diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ba82c2d..c6a4875 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ It supports:
 - Local library playback (files in `music/`)
 - Downloading audio from URLs (via `yt-dlp` when available, with fallback)
 - Live streaming from the DJ browser to listeners using Socket.IO
-- **Compatibility fallback**: if a listener browser can’t play the WebM/Opus stream, it can fall back to an **MP3 stream** (`/stream.mp3`) generated server-side with **ffmpeg**.
+- Live listening via an **MP3 stream** (`/stream.mp3`) generated server-side with **ffmpeg**.
 
 ---
 
@@ -161,22 +161,13 @@ If listeners can’t connect, this is often the cause.
 
 ---
 
-## Streaming formats & fallback
+## Streaming
 
-### Default stream
-
-- DJ browser encodes live audio using `MediaRecorder` (usually WebM/Opus)
-- Listeners receive chunks over Socket.IO and play them via MediaSource
-
-### MP3 fallback (compatibility)
-
-Some browsers/environments don’t support WebM/Opus + MediaSource well.
-In that case TechDJ can fall back to:
+TechDJ serves the listener audio as an **MP3 HTTP stream**:
 
 - MP3 stream endpoint: `http://<DJ_MACHINE_IP>:5001/stream.mp3`
 
-This requires:
-- `ffmpeg` installed on the DJ/server machine
+This requires `ffmpeg` installed on the DJ/server machine.
 
 ### Debug endpoint
 
diff --git a/script.js b/script.js
index f1e9ad9..2263aae 100644
--- a/script.js
+++ b/script.js
@@ -1848,11 +1848,12 @@ function startBroadcast() {
         console.log(`🎚️ Starting broadcast at ${qualitySelect.value}kbps`);
 
         const preferredTypes = [
-            'audio/webm;codecs=opus',
-            'audio/webm',
-            'audio/ogg;codecs=opus',
+            // Prefer MP4/AAC when available (broad device support)
             'audio/mp4;codecs=mp4a.40.2',
             'audio/mp4',
+            // Fallbacks
+            'audio/webm',
+            'audio/ogg',
         ];
         const chosenType = preferredTypes.find((t) => {
             try {
@@ -1993,9 +1994,9 @@ function startBroadcast() {
         document.getElementById('broadcast-status').textContent = '🔴 LIVE';
         document.getElementById('broadcast-status').classList.add('live');
 
-        // Notify server (include codec/container so listeners can configure SourceBuffer)
+        // Notify server that broadcast is active (listeners use MP3 stream)
         if (!socket) initSocket();
-        socket.emit('start_broadcast', { mimeType: currentStreamMimeType });
+        socket.emit('start_broadcast');
         socket.emit('get_listener_count');
 
         console.log('✅ Broadcasting started successfully!');
@@ -2153,7 +2154,7 @@ function toggleAutoStream(enabled) {
 // ========== LISTENER MODE ==========
 
 function initListenerMode() {
-    console.log('🎧 Initializing listener mode (MediaSource Pipeline)...');
+    console.log('🎧 Initializing listener mode (MP3 stream)...');
 
     // UI Feedback for listener
     const appContainer = document.querySelector('.app-container');
@@ -2224,8 +2225,8 @@ function initListenerMode() {
     }
 
     // Create a new hidden media element.
-    // Note: MSE (MediaSource) support is often more reliable on <video> than <audio>.
-    audio = document.createElement('video');
+    // For MP3 we can use a plain <audio> element.
+    audio = document.createElement('audio');
     audio.autoplay = false; // Don't autoplay - we use the Enable Audio button
     audio.muted = false;
     audio.controls = false;
@@ -2233,73 +2234,12 @@ function initListenerMode() {
     audio.setAttribute('playsinline', '');
     audio.style.display = 'none';
     document.body.appendChild(audio);
-    console.log('🆕 Created fresh media element (video) for listener');
+    console.log('🆕 Created fresh media element (audio) for listener');
 
