diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b4cd019..821a199 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 
 # Local media (not part of the product)
 /music/
+/server/web/public/audio/featured-dark-house-2025.mp3
 
 # Temp downloads
 *.crdownload
diff --git a/server/web/public/audio/.gitkeep b/server/web/public/audio/.gitkeep
index cbd1a8a..e06bb5d 100644
--- a/server/web/public/audio/.gitkeep
+++ b/server/web/public/audio/.gitkeep
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
-# Drop your looping ambient track here as ambient.mp3 (MP3 preferred; OGG/WAV also work).
-# Enable background music in Settings → Sound & Haptics after adding the file.
+# Background music for the dashboard ambient player.
+#
+# Featured (default): featured-dark-house-2025.mp3 (~57MB — gitignored; copy locally)
+#   Copy-Item "music/DARK HOUSE 2025  Deep Hypnotic Electronic Experience.mp3" `
+#     "server/web/public/audio/featured-dark-house-2025.mp3"
+#
+# Legacy fallback: ambient.mp3 (smaller loops still work if you point AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC at them).
diff --git a/server/web/src/audio/ambientMusic.test.ts b/server/web/src/audio/ambientMusic.test.ts
index 209b27c..918e71c 100644
--- a/server/web/src/audio/ambientMusic.test.ts
+++ b/server/web/src/audio/ambientMusic.test.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,16 @@ describe('ambientMusic prefs', () => {
     localStorage.clear();
   });
 
-  it('defaults music off and volume ~0.22', () => {
-    expect(loadBgmEnabled()).toBe(false);
+  it('defaults music on for first visit and volume ~0.22', () => {
+    expect(loadBgmEnabled()).toBe(true);
     expect(loadBgmVolume()).toBeCloseTo(0.22);
   });
 
+  it('respects explicit opt-out', () => {
+    localStorage.setItem(BGM_STORAGE_KEY, '0');
+    expect(loadBgmEnabled()).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it('persists enabled flag', () => {
     const p = new AmbientMusicPlayer();
     p.setEnabled(true);
@@ -38,8 +43,8 @@ describe('ambientMusic prefs', () => {
     expect(localStorage.getItem(BGM_VOLUME_KEY)).toBe('0');
   });
 
-  it('points at public audio path', () => {
-    expect(AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC).toBe('/audio/ambient.mp3');
+  it('points at featured public audio path', () => {
+    expect(AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC).toBe('/audio/featured-dark-house-2025.mp3');
   });
 
   it('ducks effective volume 30% while modal registered', () => {
diff --git a/server/web/src/audio/ambientMusic.ts b/server/web/src/audio/ambientMusic.ts
index 48f434e..569d703 100644
--- a/server/web/src/audio/ambientMusic.ts
+++ b/server/web/src/audio/ambientMusic.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 /**
- * Looping background music — drop your MP3 at public/audio/ambient.mp3
- * (MP3 preferred; OGG/WAV also work if you update AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC).
+ * Looping background music — featured track at public/audio/featured-dark-house-2025.mp3
+ * (copy from repo music/; legacy ambient.mp3 still valid if you change AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC).
  */
 export const BGM_STORAGE_KEY = 'aetherforge-bgm';
 export const BGM_VOLUME_KEY = 'aetherforge-bgm-volume';
-/** Served from Vite public/ — place ambient.mp3 here before enabling in Settings. */
-export const AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC = '/audio/ambient.mp3';
+/** Featured Command Deck landing track (gitignored when >15MB — copy locally from music/). */
+export const FEATURED_MUSIC_SRC = '/audio/featured-dark-house-2025.mp3';
+export const FEATURED_MUSIC_TITLE = 'Dark House 2025';
+/** Default looping source for the global ambient player. */
+export const AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC = FEATURED_MUSIC_SRC;
 
