diff --git a/frontend/astro.config.mjs b/frontend/astro.config.mjs
index 95bb90a..5a9c3fa 100644
--- a/frontend/astro.config.mjs
+++ b/frontend/astro.config.mjs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
   adapter: node({ mode: 'standalone' }),
   integrations: [
     react(),
-    icon({ include: { lucide: ['plus', 'book-open', 'zap', 'cpu', 'activity', 'circuit-board', 'file-text', 'chevron-down', 'chevron-right', 'arrow-right', 'check-circle-2', 'clock', 'layers'] } }),
+    icon({ include: { lucide: ['plus', 'book-open', 'zap', 'cpu', 'activity', 'circuit-board', 'file-text', 'chevron-down', 'chevron-right', 'arrow-right', 'check-circle-2', 'clock', 'layers', 'audio-lines', 'play', 'pause'] } }),
   ],
   telemetry: false,
   devToolbar: { enabled: false },
diff --git a/frontend/public/audio/spicebook-lightning-talk.mp3 b/frontend/public/audio/spicebook-lightning-talk.mp3
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..540d9c3
Binary files /dev/null and b/frontend/public/audio/spicebook-lightning-talk.mp3 differ
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/index.astro b/frontend/src/pages/index.astro
index e3f30ea..5a81462 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/index.astro
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/index.astro
@@ -65,6 +65,19 @@ try {
               Browse Notebooks
               <Icon name="lucide:chevron-down" class="w-4 h-4" />
             </a>
+            <button
+              id="pitch-btn"
+              type="button"
+              aria-label="Play the 90-second audio pitch"
+              class="pitch-btn relative overflow-hidden inline-flex items-center gap-2 px-5 py-2.5 rounded-lg border border-slate-700 text-slate-300 hover:border-blue-500/50 hover:text-slate-100 font-medium transition-colors text-sm"
+            >
+              <Icon name="lucide:play" class="pitch-icon-play w-4 h-4 text-blue-400" />
+              <Icon name="lucide:pause" class="pitch-icon-pause w-4 h-4 text-blue-400 hidden" />
+              <span>Listen to the pitch</span>
+              <span class="text-slate-500 text-xs tabular-nums">90s</span>
+              <span id="pitch-progress" class="absolute bottom-0 left-0 h-0.5 w-0 bg-blue-500 transition-[width] duration-150"></span>
+            </button>
+            <audio id="pitch-audio" preload="none" src="/audio/spicebook-lightning-talk.mp3"></audio>
           </div>
         </div>
 
@@ -188,4 +201,38 @@ try {
       </p>
     </div>
   </footer>
+
+  <script>
+    // Hero pitch player: play/pause toggle, icon swap, and a progress bar
+    // along the button's bottom edge. Vanilla — no framework island needed.
+    const btn = document.getElementById('pitch-btn');
+    const audio = document.getElementById('pitch-audio') as HTMLAudioElement | null;
+    if (btn && audio) {
+      const iconPlay = btn.querySelector('.pitch-icon-play');
+      const iconPause = btn.querySelector('.pitch-icon-pause');
+      const progress = document.getElementById('pitch-progress');
+
+      btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
+        audio.paused ? audio.play() : audio.pause();
+      });
+      audio.addEventListener('play', () => {
+        iconPlay?.classList.add('hidden');
+        iconPause?.classList.remove('hidden');
+      });
+      const reset = () => {
+        iconPlay?.classList.remove('hidden');
+        iconPause?.classList.add('hidden');
+      };
+      audio.addEventListener('pause', reset);
+      audio.addEventListener('ended', () => {
+        reset();
+        if (progress) progress.style.width = '0';
+      });
+      audio.addEventListener('timeupdate', () => {
+        if (progress && audio.duration) {
+          progress.style.width = `${(audio.currentTime / audio.duration) * 100}%`;
+        }
+      });
+    }
+  </script>
 </NotebookLayout>