diff --git a/worker/lyra_worker/adapters/_streamrip.py b/worker/lyra_worker/adapters/_streamrip.py
index 69840c5..3192ca0 100644
--- a/worker/lyra_worker/adapters/_streamrip.py
+++ b/worker/lyra_worker/adapters/_streamrip.py
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 import asyncio
+import hashlib
 import os
 from typing import Callable
 
 
+def _hashed_password(password: str) -> str:
+    """streamrip's Qobuz email/password login expects the password as an MD5 hex digest."""
+    return hashlib.md5(password.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
+
+
 class StreamripClient:
     """Real Qobuz client backed by streamrip (v2, async → sync via asyncio.run).
 
@@ -23,7 +29,7 @@ class StreamripClient:
         cfg = Config.defaults()
         cfg.session.qobuz.use_auth_token = False
         cfg.session.qobuz.email_or_userid = self._email
-        cfg.session.qobuz.password_or_token = self._password
+        cfg.session.qobuz.password_or_token = _hashed_password(self._password)
         cfg.session.qobuz.quality = 3
         if download_folder is not None:
             cfg.session.downloads.folder = download_folder
@@ -37,7 +43,10 @@ class StreamripClient:
 
         client = QobuzClient(self._make_config())
         try:
-            await client.login()
+            try:
+                await client.login()
+            except Exception as e:  # never let streamrip's credential-bearing error escape
+                raise RuntimeError(f"Qobuz login failed ({type(e).__name__}) — check credentials") from None
             pages = await client.search("album", query, limit=5)
         finally:
             await client.session.close()
@@ -68,7 +77,10 @@ class StreamripClient:
         cfg = self._make_config(download_folder=dest)
         client = QobuzClient(cfg)
         try:
-            await client.login()
+            try:
+                await client.login()
+            except Exception as e:  # never let streamrip's credential-bearing error escape
+                raise RuntimeError(f"Qobuz login failed ({type(e).__name__}) — check credentials") from None
             on_progress(0.0)
             db = Database(downloads=Dummy(), failed=Dummy())
             pending = PendingAlbum(album_id, client, cfg, db)
diff --git a/worker/tests/test_streamrip_auth.py b/worker/tests/test_streamrip_auth.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11a9a3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/worker/tests/test_streamrip_auth.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import hashlib
+
+from lyra_worker.adapters._streamrip import StreamripClient, _hashed_password
+
+
+def test_hashed_password_is_md5_hex():
+    # streamrip's Qobuz email/password login expects the MD5 hex digest, not plaintext.
+    assert _hashed_password("hunter2") == hashlib.md5(b"hunter2").hexdigest()
+    assert len(_hashed_password("anything")) == 32
+    assert all(c in "0123456789abcdef" for c in _hashed_password("anything"))
+
+
+def test_is_configured():
+    assert StreamripClient({"qobuz.email": "a@b.c", "qobuz.password": "p"}).is_configured() is True
+    assert StreamripClient({}).is_configured() is False