 /** Route → playback multiplier (0–1). User volume × intensity = effective output. */
 export const PAGE_AMBIENT_INTENSITY: Record<string, number> = {
@@ -40,9 +43,10 @@ export function resolvePageAmbientIntensity(pathname: string): number {
 export function loadBgmEnabled(): boolean {
   try {
     const v = localStorage.getItem(BGM_STORAGE_KEY);
+    if (v === null) return true;
     return v === '1';
   } catch {
-    return false;
+    return true;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/server/web/src/components/GlobalMusicPlayer.tsx b/server/web/src/components/GlobalMusicPlayer.tsx
index f532b25..dfb9d23 100644
--- a/server/web/src/components/GlobalMusicPlayer.tsx
+++ b/server/web/src/components/GlobalMusicPlayer.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { useEffect } from 'react';
 import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useAmbientMusic } from '../context/AmbientMusicContext';
-import { resolvePageAmbientIntensity } from '../audio/ambientMusic';
+import { ambientMusicPlayer, FEATURED_MUSIC_TITLE, resolvePageAmbientIntensity } from '../audio/ambientMusic';
 import './GlobalMusicPlayer.css';
 
 export default function GlobalMusicPlayer() {
@@ -14,13 +14,19 @@ export default function GlobalMusicPlayer() {
     setPageIntensity(routeIntensity);
   }, [routeIntensity, setPageIntensity]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const path = location.pathname.split('?')[0].replace(/\/$/, '') || '/';
+    if (path === '/dashboard') void ambientMusicPlayer.tryPlay();
+  }, [location.pathname]);
+
   return (
     <div
       className={`global-music-player${isDim ? ' global-music-player--ambient-dim' : ''}`}
       data-sfx="off"
       data-ambient-intensity={pageIntensity.toFixed(2)}
       role="region"
-      aria-label="Background music controls"
+      aria-label={`Background music — ${FEATURED_MUSIC_TITLE}`}
+      title={FEATURED_MUSIC_TITLE}
     >
       <button
         type="button"
diff --git a/server/web/src/context/AmbientMusicContext.tsx b/server/web/src/context/AmbientMusicContext.tsx
index 6faef4f..ed52bcb 100644
--- a/server/web/src/context/AmbientMusicContext.tsx
+++ b/server/web/src/context/AmbientMusicContext.tsx
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ export function AmbientMusicProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }
     return ambientMusicPlayer.subscribe(setPlaying);
   }, []);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (enabled) void ambientMusicPlayer.tryPlay();
+  }, []);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     ambientMusicPlayer.setEnabled(enabled);
     ambientMusicPlayer.setVolume(volume);
diff --git a/server/web/src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx b/server/web/src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx
index cb195aa..94e0d53 100644
--- a/server/web/src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx
+++ b/server/web/src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import FleetRuntimePanel from '../components/Fleet/FleetRuntimePanel';
 import { AuditLogStrip } from '../components/Fleet/FleetOpsWidgets';
 import { useSound } from '../context/SoundContext';
 import { useAmbientMusic } from '../context/AmbientMusicContext';
-import { AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC } from '../audio/ambientMusic';
+import { AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC, FEATURED_MUSIC_TITLE } from '../audio/ambientMusic';
 import { useVisualEffects } from '../context/VisualEffectsContext';
 import {
   FORGE_SKIN_IDS,
@@ -732,9 +732,9 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
           <hr style={{ border: 'none', borderTop: '1px solid var(--border-dim)', margin: '1.25rem 0' }} />
           <h3 className="font-tech" style={{ fontSize: '0.85rem', marginBottom: '0.35rem' }}>Background music</h3>
           <p className="section-desc" style={{ marginBottom: '0.75rem' }}>
-            Optional looping ambient track served from <code className="mono-sm">{AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC}</code>. Use the
-            mini player in the bottom-right corner on any page, or enable here. Defaults off — browsers block autoplay
-            until you press play or toggle this on.
+            Featured track <strong>{FEATURED_MUSIC_TITLE}</strong> served from{' '}
+            <code className="mono-sm">{AMBIENT_MUSIC_SRC}</code>. On by default on Command Deck — browsers may still
+            block autoplay until you click or press a key; use the mini player in the bottom-right or toggle here.
           </p>
           <div className="form-group checkbox-group">
             <label className="checkbox-label">