diff --git a/daw-backend/src/audio/engine.rs b/daw-backend/src/audio/engine.rs
index 6d3a0a9..beb7543 100644
--- a/daw-backend/src/audio/engine.rs
+++ b/daw-backend/src/audio/engine.rs
@@ -416,13 +416,23 @@ impl Engine {
                 if let Some(recording) = &self.midi_recording_state {
                     let current_time = self.playhead as f64 / self.sample_rate as f64;
                     let duration = current_time - recording.start_time;
-                    let notes = recording.get_notes().to_vec();
+                    let notes = recording.get_notes_with_active(current_time);
                     let _ = self.event_tx.push(AudioEvent::MidiRecordingProgress(
                         recording.track_id,
                         recording.clip_id,
                         duration,
                         notes,
                     ));
+                    // Keep the snapshot up to date so the UI can display a growing clip bar.
+                    let track_id = recording.track_id;
+                    let clip_id = recording.clip_id;
+                    if let Some(crate::audio::track::TrackNode::Midi(track)) = self.project.get_track_mut(track_id) {
+                        if let Some(instance) = track.clip_instances.iter_mut().find(|i| i.clip_id == clip_id) {
+                            instance.internal_end = duration;
+                            instance.external_duration = duration;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    self.refresh_clip_snapshot();
                 }
             }
         } else {
diff --git a/daw-backend/src/audio/recording.rs b/daw-backend/src/audio/recording.rs
index 0bdf9af..8dd1f3f 100644
--- a/daw-backend/src/audio/recording.rs
+++ b/daw-backend/src/audio/recording.rs
@@ -253,6 +253,18 @@ impl MidiRecordingState {
         self.completed_notes.len()
     }
 
+    /// Get all completed notes plus currently-held notes with a provisional duration.
+    /// Used for live preview during recording so held notes appear immediately.
+    pub fn get_notes_with_active(&self, current_time: f64) -> Vec<(f64, u8, u8, f64)> {
+        let mut notes = self.completed_notes.clone();
+        for active in self.active_notes.values() {
+            let time_offset = active.start_time - self.start_time;
+            let provisional_dur = (current_time - active.start_time).max(0.0);
+            notes.push((time_offset, active.note, active.velocity, provisional_dur));
+        }
+        notes
+    }
+
     /// Get the note numbers of all currently held (active) notes
     pub fn active_note_numbers(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
         self.active_notes.keys().copied().collect()
diff --git a/lightningbeam-ui/lightningbeam-editor/src/main.rs b/lightningbeam-ui/lightningbeam-editor/src/main.rs
index 326ac89..203d8dc 100644
--- a/lightningbeam-ui/lightningbeam-editor/src/main.rs
+++ b/lightningbeam-ui/lightningbeam-editor/src/main.rs
@@ -5164,6 +5164,29 @@ impl eframe::App for EditorApp {
                                 .filter(|lid| self.recording_layer_ids.contains(lid))
                                 .copied();
                             if let Some(layer_id) = midi_layer_id {
+                                // Lazily create the doc clip + instance on the first progress event
+                                // (there is no MidiRecordingStarted event from the backend).
+                                let already_exists = self.clip_instance_to_backend_map.values().any(|v| {
+                                    matches!(v, lightningbeam_core::action::BackendClipInstanceId::Midi(id) if *id == clip_id)
+                                });
+                                if !already_exists {
+                                    use lightningbeam_core::clip::{AudioClip, ClipInstance};
+                                    let clip = AudioClip::new_recording("Recording...");
+                                    let doc_clip_id = self.action_executor.document_mut().add_audio_clip(clip);
+                                    let clip_instance = ClipInstance::new(doc_clip_id)
+                                        .with_timeline_start(self.recording_start_time);
+                                    let clip_instance_id = clip_instance.id;
+                                    if let Some(layer) = self.action_executor.document_mut().get_layer_mut(&layer_id) {
+                                        if let lightningbeam_core::layer::AnyLayer::Audio(audio_layer) = layer {
+                                            audio_layer.clip_instances.push(clip_instance);
+                                        }
+                                    }
+                                    self.clip_instance_to_backend_map.insert(
+                                        clip_instance_id,
+                                        lightningbeam_core::action::BackendClipInstanceId::Midi(clip_id),
+                                    );
+                                }
+
                                 let doc_clip_id = {
                                     let document = self.action_executor.document();
                                     document.get_layer(&layer_id)