diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index b32bb37..ad9a559 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ export default function App() {
           value={form.options}
           onChange={updateOptions}
           ffmpegdEnabled={ffmpegd.enabled}
+          ffmpegdConnected={ffmpegd.connected}
           onFfmpegdChange={ffmpegd.setEnabled}
           ffmpegdAddress={ffmpegd.address}
           onFfmpegdAddressChange={ffmpegd.setAddress}
diff --git a/src/components/FfmpegdSetup.tsx b/src/components/FfmpegdSetup.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55bcd21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/FfmpegdSetup.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import { displayHost } from '@/lib/ffmpegd'
+
+export const FFMPEGD_INSTALL_URL = 'https://github.com/alfg/ffmpegd#install'
+
+// The socket takes a moment to open on page load, so wait before telling
+// someone whose daemon is running fine how to install it.
+export const SETUP_DELAY_MS = 1500
+
+const link = 'text-accent underline underline-offset-2 hover:text-accent-hover'
+// nowrap keeps a command in one piece rather than breaking it mid-line on a phone.
+const code = 'rounded bg-sunken px-1 font-mono text-xs whitespace-nowrap'
+
+/**
+ * How to get ffmpegd running, shown wherever ffmpegd is enabled but not
+ * connected. For the first SETUP_DELAY_MS it only says it is connecting, so a
+ * normal connect does not flash install steps; the parent unmounts it once the
+ * socket opens.
+ *
+ * `explain` adds a sentence on what ffmpegd is, for places that don't already
+ * say so (the Options tab does, right above it).
+ */
+export default function FfmpegdSetup({ explain = true }: { explain?: boolean }) {
+  const [visible, setVisible] = useState(false)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const id = window.setTimeout(() => setVisible(true), SETUP_DELAY_MS)
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(id)
+  }, [])
+
+  if (!visible) {
+    return (
+      <p className="text-sm text-muted">
+        Connecting to ffmpegd at <code className={code}>{displayHost()}</code>…
+      </p>
+    )
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <div role="status" className="rounded-lg border border-line bg-panel p-4 text-sm text-fg">
+      <p className="font-medium">
+        Can&apos;t reach ffmpegd at <code className={code}>{displayHost()}</code>
+      </p>
+      <p className="mt-1 text-muted">
+        {explain ? 'ffmpegd is a small companion app that runs these commands on your computer. ' : ''}
+        To set it up:
+      </p>
+      <ol className="mt-2 list-decimal space-y-1.5 pl-5">
+        <li>
+          Install it with Homebrew: <code className={code}>brew install alfg/tap/ffmpegd</code>.
+          For Windows, Go or Docker, see{' '}
+          <a href={FFMPEGD_INSTALL_URL} target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" className={link}>
+            the install guide
+          </a>
+          . If it&apos;s already installed, make sure it&apos;s up to date.
+        </li>
+        <li>
+          Run <code className={code}>ffmpegd</code> in the folder with your videos. Input and output
+          paths are relative to that folder.
+        </li>
+        <li>This page connects on its own once ffmpegd is running.</li>
+      </ol>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/src/components/Queue.tsx b/src/components/Queue.tsx
index 129b1f9..66216f2 100644
--- a/src/components/Queue.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Queue.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import FfmpegdSetup from '@/components/FfmpegdSetup'
 import { Status, type Job, type Progress } from '@/lib/ffmpegd'
 
 interface Props {
@@ -65,6 +66,8 @@ export default function Queue({
         </button>
       </div>
 
+      {!connected ? <FfmpegdSetup /> : null}
+
       {ordered.length === 0 ? (
         <p className="rounded-lg border border-line bg-panel p-6 text-center text-sm text-muted">
           Nothing queued. Build a command and press Encode.
diff --git a/src/components/sections/OptionsSection.tsx b/src/components/sections/OptionsSection.tsx
index e3ab969..bd7df15 100644
--- a/src/components/sections/OptionsSection.tsx
+++ b/src/components/sections/OptionsSection.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import Field from '@/components/ui/Field'
 import Input from '@/components/ui/Input'
 import Select from '@/components/ui/Select'
 import Toggle from '@/components/ui/Toggle'
-import { defaultHost, parseAddress } from '@/lib/ffmpegd'
+import FfmpegdSetup, { FFMPEGD_INSTALL_URL } from '@/components/FfmpegdSetup'
+import { defaultHost, displayHost, parseAddress } from '@/lib/ffmpegd'
 import form from '@/lib/form'
 import type { IFFMpegOptionsForm } from '@/lib/types'
 
