diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas.rs
index ba66aad8..0cb384c8 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/canvas.rs
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut SlideApp, ui: &mut Ui) {
         overlays(app, ui, &painter, xf, &t);
         ime_output(app, ui, xf);
         media_bar(app, ui, xf);
+        media_click(app, ui, &resp, xf);
         gif_buttons(app, ui, xf, &gifs);
         if resp.secondary_clicked()
             && let Some(p) = resp.interact_pointer_pos()
@@ -409,6 +410,26 @@ fn media_bar(app: &mut SlideApp, ui: &mut Ui, xf: Xf) {
     }
 }
 
+/// A click on a video plays or pauses it, as its bar's Play button does. The click selects it as
+/// usual; dragging it moves it without playing, and a modifier key leaves it to the selection.
+fn media_click(app: &mut SlideApp, ui: &Ui, resp: &egui::Response, xf: Xf) {
+    if !resp.clicked() || resp.double_clicked() || !ui.input(|i| i.modifiers.is_none()) {
+        return;
+    }
+    let Some(p) = resp.interact_pointer_pos() else { return };
+    let Some(d) = app.session.active() else { return };
+    if d.selection.target != Target::Slides || d.selection.text.is_some() || d.selection.shapes.len() != 1 {
+        return;
+    }
+    let only = d.selection.shapes[0];
+    let hit = crate::media::slide_media(&d.doc, d.selection.slide)
+        .into_iter()
+        .find(|(id, x, clip)| clip.video && *id == only && screen_rect(xf, x).contains(p));
+    let Some((id, _, clip)) = hit else { return };
+    let (uid, doc) = (d.uid, d.doc.clone());
+    app.media.toggle(uid, &doc, id, &clip, crate::media::Owner::Editor);
+}
+
 fn master_tex(
     ctx: &egui::Context,
     doc: &deckcraft_model::Presentation,
@@ -1603,3 +1624,7 @@ mod ruler_tests;
 #[cfg(test)]
 #[path = "guides_tests.rs"]
 mod guides_tests;
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[path = "media_bar_tests.rs"]
+mod media_bar_tests;
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/media.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/media.rs
index 7fd8fda7..fd389782 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/media.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/media.rs
@@ -417,6 +417,9 @@ pub enum BarAction {
 pub fn control_bar(ui: &mut Ui, rect: Rect, status: Option<&VoiceStatus>, clip: &MediaClip) -> Option<BarAction> {
     let painter = ui.painter_at(rect.expand(2.0));
     painter.rect_filled(rect, CornerRadius::same(4), Color32::from_rgba_unmultiplied(28, 28, 32, 230));
+    // Sensing drags too keeps a press on the bar from reaching the editor canvas: there it would
+    // start a selection marquee, which hides the bar before the click lands.
+    ui.interact(rect, ui.id().with("media_bar_back"), Sense::click_and_drag());
     let playing = status.is_some_and(|s| matches!(s.state, PlayState::Playing | PlayState::Loading));
     let duration = status.map(|s| s.duration).filter(|d| *d > 0.0).unwrap_or(clip.duration_ms as f64 / 1000.0);
     let pos = status.map(|s| s.position).unwrap_or(clip.trim_start_ms as f64 / 1000.0);
@@ -426,7 +429,7 @@ pub fn control_bar(ui: &mut Ui, rect: Rect, status: Option<&VoiceStatus>, clip:
     let button = |ui: &mut Ui, x: &mut f32, id: &str, paint: &dyn Fn(&egui::Painter, Rect)| -> bool {
         let r = Rect::from_min_size(pos2(*x, rect.min.y + 2.0), vec2(h - 4.0, h - 4.0));
         *x += h - 2.0;
-        let resp = ui.interact(r, ui.id().with(("media_bar", id)), Sense::click());
+        let resp = ui.interact(r, ui.id().with(("media_bar", id)), Sense::click_and_drag());
         if resp.hovered() {
             painter.rect_filled(r, CornerRadius::same(3), Color32::from_white_alpha(28));
         }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/media_bar_tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/media_bar_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7296fcb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/media_bar_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+//! The play/pause and timeline bar under a selected audio or video in the editor, clicked with the
+//! mouse: a press on it used to reach the canvas, start a selection marquee there and hide the bar
+//! before the click landed, so Play only worked in the slide show.
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use deckcraft_engine::Session;
+use deckcraft_model::{Shape, ShapeId, ShapeKind};
+use egui::{Modifiers, PointerButton, Pos2, pos2, vec2};
+use egui_kittest::Harness;
+use serde_json::json;
+
+use crate::{Services, SlideApp};
+
+/// 16-bit mono WAV of silence, `secs` long at 8 kHz.
