diff --git a/server/src/index.ts b/server/src/index.ts
index 81f220d..ee7138f 100644
--- a/server/src/index.ts
+++ b/server/src/index.ts
@@ -153,6 +153,45 @@ const NORMALIZE_I = String(process.env.NORMALIZE_I ?? '-16');
 const NORMALIZE_LRA = String(process.env.NORMALIZE_LRA ?? '11');
 const NORMALIZE_TP = String(process.env.NORMALIZE_TP ?? '-1.5');
 
+// Loudnorm-Cache: normalisierte PCM-Dateien werden gecacht, damit ffmpeg nur 1× pro Sound läuft
+const NORM_CACHE_DIR = path.join(SOUNDS_DIR, '.norm-cache');
+fs.mkdirSync(NORM_CACHE_DIR, { recursive: true });
+
+/** Erzeugt einen Cache-Key aus dem relativen Pfad (Slash-normalisiert, Sonderzeichen escaped) */
+function normCacheKey(filePath: string): string {
+  const rel = path.relative(SOUNDS_DIR, filePath).replace(/\\/g, '/');
+  return rel.replace(/[/\\:*?"<>|]/g, '_') + '.pcm';
+}
+
+/** Liefert den Pfad zur gecachten normalisierten PCM-Datei, oder null wenn kein gültiger Cache existiert */
+function getNormCachePath(filePath: string): string | null {
+  const cacheFile = path.join(NORM_CACHE_DIR, normCacheKey(filePath));
+  if (!fs.existsSync(cacheFile)) return null;
+  // Invalidieren wenn Quelldatei neuer als Cache
+  try {
+    const srcMtime = fs.statSync(filePath).mtimeMs;
+    const cacheMtime = fs.statSync(cacheFile).mtimeMs;
+    if (srcMtime > cacheMtime) { try { fs.unlinkSync(cacheFile); } catch {} return null; }
+  } catch { return null; }
+  return cacheFile;
+}
+
+/** Normalisiert eine Audiodatei via ffmpeg loudnorm und speichert das Ergebnis im Cache */
+function normalizeToCache(filePath: string): Promise<string> {
+  const cacheFile = path.join(NORM_CACHE_DIR, normCacheKey(filePath));
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const ffArgs = ['-hide_banner', '-loglevel', 'error', '-i', filePath,
+      '-af', `loudnorm=I=${NORMALIZE_I}:LRA=${NORMALIZE_LRA}:TP=${NORMALIZE_TP}`,
+      '-f', 's16le', '-ar', '48000', '-ac', '2', cacheFile];
+    const ff = child_process.spawn('ffmpeg', ffArgs);
+    ff.on('error', reject);
+    ff.on('close', (code) => {
+      if (code === 0) resolve(cacheFile);
+      else reject(new Error(`ffmpeg exited with code ${code}`));
+    });
+  });
+}
+
 // --- Voice Abhängigkeiten prüfen ---
 await sodium.ready;
 // init nacl to ensure it loads
@@ -272,11 +311,29 @@ async function playFilePath(guildId: string, channelId: string, filePath: string
     : (state.currentVolume ?? 1);
   let resource: AudioResource;
   if (NORMALIZE_ENABLE) {
-    const ffArgs = ['-hide_banner', '-loglevel', 'error', '-i', filePath,
-      '-af', `loudnorm=I=${NORMALIZE_I}:LRA=${NORMALIZE_LRA}:TP=${NORMALIZE_TP}`,
-      '-f', 's16le', '-ar', '48000', '-ac', '2', 'pipe:1'];
-    const ff = child_process.spawn('ffmpeg', ffArgs);
-    resource = createAudioResource(ff.stdout as any, { inlineVolume: true, inputType: StreamType.Raw });
+    // Cache-basierte Normalisierung: ffmpeg läuft nur beim 1. Mal
+    let cachedPath = getNormCachePath(filePath);
+    if (!cachedPath) {
+      try {
+        cachedPath = await normalizeToCache(filePath);
+        console.log(`${new Date().toISOString()} | Loudnorm cached: ${path.basename(filePath)}`);
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.warn(`${new Date().toISOString()} | Loudnorm cache failed, fallback direct:`, e);
+        // Fallback: direkt ohne Normalisierung abspielen
+        resource = createAudioResource(filePath, { inlineVolume: true });
+        if (resource.volume) resource.volume.setVolume(useVolume);
+        state.player.stop();
+        state.player.play(resource);
+        state.currentResource = resource;
+        state.currentVolume = useVolume;
+        const soundLabel = relativeKey ? path.parse(relativeKey).name : path.parse(filePath).name;
+        nowPlaying.set(guildId, soundLabel);
+        sseBroadcast({ type: 'nowplaying', guildId, name: soundLabel });
+        if (relativeKey) incrementPlaysFor(relativeKey);
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+    resource = createAudioResource(cachedPath, { inlineVolume: true, inputType: StreamType.Raw });
   } else {
     resource = createAudioResource(filePath, { inlineVolume: true });
   }
@@ -598,7 +655,7 @@ function listAllSounds(): ListedSound[] {
     }));
 
