diff --git a/consts/consts.go b/consts/consts.go
index f453ac125..7eba445bd 100644
--- a/consts/consts.go
+++ b/consts/consts.go
@@ -166,7 +166,10 @@ var (
 			Name:           "mp3 audio",
 			TargetFormat:   "mp3",
 			DefaultBitRate: 192,
-			Command:        "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -",
+			// 0:v:0? also carries over embedded cover art, when the source has any. Only
+			// mp3 and flac are given this treatment: the opus and adts muxers reject a
+			// video stream outright.
+			Command: "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map 0:v:0? -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:v copy -disposition:v attached_pic -f mp3 -",
 		},
 		{
 			Name:           "opus audio",
@@ -184,7 +187,7 @@ var (
 			Name:           "flac audio",
 			TargetFormat:   "flac",
 			DefaultBitRate: 0,
-			Command:        "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -",
+			Command:        "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map 0:v:0? -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -c:v copy -disposition:v attached_pic -f flac -",
 		},
 	}
 )
diff --git a/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_test.go b/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_test.go
index 0fa3de111..3912bc2e6 100644
--- a/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_test.go
+++ b/core/ffmpeg/ffmpeg_test.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ var _ = Describe("ffmpeg", func() {
 
 	Describe("isDefaultCommand", func() {
 		It("returns true for known default mp3 command", func() {
-			Expect(isDefaultCommand("mp3", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -")).To(BeTrue())
+			Expect(isDefaultCommand("mp3", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map 0:v:0? -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:v copy -disposition:v attached_pic -f mp3 -")).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 		It("returns true for known default opus command", func() {
 			Expect(isDefaultCommand("opus", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a libopus -f opus -")).To(BeTrue())
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ var _ = Describe("ffmpeg", func() {
 			Expect(isDefaultCommand("aac", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:a aac -f adts -")).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 		It("returns true for known default flac command", func() {
-			Expect(isDefaultCommand("flac", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -")).To(BeTrue())
+			Expect(isDefaultCommand("flac", "ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map 0:v:0? -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -c:v copy -disposition:v attached_pic -f flac -")).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 		It("returns false for a custom command", func() {
 			Expect(isDefaultCommand("mp3", "ffmpeg -i %s -b:a %bk -custom-flag -f mp3 -")).To(BeFalse())
diff --git a/db/migrations/20260731004500_keep_cover_art_in_default_transcodings.go b/db/migrations/20260731004500_keep_cover_art_in_default_transcodings.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25e2f8fd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrations/20260731004500_keep_cover_art_in_default_transcodings.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package migrations
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"database/sql"
+
+	"github.com/pressly/goose/v3"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	goose.AddMigrationContext(upKeepCoverArtInDefaultTranscodings, downKeepCoverArtInDefaultTranscodings)
+}
+
+// coverArtPairs maps the current default commands (audio stream only) to the new
+// defaults that also carry over embedded cover art. Index 0 = old, index 1 = new.
+//
+// `-map 0:v:0?` picks up the attached picture when the source has one, and the
+// trailing `?` keeps the command working for sources without artwork. `-c:v copy`
+// avoids re-encoding it and `-disposition:v attached_pic` marks it as cover art
+// rather than a video track.
+//
+// Only mp3 and flac are updated: the opus muxer rejects the mjpeg stream
+// ("Unsupported codec id in stream 1") and adts refuses any video stream
+// ("adts muxer does not support any stream of type video"), so adding the
+// mapping there would break transcoding to those formats outright.
+//
+// Only rows still holding the exact unmodified default are updated, so any
+// user-customized command is left untouched.
+var coverArtPairs = [][2]string{
+	{
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -f mp3 -",
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map 0:v:0? -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -b:a %bk -v 0 -c:v copy -disposition:v attached_pic -f mp3 -",
+	},
+	{
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -f flac -",
+		"ffmpeg -ss %t -i %s -map 0:a:0 -map 0:v:0? -map_metadata 0 -map_metadata 0:s:a:0 -v 0 -c:a flac -c:v copy -disposition:v attached_pic -f flac -",
+	},
+}
+
+func upKeepCoverArtInDefaultTranscodings(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx) error {
+	for _, p := range coverArtPairs {
+		if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, `UPDATE transcoding SET command = ? WHERE command = ?`, p[1], p[0]); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func downKeepCoverArtInDefaultTranscodings(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx) error {
+	for _, p := range coverArtPairs {
+		if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, `UPDATE transcoding SET command = ? WHERE command = ?`, p[0], p[1]); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}