diff --git a/beefy_player/artwork.py b/beefy_player/artwork.py
index 8d8ffe4..f6b1bce 100644
--- a/beefy_player/artwork.py
+++ b/beefy_player/artwork.py
@@ -230,22 +230,38 @@ async def fetch(client: httpx.AsyncClient, url: str) -> bytes | None:
 
 
 def fit_image(data: bytes, width: int, height: int):
-    """Decode and center-crop an image to exactly ``width`` x ``height`` cells."""
+    """Decode and letterbox an image into exactly ``width`` x ``height`` cells.
+
+    Scale to fit, never crop.  Square album art fills the box either way, but a
+    wide station wordmark (Bassdrive's logo is 3:1) used to be centre-cropped
+    down to a zoomed slice of its middle.  The padding stays transparent, so
+    the mosaic behind the artwork shows through instead of a black bar.
+    """
     try:
         from PIL import Image, ImageOps
 
         with Image.open(BytesIO(data)) as source:
+            # A PNG with transparency is drawn *over* the mosaic, which reads
+            # as noise behind a logo; composite those onto black instead.
+            has_alpha = source.mode in ("RGBA", "LA", "PA", "RGBa", "La") or (
+                "transparency" in source.info
+            )
             image = source.convert("RGBA")
         cell_width, cell_height = cell_size()
         target = (
             max(1, width * cell_width),
             max(1, height * cell_height),
         )
-        return ImageOps.fit(
-            image,
-            target,
-            method=Image.Resampling.LANCZOS,
-            centering=(0.5, 0.5),
+        fitted = ImageOps.contain(image, target, method=Image.Resampling.LANCZOS)
+        background = (0, 0, 0, 255) if has_alpha else (0, 0, 0, 0)
+        canvas = Image.new("RGBA", target, background)
+        canvas.alpha_composite(
+            fitted,
+            (
+                (target[0] - fitted.width) // 2,
+                (target[1] - fitted.height) // 2,
+            ),
         )
+        return canvas
     except Exception:
         return None
diff --git a/tests/test_artwork.py b/tests/test_artwork.py
index ff0fc4e..8a99b7d 100644
--- a/tests/test_artwork.py
+++ b/tests/test_artwork.py
@@ -9,9 +9,20 @@ from PIL import Image
 from beefy_player import artwork
 
 
-def png_bytes(size=(400, 200)) -> bytes:
+def png_bytes(size=(400, 200), alpha: int = 180) -> bytes:
     buffer = BytesIO()
-    Image.new("RGBA", size, (20, 180, 220, 180)).save(buffer, format="PNG")
+    Image.new("RGBA", size, (20, 180, 220, alpha)).save(buffer, format="PNG")
+    return buffer.getvalue()
+
+
+def ink_bbox(image: Image.Image):
+    """Where the artwork itself is, ignoring transparent or black padding."""
+    return image.convert("RGB").getbbox()
+
+
+def opaque_png_bytes(size=(400, 200)) -> bytes:
+    buffer = BytesIO()
+    Image.new("RGB", size, (20, 180, 220)).save(buffer, format="PNG")
     return buffer.getvalue()
 
 
@@ -35,12 +46,58 @@ def test_protocol_detection() -> None:
     assert artwork.detect_protocol({"SOMAFM_IMAGES": "0"}) is None
 
 
-def test_fit_image_crops_to_the_cell_box() -> None:
-    fitted = artwork.fit_image(png_bytes(), 13, 8)
+def test_fit_image_letterboxes_inside_the_cell_box() -> None:
+    fitted = artwork.fit_image(png_bytes((400, 200)), 13, 8)
     assert fitted is not None
     cell_width, cell_height = artwork.cell_size()
-    expected = (13 * cell_width) / (8 * cell_height)
-    assert fitted.width / fitted.height == pytest.approx(expected, rel=0.01)
+    assert (fitted.width, fitted.height) == (13 * cell_width, 8 * cell_height)
+
+    # the ink keeps its own 2:1 aspect instead of being cropped to the box
+    ink = ink_bbox(fitted)
+    assert ink is not None
+    left, top, right, bottom = ink
+    assert (right - left) / (bottom - top) == pytest.approx(2.0, rel=0.02)
+    # a wide image is padded above and below, and spans the full width
+    assert left == 0 and right == fitted.width
+    assert top > 0 and bottom < fitted.height
+
+
+def test_an_image_with_alpha_gets_a_black_backing() -> None:
+    """Transparent artwork is drawn over the mosaic; black keeps it readable."""
+    fitted = artwork.fit_image(png_bytes((400, 200)), 13, 8)
+    assert fitted is not None
+    # every pixel is opaque now, and the padding is black rather than mosaic
+    assert fitted.getchannel("A").getextrema() == (255, 255)
+    assert fitted.getpixel((0, 0)) == (0, 0, 0, 255)
+    # the ink is still letterboxed, not cropped: its own 2:1 aspect survives
+    ink = ink_bbox(fitted)
+    assert ink is not None
+    left, top, right, bottom = ink
+    assert (right - left) / (bottom - top) == pytest.approx(2.0, rel=0.02)
+
+
+def test_an_opaque_image_keeps_the_transparent_padding() -> None:
+    """No alpha channel: nothing to hide, so the mosaic shows through."""
+    fitted = artwork.fit_image(opaque_png_bytes((400, 200)), 13, 8)
+    assert fitted is not None
+    assert fitted.getpixel((0, 0))[3] == 0
+    ink = ink_bbox(fitted)
+    assert ink is not None
+    left, top, right, bottom = ink
+    assert (right - left) / (bottom - top) == pytest.approx(2.0, rel=0.02)
+
+
+def test_fit_image_centres_a_tall_image() -> None:
+    fitted = artwork.fit_image(png_bytes((100, 400)), 13, 8)
+    assert fitted is not None
+    ink = ink_bbox(fitted)
+    assert ink is not None
+    left, _, right, _ = ink
+    assert left > 0 and right < fitted.width
+    assert right - left == pytest.approx(fitted.height / 4, rel=0.05)
+
+
+def test_fit_image_rejects_garbage() -> None:
     assert artwork.fit_image(b"not an image", 13, 8) is None