   const folderItems: ListedSound[] = [];
-  const subFolders = rootEntries.filter((d) => d.isDirectory());
+  const subFolders = rootEntries.filter((d) => d.isDirectory() && d.name !== '.norm-cache');
   for (const dirent of subFolders) {
     const folderName = dirent.name;
     const folderPath = path.join(SOUNDS_DIR, folderName);
@@ -856,6 +913,8 @@ app.post('/api/admin/sounds/delete', requireAdmin, (req: Request, res: Response)
     try {
       if (fs.existsSync(full) && fs.statSync(full).isFile()) {
         fs.unlinkSync(full);
+        // Loudnorm-Cache aufräumen
+        try { const cf = path.join(NORM_CACHE_DIR, normCacheKey(full)); if (fs.existsSync(cf)) fs.unlinkSync(cf); } catch {}
         results.push({ path: rel, ok: true });
       } else {
         results.push({ path: rel, ok: false, error: 'nicht gefunden' });
@@ -883,6 +942,8 @@ app.post('/api/admin/sounds/rename', requireAdmin, (req: Request, res: Response)
     if (!fs.existsSync(src)) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Quelle nicht gefunden' });
     if (fs.existsSync(dst)) return res.status(409).json({ error: 'Ziel existiert bereits' });
     fs.renameSync(src, dst);
+    // Loudnorm-Cache für alte Datei aufräumen (neue wird beim nächsten Play erzeugt)
+    try { const cf = path.join(NORM_CACHE_DIR, normCacheKey(src)); if (fs.existsSync(cf)) fs.unlinkSync(cf); } catch {}
     res.json({ ok: true, from, to: dstRel });
   } catch (e: any) {
     res.status(500).json({ error: e?.message ?? 'Rename fehlgeschlagen' });
@@ -1282,6 +1343,34 @@ if (fs.existsSync(webDistPath)) {
 
 app.listen(PORT, () => {
   console.log(`Server läuft auf http://0.0.0.0:${PORT}`);
+
+  // Hintergrund-Warmup: häufigste Sounds vorab normalisieren, damit der erste Play sofort schnell ist
+  if (NORMALIZE_ENABLE) {
+    (async () => {
+      try {
+        const allSounds = listAllSounds();
+        // Sortiere nach Play-Count (häufigste zuerst), maximal 50 vorab cachen
+        const plays = persistedState.plays ?? {};
+        const sorted = [...allSounds].sort((a, b) => ((plays[b.relativePath] ?? 0) as number) - ((plays[a.relativePath] ?? 0) as number));
+        const toWarm = sorted.slice(0, 50);
+        let cached = 0;
+        for (const s of toWarm) {
+          const fp = path.join(SOUNDS_DIR, s.relativePath);
+          if (!fs.existsSync(fp)) continue;
+          if (getNormCachePath(fp)) continue; // schon gecacht
+          try {
+            await normalizeToCache(fp);
+            cached++;
+          } catch (e) {
+            console.warn(`Warmup failed for ${s.relativePath}:`, e);
+          }
+        }
+        if (cached > 0) console.log(`Loudnorm-Warmup: ${cached} Sounds vorab normalisiert`);
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.warn('Loudnorm-Warmup error:', e);
+      }
+    })();
+  }
 });