-    // Initialize MediaSource for streaming binary chunks
-    const mediaSource = new MediaSource();
-    audio.src = URL.createObjectURL(mediaSource);
-
-    // CRITICAL: Call load() to initialize the MediaSource
-    // Without this, the audio element won't load the MediaSource until play() is called,
-    // which will fail with "no supported sources" if no data is buffered yet
+    // MP3 stream (server-side) — requires ffmpeg on the server.
+    audio.src = getMp3FallbackUrl();
     audio.load();
-    console.log('🎬 Audio element loading MediaSource...');
-
-    let sourceBuffer = null;
-    let audioQueue = [];
-    let chunksReceived = 0;
-    let lastStatusUpdate = 0;
-
-    mediaSource.addEventListener('sourceopen', () => {
-        console.log('📦 MediaSource opened');
-        const mimeType = window.currentStreamMimeType || currentStreamMimeType || 'audio/webm;codecs=opus';
-
-        if (!MediaSource.isTypeSupported(mimeType)) {
-            console.error(`❌ Browser does not support ${mimeType}`);
-            const statusEl = document.getElementById('connection-status');
-            if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = '⚠️ WebM/Opus not supported - using MP3 fallback stream';
-
-            // Fallback to MP3 stream served by the backend (requires ffmpeg on server host)
-            const fallbackUrl = getMp3FallbackUrl();
-            console.log(`🎧 Switching to MP3 fallback: ${fallbackUrl}`);
-            audio.src = fallbackUrl;
-            audio.load();
-            return;
-        }
-
-        try {
-            sourceBuffer = mediaSource.addSourceBuffer(mimeType);
-            sourceBuffer.mode = 'sequence';
-
-            // Kick off first append if data is already in queue
-            if (audioQueue.length > 0 && !sourceBuffer.updating && mediaSource.readyState === 'open') {
-                sourceBuffer.appendBuffer(audioQueue.shift());
-            }
-
-            sourceBuffer.addEventListener('updateend', () => {
-                // Process next chunk in queue
-                if (audioQueue.length > 0 && !sourceBuffer.updating) {
-                    sourceBuffer.appendBuffer(audioQueue.shift());
-                }
-
-                // Periodic cleanup of old buffer data to prevent memory bloat
-                // Keep the last 60 seconds of audio data
-                if (audio.buffered.length > 0 && !sourceBuffer.updating && mediaSource.readyState === 'open') {
-                    const end = audio.buffered.end(audio.buffered.length - 1);
-                    const start = audio.buffered.start(0);
-                    if (end - start > 120) { // If buffer is > 2 mins
-                        try {
-                            sourceBuffer.remove(0, end - 60);
-                        } catch (e) {
-                            console.warn('Buffer cleanup skipped:', e.message);
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            });
-        } catch (e) {
-            console.error('❌ Failed to add SourceBuffer:', e);
-        }
-    });
+    console.log(`🎧 Listener source set to MP3 stream: ${audio.src}`);
 
     // Show enable audio button instead of attempting autoplay
     const enableAudioBtn = document.getElementById('enable-audio-btn');
@@ -2309,75 +2249,19 @@ function initListenerMode() {
         enableAudioBtn.style.display = 'flex';
     }
     if (statusEl) {
-        statusEl.textContent = '🔵 Click "Enable Audio" to start listening';
+        statusEl.textContent = '🔵 Click "Enable Audio" to start listening (MP3)';
     }
 
     // Store audio element and context for later activation
     window.listenerAudio = audio;
-    window.listenerMediaSource = mediaSource;
+    window.listenerMediaSource = null;
     window.listenerAudioEnabled = false; // Track if user has enabled audio
 
     // Initialize socket and join
     initSocket();
     socket.emit('join_listener');
 
-    socket.on('stream_mime', (data) => {
-        const mt = data && data.mimeType ? String(data.mimeType) : null;
-        if (mt && mt !== window.currentStreamMimeType) {
-            console.log(`📡 Stream mimeType announced: ${mt}`);
-            window.currentStreamMimeType = mt;
-        }
-    });
-
-    let hasHeader = false;
-
-    socket.on('audio_data', (data) => {
-        // We MUST have the header before we can do anything with broadcast chunks
-        const isHeaderDirect = data instanceof ArrayBuffer && data.byteLength > 1000; // Heuristic
-
-        hasHeader = true; // No header request needed for WebM relay
-
-        chunksReceived++;
-        listenerChunksReceived = chunksReceived;
-        audioQueue.push(data);
-
-        // JITTER BUFFER: Reduced to 1 segments (buffered) for WebM/Opus
-        const isHeader = false;
-
-        if (sourceBuffer && !sourceBuffer.updating && mediaSource.readyState === 'open') {
-            if (audioQueue.length >= 1) {
-                try {
-                    const next = audioQueue.shift();
-                    sourceBuffer.appendBuffer(next);
-
-                    // Reset error counter on success
-                    if (window.sourceBufferErrorCount) window.sourceBufferErrorCount = 0;
-                } catch (e) {
-                    console.error('Buffer append error:', e);
-                    window.sourceBufferErrorCount = (window.sourceBufferErrorCount || 0) + 1;
-
-                    if (window.sourceBufferErrorCount >= 5) {
-                        console.error('❌ Too many SourceBuffer errors - attempting recovery...');
-                        const statusEl = document.getElementById('connection-status');
-                        if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = '⚠️ Stream error - reconnecting...';
-                        audioQueue = [];
-                        chunksReceived = 0;
-                        window.sourceBufferErrorCount = 0;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        // UI Update (only if audio is already enabled, don't overwrite the enable prompt)
-        const now = Date.now();
-        if (now - lastStatusUpdate > 1000 && window.listenerAudioEnabled) {
-            const statusEl = document.getElementById('connection-status');
-            if (statusEl) {
-                statusEl.textContent = `🟢 Connected - ${chunksReceived} chunks (${audioQueue.length} buffered)`;
-            }
-            lastStatusUpdate = now;
-        }
-    });
+    // No socket audio chunks needed in MP3-only mode.
 
