diff --git a/backend/download/src/yt_dlp_handler.py b/backend/download/src/yt_dlp_handler.py
index 80dc383d..ec055c1c 100644
--- a/backend/download/src/yt_dlp_handler.py
+++ b/backend/download/src/yt_dlp_handler.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ functionality:
 
 import os
 import shutil
+import subprocess
 from datetime import datetime
 
 from appsettings.src.config import AppConfig
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ from playlist.src.index import YoutubePlaylist
 from video.src.comments import CommentList
 from video.src.constants import VideoTypeEnum
 from video.src.index import YoutubeVideo, index_new_video
+from yt_dlp.utils import ISO639Utils
 
 
 class DownloaderBase:
@@ -317,18 +319,84 @@ class VideoDownloader(DownloaderBase):
         return None
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _merge_audio_tracks(main_path: str, audio_files: list[str]) -> bool:
-        """ffmpeg-merge additional audio tracks into the main MKV file"""
-        import subprocess
+    def _normalize_language_code(lang: str) -> str:
+        """best-effort normalisation for ffmpeg language metadata"""
+        if not lang:
+            return "und"
 
+        # Keep the primary subtag for values like "en-US" or "zh-Hans".
+        primary = lang.split("-")[0].strip().lower()
+        if not primary:
+            return "und"
+
+        return primary
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _language_title(lang: str) -> str:
+        """build a human-friendly stream title from a language tag"""
+        if not lang:
+            return "Unknown"
+
+        code = VideoDownloader._normalize_language_code(lang)
+        long_name = ISO639Utils.short2long(code)
+        if long_name:
+            return long_name
+
+        return lang.upper()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _count_audio_streams(path: str) -> int:
+        """count audio streams in a media file"""
+        cmd = [
+            "ffprobe",
+            "-v",
+            "error",
+            "-select_streams",
+            "a",
+            "-show_entries",
+            "stream=index",
+            "-of",
+            "csv=p=0",
+            path,
+        ]
+        result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True, check=False)
+        if result.returncode != 0:
+            return 0
+
+        output = result.stdout.strip()
+        if not output:
+            return 0
+
+        return len(output.splitlines())
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _merge_audio_tracks(
+        main_path: str, audio_tracks: list[tuple[str, str]]
+    ) -> bool:
+        """ffmpeg-merge additional audio tracks into the main MKV file"""
         output_path = main_path + ".merging.mkv"
         cmd = ["ffmpeg", "-y", "-i", main_path]
-        for af in audio_files:
+        for _, af in audio_tracks:
             cmd += ["-i", af]
+
         # copy all streams from main + audio-only from each extra file
         cmd += ["-map", "0"]
-        for i in range(1, len(audio_files) + 1):
-            cmd += ["-map", f"{i}:a"]
+
+        for i in range(1, len(audio_tracks) + 1):
+            cmd += ["-map", f"{i}:a:0"]
+
+        existing_audio_count = VideoDownloader._count_audio_streams(main_path)
+        for idx, (lang, _) in enumerate(audio_tracks):
+            audio_stream_idx = existing_audio_count + idx
+            language_code = VideoDownloader._normalize_language_code(lang)
+            language_title = VideoDownloader._language_title(lang)
+            cmd += [
+                f"-metadata:s:a:{audio_stream_idx}",
+                f"language={language_code}",
+                f"-metadata:s:a:{audio_stream_idx}",
+                f"title={language_title}",
+            ]
+
         cmd += ["-c", "copy", output_path]
 
         print(f"[audio_languages] ffmpeg merge: {' '.join(cmd)}")
@@ -472,16 +540,17 @@ class VideoDownloader(DownloaderBase):
         # phase 2: merge HLS-only language audio tracks via ffmpeg
         if hls_formats and selected_audio_count > 1:
             main_path = os.path.join(dl_cache, f"{youtube_id}.mkv")
-            audio_files = []
+            audio_tracks: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
             try:
                 for lang, fmt_id in hls_formats.items():
                     af = self._download_hls_audio(youtube_id, fmt_id, lang)
                     if af:
-                        audio_files.append(af)
-                if audio_files:
-                    self._merge_audio_tracks(main_path, audio_files)
+                        audio_tracks.append((lang, af))
+
+                if audio_tracks:
+                    self._merge_audio_tracks(main_path, audio_tracks)
             finally:
-                for af in audio_files:
+                for _, af in audio_tracks:
                     try:
                         os.remove(af)
                     except FileNotFoundError:
diff --git a/backend/video/src/media_streams.py b/backend/video/src/media_streams.py
index 5101c9e4..fc0664fe 100644
--- a/backend/video/src/media_streams.py
+++ b/backend/video/src/media_streams.py
@@ -79,12 +79,30 @@ class MediaStreamExtractor:
             else:
                 bitrate_raw = 0
 
