
               itunes = await lookupItunesTrackMeta(searchArtist, trackTitle);
             }