     socket.on('broadcast_started', () => {
         const nowPlayingEl = document.getElementById('listener-now-playing');
@@ -2395,8 +2279,6 @@ function initListenerMode() {
     socket.on('broadcast_stopped', () => {
         const nowPlayingEl = document.getElementById('listener-now-playing');
         if (nowPlayingEl) nowPlayingEl.textContent = 'Stream ended';
-        chunksReceived = 0;
-        audioQueue = [];
     });
 
     socket.on('connect', () => {
@@ -2491,66 +2373,18 @@ async function enableListenerAudio() {
             const volValue = volEl ? parseInt(volEl.value, 10) : 80;
             setListenerVolume(Number.isFinite(volValue) ? volValue : 80);
 
-            // Check if we have buffered data
             const hasBufferedData = () => {
                 return window.listenerAudio.buffered && window.listenerAudio.buffered.length > 0;
             };
 
-            // CRITICAL: Wait for buffered data before calling play()
-            // This prevents NotSupportedError when buffer is empty
-            if (!hasBufferedData()) {
-                console.log('⏳ Waiting for audio data to buffer before playback...');
-                if (audioText) audioText.textContent = 'BUFFERING...';
-
-                // Wait for data with timeout (max 5 seconds)
-                const waitForData = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-                    const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
-                        clearInterval(checkInterval);
-                        reject(new Error('Timeout waiting for audio data'));
-                    }, 5000);
-
-                    const checkInterval = setInterval(() => {
-                        if (hasBufferedData()) {
-                            clearInterval(checkInterval);
-                            clearTimeout(timeout);
-                            console.log('✅ Audio data buffered, ready to play');
-                            resolve();
-                        }
-                    }, 100);
-                });
-
-                try {
-                    await waitForData;
-                } catch (e) {
-                    console.warn('⚠️ Timeout waiting for buffer data:', e.message);
-                }
-            } else {
-                console.log('✅ Audio already has buffered data');
-            }
-
+            // MP3 stream: call play() immediately to capture the user gesture.
+            if (audioText) audioText.textContent = 'STARTING...';
             console.log('▶️ Attempting to play audio...');
             const playPromise = window.listenerAudio.play();
 
-            // If no buffered data yet, show status but don't block playback
-            if (!hasBufferedData()) {
-                console.log('⏳ Waiting for audio data to buffer...');
-                const chunkCount = Number.isFinite(listenerChunksReceived) ? listenerChunksReceived : 0;
-                if (audioText) {
-                    audioText.textContent = chunkCount > 0 ? 'BUFFERING...' : 'WAITING FOR STREAM...';
-                }
-
-                // Start a background checker to update UI
-                const checkInterval = setInterval(() => {
-                    if (hasBufferedData()) {
-                        clearInterval(checkInterval);
-                        console.log('✅ Audio data buffered');
-                        const chunkCount = Number.isFinite(listenerChunksReceived) ? listenerChunksReceived : 0;
-                    } else if (audioText && chunkCount > 0 && audioText.textContent === 'WAITING FOR STREAM...') {
-                        audioText.textContent = 'BUFFERING...';
-                    }
-                }, 500);
-            } else {
-                console.log('✅ Audio already has buffered data');
+            // If not buffered yet, show buffering but don't block.
+            if (!hasBufferedData() && audioText) {
+                audioText.textContent = 'BUFFERING...';
             }
 
