diff --git a/core/stream/throttle.go b/core/stream/throttle.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..acf219dc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/stream/throttle.go
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+package stream
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/log"
+	"golang.org/x/sync/semaphore"
+)
+
+// ErrTranscodingBusy is returned when the transcoding throttle rejects a request
+// because the concurrency limit and backlog are both full.
+var ErrTranscodingBusy = errors.New("too many concurrent transcodes")
+
+// TranscodingThrottle limits the number of concurrent transcoding operations.
+type TranscodingThrottle struct {
+	sem        *semaphore.Weighted
+	backlog    atomic.Int64
+	maxBacklog int64
+	timeout    time.Duration
+	disabled   bool
+}
+
+// NewTranscodingThrottle creates a throttle that allows maxConcurrent simultaneous
+// transcodes with maxBacklog queued waiters and the given timeout.
+// If maxConcurrent is 0, throttling is disabled.
+func NewTranscodingThrottle(maxConcurrent, maxBacklog int, timeout time.Duration) *TranscodingThrottle {
+	if maxConcurrent <= 0 {
+		return &TranscodingThrottle{disabled: true}
+	}
+	return &TranscodingThrottle{
+		sem:        semaphore.NewWeighted(int64(maxConcurrent)),
+		maxBacklog: int64(maxBacklog),
+		timeout:    timeout,
+	}
+}
+
+// Acquire blocks until a transcoding slot is available, the backlog is full, or the timeout expires.
+func (t *TranscodingThrottle) Acquire(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if t.disabled {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Increment-then-check-then-rollback to avoid TOCTOU race
+	current := t.backlog.Add(1)
+	if current > t.maxBacklog {
+		t.backlog.Add(-1)
+		log.Warn(ctx, "Transcoding request rejected, throttle backlog full", "backlog", current-1)
+		return ErrTranscodingBusy
+	}
+
+	if !t.sem.TryAcquire(1) {
+		log.Info(ctx, "Transcoding request queued, waiting for slot", "backlog", current)
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, t.timeout)
+		defer cancel()
+		err := t.sem.Acquire(ctx, 1)
+		t.backlog.Add(-1)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Warn(ctx, "Transcoding request rejected, timeout waiting for slot")
+			return ErrTranscodingBusy
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	t.backlog.Add(-1)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Release frees a transcoding slot.
+func (t *TranscodingThrottle) Release() {
+	if t.disabled {
+		return
+	}
+	t.sem.Release(1)
+}
+
+// releaseOnClose wraps a ReadCloser to call a release function exactly once on Close.
+type releaseOnClose struct {
+	io.ReadCloser
+	release func()
+	once    sync.Once
+}
+
+func (r *releaseOnClose) Close() error {
+	err := r.ReadCloser.Close()
+	r.once.Do(r.release)
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/core/stream/throttle_test.go b/core/stream/throttle_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c8c7a40d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/stream/throttle_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+package stream
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+var _ = Describe("TranscodingThrottle", func() {
+	Describe("Acquire/Release", func() {
+		It("allows up to maxConcurrent acquires", func() {
+			t := NewTranscodingThrottle(2, 10, time.Second)
+			Expect(t.Acquire(context.Background())).To(Succeed())
+			Expect(t.Acquire(context.Background())).To(Succeed())
+			// Third should block, so test it doesn't return immediately
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 50*time.Millisecond)
+			defer cancel()
+			err := t.Acquire(ctx)
+			Expect(err).To(MatchError(ErrTranscodingBusy))
+		})
+
+		It("releases a slot and allows new acquire", func() {
+			t := NewTranscodingThrottle(1, 10, time.Second)
+			Expect(t.Acquire(context.Background())).To(Succeed())
+			t.Release()
+			Expect(t.Acquire(context.Background())).To(Succeed())
+		})
+
+		It("returns ErrTranscodingBusy when backlog limit is reached", func() {
+			t := NewTranscodingThrottle(1, 2, 5*time.Second)
+			// Fill the slot
+			Expect(t.Acquire(context.Background())).To(Succeed())
+
+			// Fill the backlog (2 waiters) — they block in goroutines
+			var wg sync.WaitGroup
+			for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
+				wg.Add(1)
+				go func() {
+					defer wg.Done()
+					_ = t.Acquire(context.Background())
+				}()
+			}
+			// Give goroutines time to enter backlog
+			time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+
+			// Third waiter should be rejected immediately (backlog full)
+			err := t.Acquire(context.Background())
+			Expect(err).To(MatchError(ErrTranscodingBusy))
+
+			// Clean up: release all
+			t.Release()
+			t.Release()
+			t.Release()
+			wg.Wait()
+		})
+
+		It("returns ErrTranscodingBusy when timeout expires", func() {
+			t := NewTranscodingThrottle(1, 10, 50*time.Millisecond)
+			Expect(t.Acquire(context.Background())).To(Succeed())
+			err := t.Acquire(context.Background())
+			Expect(err).To(MatchError(ErrTranscodingBusy))
+		})
+
+		It("respects context cancellation", func() {
+			t := NewTranscodingThrottle(1, 10, 5*time.Second)
+			Expect(t.Acquire(context.Background())).To(Succeed())
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+			cancel()
+			err := t.Acquire(ctx)
+			Expect(err).To(MatchError(ErrTranscodingBusy))
+		})
+
+		It("is disabled when maxConcurrent is 0", func() {
+			t := NewTranscodingThrottle(0, 10, time.Second)
+			for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
+				Expect(t.Acquire(context.Background())).To(Succeed())
+			}
+		})
+	})
+})
+
+var _ = Describe("releaseOnClose", func() {
+	It("calls release exactly once on Close", func() {
+		var count int
+		rc := &releaseOnClose{
+			ReadCloser: io.NopCloser(strings.NewReader("data")),
+			release:    func() { count++ },
+		}
+		Expect(rc.Close()).To(Succeed())
+		Expect(rc.Close()).To(Succeed()) // double close
+		Expect(count).To(Equal(1))
+	})
+
+	It("propagates close error from underlying ReadCloser", func() {
+		rc := &releaseOnClose{
+			ReadCloser: &failCloser{},
+			release:    func() {},
+		}
+		err := rc.Close()
+		Expect(err).To(MatchError("close failed"))
+	})
+})
+
+// failCloser is a ReadCloser whose Close always returns an error
+type failCloser struct{ io.Reader }
+
+func (f *failCloser) Read(p []byte) (int, error) { return 0, io.EOF }
+func (f *failCloser) Close() error               { return errors.New("close failed") }