+fn wav(secs: f64) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let data = vec![0u8; (8_000.0 * secs) as usize * 2];
+    let mut b = Vec::new();
+    b.extend_from_slice(b"RIFF");
+    b.extend_from_slice(&(36 + data.len() as u32).to_le_bytes());
+    b.extend_from_slice(b"WAVEfmt ");
+    for v in [16u32.to_le_bytes(), [1, 0, 1, 0], 8_000u32.to_le_bytes(), 16_000u32.to_le_bytes(), [2, 0, 16, 0]] {
+        b.extend_from_slice(&v);
+    }
+    b.extend_from_slice(b"data");
+    b.extend_from_slice(&(data.len() as u32).to_le_bytes());
+    b.extend_from_slice(&data);
+    b
+}
+
+fn click(h: &mut Harness<'_, SlideApp>, p: Pos2) {
+    h.hover_at(p);
+    h.run_steps(1);
+    h.event(egui::Event::PointerButton { pos: p, button: PointerButton::Primary, pressed: true, modifiers: Modifiers::NONE });
+    h.run_steps(1);
+    h.event(egui::Event::PointerButton { pos: p, button: PointerButton::Primary, pressed: false, modifiers: Modifiers::NONE });
+    h.run_steps(2);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn play_on_the_editor_media_bar_plays_the_selected_clip() {
+    let mut s = Session::with_new();
+    s.execute("slide.new", &json!({"layout": "blank"})).unwrap();
+    let r = s.execute("insert.audio", &json!({"name": "tone.wav", "data": deckcraft_engine::cmd::base64_encode(&wav(2.0))})).unwrap();
+    let id = ShapeId(r["id"].as_u64().unwrap() as u32);
+    let app = SlideApp::new(s, Services::default());
+    let mut h = Harness::builder().with_size(vec2(1400.0, 900.0)).with_step_dt(1.0 / 60.0).build_ui_state(
+        |ui, app: &mut SlideApp| {
+            app.logic(ui.ctx());
+            app.ui(ui);
+        },
+        app,
+    );
+    h.run_steps(3);
+    let d = h.state().session.active().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(d.selection.shapes, vec![id], "the inserted clip is selected");
+    let x = d.doc.slides[d.selection.slide].shape(id).unwrap().xfrm.unwrap();
+    let (slide, k) = (h.state().slide_rect.unwrap(), h.state().canvas_scale);
+    // The bar sits 6 points under the clip, centred, at least 230 wide; Play is its first button.
+    let (left, right, bottom) = (slide.min.x + x.x as f32 * k, slide.min.x + (x.x + x.w) as f32 * k, slide.min.y + (x.y + x.h) as f32 * k);
+    let w = (right - left).max(230.0);
+    let bar = pos2((left + right) / 2.0 - w / 2.0, bottom + 6.0);
+    assert!(h.state().media.status(id).is_none());
+
+    click(&mut h, bar + vec2(15.0, 13.0));
+    assert!(h.state().media.status(id).is_some(), "Play starts the clip");
+    let d = h.state().session.active().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(d.selection.shapes, vec![id], "the click did not reach the slide behind the bar");
+    assert!(!h.state().session.tool.dragging());
+
+    // Between the buttons and the timeline the bar still keeps the press from the slide.
+    click(&mut h, bar + vec2(w - 30.0, 13.0));
+    assert_eq!(h.state().session.active().unwrap().selection.shapes, vec![id]);
+}
+
+/// A click on a video plays it and the next one pauses it; dragging it only moves it.
+#[test]
+fn a_click_on_a_video_plays_or_pauses_it() {
+    let mut s = Session::with_new();
+    s.execute("slide.new", &json!({"layout": "blank"})).unwrap();
+    let r = s.execute("insert.audio", &json!({"name": "tone.wav", "data": deckcraft_engine::cmd::base64_encode(&wav(2.0))})).unwrap();
+    let id = ShapeId(r["id"].as_u64().unwrap() as u32);
+    // Only videos play on a click; the clip's sound stands in for a film.
+    {
+        let d = s.active_mut().unwrap();
+        let slide = Arc::make_mut(&mut Arc::make_mut(&mut d.doc).slides[d.selection.slide]);
+        if let Some(Shape { kind: ShapeKind::Media(clip), .. }) = deckcraft_model::find_shape_mut(&mut slide.shapes, id) {
+            clip.video = true;
+        }
+    }
+    s.execute("edit.deselect", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    let app = SlideApp::new(s, Services::default());
+    let mut h = Harness::builder().with_size(vec2(1400.0, 900.0)).with_step_dt(1.0 / 60.0).build_ui_state(
+        |ui, app: &mut SlideApp| {
+            app.logic(ui.ctx());
+            app.ui(ui);
+        },
+        app,
+    );
+    h.run_steps(3);
+    let d = h.state().session.active().unwrap();
+    let x = d.doc.slides[d.selection.slide].shape(id).unwrap().xfrm.unwrap();
+    let (slide, k) = (h.state().slide_rect.unwrap(), h.state().canvas_scale);
+    let centre = slide.min + vec2((x.x + x.w / 2.0) as f32 * k, (x.y + x.h / 2.0) as f32 * k);
+
+    click(&mut h, centre);
+    assert_eq!(h.state().session.active().unwrap().selection.shapes, vec![id], "the click selects it");
+    assert!(h.state().media.is_playing(id), "and plays it");
+    // Far enough apart not to make a double click.
+    h.run_steps(40);
+    click(&mut h, centre);
+    assert!(!h.state().media.is_playing(id), "the next click pauses it");
+
+    // A drag moves it without playing.
+    h.run_steps(40);
+    h.event(egui::Event::PointerButton { pos: centre, button: PointerButton::Primary, pressed: true, modifiers: Modifiers::NONE });
+    h.run_steps(1);
+    for i in 1..=6 {
+        h.event(egui::Event::PointerMoved(centre + vec2(8.0 * i as f32, 0.0)));
+        h.run_steps(1);
+    }
+    h.event(egui::Event::PointerButton { pos: centre + vec2(48.0, 0.0), button: PointerButton::Primary, pressed: false, modifiers: Modifiers::NONE });
+    h.run_steps(2);
+    assert!(!h.state().media.is_playing(id), "dragging does not play it");
+    let d = h.state().session.active().unwrap();
+    let moved = d.doc.slides[d.selection.slide].shape(id).unwrap().xfrm.unwrap();
+    assert!(moved.x > x.x, "the drag moved it");
+}