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ interface Props {
   value: IFFMpegOptionsForm['options']
   onChange: (patch: Partial<IFFMpegOptionsForm['options']>) => void
   ffmpegdEnabled: boolean
+  ffmpegdConnected: boolean
   onFfmpegdChange: (enabled: boolean) => void
   /** Saved daemon origin, or '' when the default is in use. */
   ffmpegdAddress: string
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ export default function OptionsSection({
   value,
   onChange,
   ffmpegdEnabled,
+  ffmpegdConnected,
   onFfmpegdChange,
   ffmpegdAddress,
   onFfmpegdAddressChange,
@@ -110,8 +113,32 @@ export default function OptionsSection({
           label="Send encode jobs to a local ffmpegd daemon (experimental)."
           onChange={onFfmpegdChange}
         />
+        <p className="mt-1 max-w-xl text-xs text-muted">
+          ffmpegd is a small companion app that runs these commands on your computer and reports
+          progress here.{' '}
+          <a
+            href={FFMPEGD_INSTALL_URL}
+            target="_blank"
+            rel="noopener noreferrer"
+            className="text-accent underline underline-offset-2 hover:text-accent-hover"
+          >
+            Install ffmpegd
+          </a>
+        </p>
         {ffmpegdEnabled ? (
-          <DaemonAddress value={ffmpegdAddress} onChange={onFfmpegdAddressChange} />
+          <>
+            <DaemonAddress value={ffmpegdAddress} onChange={onFfmpegdAddressChange} />
+            <div className="mt-3 max-w-xl">
+              {ffmpegdConnected ? (
+                <p role="status" className="text-sm text-terminal">
+                  ● Connected to ffmpegd at{' '}
+                  <code className="rounded bg-sunken px-1 font-mono text-xs">{displayHost()}</code>
+                </p>
+              ) : (
+                <FfmpegdSetup explain={false} />
+              )}
+            </div>
+          </>
         ) : null}
       </div>
 
diff --git a/src/lib/__tests__/ffmpegd.spec.tsx b/src/lib/__tests__/ffmpegd.spec.tsx
index 65999f4..6f22dc8 100644
--- a/src/lib/__tests__/ffmpegd.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/lib/__tests__/ffmpegd.spec.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, afterEach, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest'
-import { render, screen, cleanup, act, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { render, screen, cleanup, act, waitFor, fireEvent, within } from '@testing-library/react'
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'
 import App from '@/App'
 import storage from '@/lib/storage'
 import { FFMPEGD_KEY, POLL_MS, QUEUE_KEY, Status } from '@/lib/ffmpegd'
+import { FFMPEGD_INSTALL_URL, SETUP_DELAY_MS } from '@/components/FfmpegdSetup'
 
 const commandText = () =>
   screen.getByTestId('command').textContent?.replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim() ?? ''
@@ -293,3 +294,75 @@ describe('ffmpegd', () => {
     expect(FakeSocket.instances).toHaveLength(1)
   })
 })
+
+describe('ffmpegd setup hint and status', () => {
+  const text = () => document.body.textContent ?? ''
+  const wait = (ms: number) => act(async () => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(ms) })
+
+  it('links to the install guide from Options, even while ffmpegd is off', async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup()
+    render(<App />)
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole('tab', { name: 'Options' }))
+
+    const link = screen.getByRole('link', { name: 'Install ffmpegd' })
+    expect(link.getAttribute('href')).toBe(FFMPEGD_INSTALL_URL)
+    expect(text()).not.toContain('Connecting to ffmpegd')
+    expect(text()).not.toContain("Can't reach ffmpegd")
+  })
+
+  it('says it is connecting, then shows setup steps if nothing answers', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    enableFfmpegd()
+    render(<App />)
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('tab', { name: 'Options' }))
+
+    // A normal connect takes a moment; don't flash install steps at it.
+    await wait(SETUP_DELAY_MS - 100)
+    expect(text()).toContain('Connecting to ffmpegd at localhost:3000')
+    expect(text()).not.toContain("Can't reach ffmpegd")
+
+    await wait(200)
+    const hint = screen.getByRole('status')
+    expect(hint.textContent).toContain("Can't reach ffmpegd at localhost:3000")
+    expect(hint.textContent).toContain('brew install alfg/tap/ffmpegd')
+    expect(hint.textContent).toContain("If it's already installed, make sure it's up to date.")
+    expect(within(hint).getByRole('link', { name: 'the install guide' }).getAttribute('href'))
+      .toBe(FFMPEGD_INSTALL_URL)
+  })
+
+  it('shows that it connected, in place of the steps', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    enableFfmpegd()
+    render(<App />)
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('tab', { name: 'Options' }))
+    await wait(SETUP_DELAY_MS)
+    expect(text()).toContain("Can't reach ffmpegd")
+
+    await act(async () => socket().open())
+    expect(screen.getByRole('status').textContent).toContain('Connected to ffmpegd at localhost:3000')
+    expect(text()).not.toContain("Can't reach ffmpegd")
+    expect(text()).not.toContain('Connecting to ffmpegd')
+  })
+
+  it('names a saved daemon address', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    enableFfmpegd()
+    localStorage.setItem('host', 'http://mybox:9000')
+    render(<App />)
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('tab', { name: 'Options' }))
+    await wait(SETUP_DELAY_MS)
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('status').textContent).toContain("Can't reach ffmpegd at mybox:9000")
+  })
+
+  it('shows the same steps on the Queue while offline', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    enableFfmpegd()
+    render(<App />)
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('tab', { name: 'Queue' }))
+    await wait(SETUP_DELAY_MS)
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('● ffmpegd offline')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getByRole('status').textContent).toContain('Run ffmpegd in the folder with your videos')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/lib/ffmpegd.ts b/src/lib/ffmpegd.ts
index 88ecbde..2db4047 100644
--- a/src/lib/ffmpegd.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ffmpegd.ts
@@ -114,6 +114,15 @@ export const wsUri = () => {
 
 export const host = () => read(HOST_KEY) || defaultHost()
 
+/** host() as host:port without the scheme, for display. */
+export function displayHost(): string {
+  try {
+    return new URL(host()).host
+  } catch {
+    return host()
+  }
+}
+
 export async function listFiles(prefix = ''): Promise<FileListing> {
   const res = await fetch(`${host()}/files?prefix=${encodeURIComponent(prefix)}`)
   if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`ffmpegd responded ${res.status}`)