diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.musician b/docker/Dockerfile.musician
index c145cfc..f743d27 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.musician
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.musician
@@ -17,14 +17,19 @@ RUN pip install --no-cache-dir --upgrade pip \
     && pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements_musician.txt
 
 COPY conjurer_musician/ ./
+COPY docker/entrypoint.musician.sh /usr/local/bin/entrypoint.sh
+RUN chmod +x /usr/local/bin/entrypoint.sh
 
 ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 \
     CONJURER_MUSICIAN_HOST=0.0.0.0 \
     CONJURER_MUSICIAN_PORT=5000 \
-    CONJURER_MUSIC_FOLDER=/music
+    CONJURER_MUSIC_FOLDER=/music \
+    CONJURER_MUSICIAN_BASE=/data \
+    CONJURER_STREAM_TEMPLATE=/app/stream.html
 
-# The mp3 library is mounted here (read-only is fine for serving).
-VOLUME ["/music"]
+# /music = the mp3 library (read-only ok); /data = writable playlists + logs.
+VOLUME ["/music", "/data"]
 EXPOSE 5000
 
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/entrypoint.sh"]
 CMD ["python", "conjurer_musician.py"]
diff --git a/docker/entrypoint.musician.sh b/docker/entrypoint.musician.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..90cc1af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/entrypoint.musician.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Prepare the musician's writable volume so the web service starts cleanly on a
+# fresh container. Existing files are never overwritten (preserves your data).
+set -e
+
+DATA="${CONJURER_MUSICIAN_BASE:-/data}"
+MUSIC="${CONJURER_MUSIC_FOLDER:-/music}"
+mkdir -p "$DATA" "$DATA/logs" "$MUSIC"
+
+# The track-forwarding thread tails the Liquidsoap radio logs. When the radio
+# runs separately (or hasn't started yet) these files may not exist; create
+# them empty so the tailer waits instead of crashing.
+for f in radio_log.log persistence.log; do
+    [ -e "$DATA/$f" ] || : > "$DATA/$f"
+done
+
+# Ensure the managed playlists exist (routes/rescan also create them; this just
+# avoids a first-tick race before the initial scan).
+for f in all_playlist.playlist hit.playlist request.playlist priority_queue.playlist; do
+    [ -e "$DATA/$f" ] || : > "$DATA/$f"
+done
+
+exec "$@"
diff --git a/docs/deployment/DOCKER_PROXMOX.md b/docs/deployment/DOCKER_PROXMOX.md
index 2f240a9..7f64a20 100644
--- a/docs/deployment/DOCKER_PROXMOX.md
+++ b/docs/deployment/DOCKER_PROXMOX.md
@@ -130,22 +130,60 @@ docker logs -f conjurer-librarian
 
 ---
 
-## 3. Musician (VM-musician) — you will adapt this
+## 3. Musician (VM-musician)
 
 The web service is container-ready (`docker/Dockerfile.musician` +
-`compose.musician.yaml`). Note it containerises the **Flask file/playlist
-service only**; the Liquidsoap radio (`radio_conjurer.liq`) and any
+`compose.musician.yaml`). It containerises the **Flask file/playlist service
+only** — the Liquidsoap radio (`radio_conjurer.liq`), `script.params` and any
 Samba/NFS share tooling are separate and typically stay on the host or a
-dedicated setup.
+dedicated setup (you'll adapt those yourself).
+
+### 3a. Two volumes: the library and the writable state
+
+| Mount | Container path | Holds |
+|-------|---------------|-------|
+| `/srv/musician/music` | `/music` (`CONJURER_MUSIC_FOLDER`) | your mp3 library (indexed/served) |
+| `/srv/musician/data` | `/data` (`CONJURER_MUSICIAN_BASE`) | playlists, logs, `radio_log.log`/`persistence.log` |
 
 ```bash
 sudo mkdir -p /srv/musician/music /srv/musician/data
+# point /srv/musician/music at (or copy in) your mp3s
+```
+
+### 3b. Preserve existing playlists/state (optional)
+
+If you already run the musician, copy its working playlists into the data
+volume so nothing is regenerated from scratch:
+
+```bash
+sudo cp all_playlist.playlist hit.playlist request.playlist \
+        priority_queue.playlist playlist.json  /srv/musician/data/ 2>/dev/null || true
+```
+
+The container's entrypoint (`docker/entrypoint.musician.sh`) creates any
+missing playlists and touches `radio_log.log` / `persistence.log` empty so the
+track-forwarding thread waits instead of crashing when the radio runs
+elsewhere. It never overwrites files you copied in.
+
+### 3c. Configure and launch
+
+```bash
 cp docker/env/musician.env.example docker/env/musician.env
-# edit: CONJURER_MAIN_BOT=http://BOT_VM_IP:5000, CONJURER_API_KEY, mount your mp3s at /music
+# edit: CONJURER_MAIN_BOT=http://BOT_VM_IP:5000 and CONJURER_API_KEY (match the bot)
 
 docker compose -f docker/compose.musician.yaml up -d --build
+docker logs -f conjurer-musician
 ```
 
+### 3d. Radio coupling (if you keep Liquidsoap separate)
+
+The musician only forwards "now playing" to the bot by tailing the radio's
+`radio_log.log` / `persistence.log`. To wire them up, have Liquidsoap write
+those two files into the same `/srv/musician/data` directory (or set
+`CONJURER_RADIO_LOG` / `CONJURER_PERSISTENCE_LOG` to wherever it writes). The
+`/stream` page template is served from the baked-in `/app/stream.html`
+(override with `CONJURER_STREAM_TEMPLATE` if you customise it).
+
 ---
 
 ## 4. Networking & auth