             await playPromise;
@@ -2586,42 +2420,13 @@ async function enableListenerAudio() {
             if (error.name === 'NotAllowedError') {
                 errorMsg = 'Browser blocked audio (NotAllowedError). Check permissions.';
             } else if (error.name === 'NotSupportedError') {
-                errorMsg = 'Format not supported or buffer empty (NotSupportedError).';
+                errorMsg = 'MP3 stream not supported or unavailable (NotSupportedError).';
             }
 
             stashedStatus.textContent = '⚠️ ' + errorMsg;
 
             if (error.name === 'NotSupportedError') {
-                // Two common causes:
-                // 1) WebM/Opus MSE isn't supported by this browser
-                // 2) The element cannot play yet (empty buffer / transient)
-                // Prefer a compatibility fallback to MP3 if available.
-                try {
-                    const fallbackUrl = getMp3FallbackUrl();
-                    console.log(`🎧 NotSupportedError -> switching to MP3 fallback: ${fallbackUrl}`);
-                    window.listenerAudio.src = fallbackUrl;
-                    window.listenerAudio.load();
-
-                    // Retry immediately (still within the click gesture)
-                    window.listenerAudio.play().then(() => {
-                        stashedStatus.textContent = '🟢 Playing via MP3 fallback';
-                        window.listenerAudioEnabled = true;
-                    }).catch((e) => {
-                        console.error('MP3 fallback play failed:', e);
-                        stashedStatus.textContent = '⚠️ MP3 fallback failed. Is ffmpeg installed on the server?';
-                    });
-                } catch (e) {
-                    console.error('Failed to switch to MP3 fallback:', e);
-                }
-
-                // Also keep a background retry in case it was just a buffer timing issue.
-                console.log('🔄 Retrying playback in background once data arrives...');
-                const retryInterval = setInterval(() => {
-                    if (window.listenerAudio.buffered && window.listenerAudio.buffered.length > 0) {
-                        clearInterval(retryInterval);
-                        window.listenerAudio.play().catch((e) => console.error('Background retry failed:', e));
-                    }
-                }, 1000);
+                stashedStatus.textContent = '⚠️ MP3 stream failed. Is ffmpeg installed on the server?';
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/server.py b/server.py
index 060ebba..e95136c 100644
--- a/server.py
+++ b/server.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import downloader
 # Relay State
 broadcast_state = {
     'active': False,
-    'mimeType': None,
 }
 listener_sids = set()
 dj_sids = set()
@@ -339,12 +338,7 @@ def stop_broadcast_after_timeout():
 
 @dj_socketio.on('start_broadcast')
 def dj_start(data=None):
-    mime_type = None
-    if isinstance(data, dict):
-        mime_type = data.get('mimeType') or None
-
     broadcast_state['active'] = True
-    broadcast_state['mimeType'] = mime_type
     session['is_dj'] = True
     print("🎙️ Broadcast -> ACTIVE")
 
@@ -352,13 +346,10 @@ def dj_start(data=None):
     
     listener_socketio.emit('broadcast_started', namespace='/')
     listener_socketio.emit('stream_status', {'active': True}, namespace='/')
-    if mime_type:
-        listener_socketio.emit('stream_mime', {'mimeType': mime_type}, namespace='/')
 
 @dj_socketio.on('stop_broadcast')
 def dj_stop():
     broadcast_state['active'] = False
-    broadcast_state['mimeType'] = None
     session['is_dj'] = False
     print("🛑 DJ stopped broadcasting")
 
@@ -369,9 +360,8 @@ def dj_stop():
 
 @dj_socketio.on('audio_chunk')
 def dj_audio(data):
-    # Relay audio chunk to all listeners immediately
+    # MP3-only mode: do not relay raw chunks to listeners; feed transcoder only.
     if broadcast_state['active']:
-        listener_socketio.emit('audio_data', data, namespace='/')
         # Ensure MP3 fallback transcoder is running (if ffmpeg is installed)
         if _ffmpeg_proc is None or _ffmpeg_proc.poll() is not None:
             _start_transcoder_if_needed()
@@ -417,8 +407,6 @@ def listener_join():
         dj_socketio.emit('listener_count', {'count': count}, namespace='/')
     
     emit('stream_status', {'active': broadcast_state['active']})
-    if broadcast_state.get('mimeType'):
-        emit('stream_mime', {'mimeType': broadcast_state['mimeType']})
 
 @listener_socketio.on('get_listener_count')
 def listener_get_count():