diff --git a/src/lib/api.ts b/src/lib/api.ts
index 6a749d9..60c95c2 100644
--- a/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,19 @@ export interface LanguageOption {
 
 export type MeetingStatus = "recording" | "transcribing" | "ready" | "recovering" | "error";
 
+// The four ordered phases of a background media import (import://progress).
+export type ImportPhase = "prepare" | "transcribe" | "diarize" | "finalize";
+
+// One `import://progress` tick. `state` is active (running), done (finished,
+// `elapsedMs` set) or error (`error` message set) for the given `phase`.
+export interface ImportProgress {
+  meetingId: MeetingId;
+  phase: ImportPhase;
+  state: "active" | "done" | "error";
+  elapsedMs: number | null;
+  error: string | null;
+}
+
 export interface MeetingListItem {
   id: MeetingId;
   title: string;
@@ -458,10 +471,12 @@ export const api = {
     invoke<void>("reprocess_transcript", { meetingId, model, language }),
   // Manually add a meeting from an existing recording — a local audio/video
   // file path or a URL (YouTube/streaming page or direct media URL). Requires
-  // ffmpeg (and yt-dlp for URLs) on PATH; neither is bundled. Returns the new
-  // meeting's id once transcription + diarization have finished.
-  importMedia: (source: string, title?: string) =>
-    invoke<MeetingId>("import_media", { source, title }),
+  // ffmpeg (and yt-dlp for URLs) on PATH; neither is bundled. `model` overrides
+  // the Settings whisper model for this one import. Returns the new meeting's id
+  // *immediately*; transcode/transcribe/diarize run in the background and stream
+  // `import://progress` ticks, finishing with `transcript://finalized`.
+  importMedia: (source: string, title?: string, model?: string) =>
+    invoke<MeetingId>("import_media", { source, title, model }),
   resumeTranscription: (meetingId: MeetingId) =>
     invoke<void>("resume_transcription", { meetingId }),
   listMeetings: (filter?: MeetingFilter) =>
@@ -619,6 +634,9 @@ export const events = {
   onFinalized: (
     cb: (p: { meetingId: string; segmentCount: number }) => void,
   ): Promise<UnlistenFn> => listen("transcript://finalized", (e) => cb(e.payload as never)),
+  // Per-phase progress of a background media import (feeds the import tracker).
+  onImportProgress: (cb: (p: ImportProgress) => void): Promise<UnlistenFn> =>
+    listen("import://progress", (e) => cb(e.payload as never)),
   // Live diarization refined the speaker list mid-recording (FR-SPK): updated
   // labels/display names, including the mic speaker resolved to "You".
   onDiarizationUpdated: (