-        language = tags.get("language") or tags.get("LANGUAGE") or None
+        language = (
+            tags.get("language")
+            or tags.get("LANGUAGE")
+            or tags.get("Language")
+            or tags.get("lang")
+            or tags.get("LANG")
+            or None
+        )
         # Normalise "und" (undetermined) to None
-        if language == "und":
+        if isinstance(language, str):
+            language = language.strip()
+
+        if language and language.lower() == "und":
             language = None
 
-        track_title = tags.get("title") or tags.get("TITLE") or None
+        track_title = (
+            tags.get("title")
+            or tags.get("TITLE")
+            or tags.get("Title")
+            or tags.get("handler_name")
+            or tags.get("HANDLER_NAME")
+            or None
+        )
+        track_title = self._clean_audio_title(track_title)
 
         # Channels: prefer channel_layout label, fall back to channel count
         channel_layout = stream.get("channel_layout")
@@ -103,6 +121,28 @@ class MediaStreamExtractor:
             }
         )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _clean_audio_title(track_title: str | None) -> str | None:
+        """remove noisy/generic audio titles that aren't useful for UI labels"""
+        if not track_title:
+            return None
+
+        cleaned = track_title.strip()
+        if not cleaned:
+            return None
+
+        lower = cleaned.lower()
+        noisy_titles = {
+            "iso media file produced by google inc.",
+            "soundhandler",
+            "iso media",
+        }
+
+        if lower in noisy_titles:
+            return None
+
+        return cleaned
+
     def get_file_size(self) -> int:
         """get filesize in bytes"""
         return stat(self.media_path).st_size
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Video.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Video.tsx
index c305c51c..a2c66dd1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Video.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Video.tsx
@@ -45,6 +45,82 @@ import { ApiResponseType } from '../functions/APIClient';
 import VideoThumbnail from '../components/VideoThumbail';
 import { ViewStylesEnum, ViewStylesType } from '../configuration/constants/ViewStyle';
 
+const GENERIC_AUDIO_TITLES = new Set([
+  'iso media file produced by google inc.',
+  'soundhandler',
+  'iso media',
+]);
+
+const getLanguageLabel = (language?: string | null): string | null => {
+  if (!language) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const raw = language.trim();
+  if (!raw) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const normalized = raw.split(/[-_]/)[0];
+  const code = raw.toUpperCase();
+
+  try {
+    const DisplayNames = (
+      Intl as unknown as {
+        DisplayNames?: new (
+          locales?: string | string[],
+          options?: Intl.DisplayNamesOptions,
+        ) => Intl.DisplayNames;
+      }
+    ).DisplayNames;
+
+    if (DisplayNames) {
+      const displayName = new DisplayNames([navigator.language || 'en', 'en'], {
+        type: 'language',
+      }).of(normalized);
+
+      if (displayName && displayName.toLowerCase() !== normalized.toLowerCase()) {
+        return `${code} - ${displayName}`;
+      }
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // no-op; fallback to language code
+  }
+
+  return code;
+};
+
+const getUsefulAudioTitle = (
+  title?: string | null,
+  language?: string | null,
+): string | null => {
+  if (!title) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const cleaned = title.trim();
+  if (!cleaned) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const lower = cleaned.toLowerCase();
+  if (GENERIC_AUDIO_TITLES.has(lower)) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const langRaw = language?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  if (langRaw && (lower === langRaw || lower === langRaw.split(/[-_]/)[0])) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  // Filter code-like titles (e.g. jpn, en) that duplicate language context.
+  if (/^[a-z]{2,3}$/i.test(cleaned)) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return cleaned;
+};
+
 const isInPlaylist = (videoId: string, playlist: PlaylistType) => {
   return playlist.playlist_entries.some(entry => {
     return entry.youtube_id === videoId;
@@ -484,7 +560,12 @@ const Video = () => {
                 }
 
                 // Audio stream
-                const langLabel = stream.title || stream.language?.toUpperCase() || null;
+                const languageLabel = getLanguageLabel(stream.language);
+                const titleLabel = getUsefulAudioTitle(stream.title, stream.language);
+                const langLabel =
+                  languageLabel && titleLabel
+                    ? `${languageLabel} (${titleLabel})`
+                    : languageLabel || titleLabel || null;
                 const layoutLabel = stream.channel_layout || (stream.channels ? `${stream.channels}ch` : null);
 
                 return (