diff --git a/.changelog/next/changed-minimax-music-progress.md b/.changelog/next/changed-minimax-music-progress.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2d760bdf3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/next/changed-minimax-music-progress.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Music generation now shows active processing feedback and elapsed time during long renders.
diff --git a/client/src/components/music/MusicGenPanel.jsx b/client/src/components/music/MusicGenPanel.jsx
index afb5341fca..487b90177f 100644
--- a/client/src/components/music/MusicGenPanel.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/music/MusicGenPanel.jsx
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ export default function MusicGenPanel({ track, title = '', artistId = '', artist
   const [modelId, setModelId] = useState('');
   const [durationSec, setDurationSec] = useState(null);
   const [generating, setGenerating] = useState(false);
+  const [generationElapsedSec, setGenerationElapsedSec] = useState(0);
   // Inline HF model install.
   const [installRepo, setInstallRepo] = useState('');
   const [installing, setInstalling] = useState(false);
@@ -64,6 +65,16 @@ export default function MusicGenPanel({ track, title = '', artistId = '', artist
 
   useEffect(() => { loadEngines(); }, []);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!generating) return undefined;
+    const startedAt = Date.now();
+    setGenerationElapsedSec(0);
+    const timer = setInterval(() => {
+      if (mountedRef.current) setGenerationElapsedSec(Math.floor((Date.now() - startedAt) / 1000));
+    }, 1000);
+    return () => clearInterval(timer);
+  }, [generating]);
+
   const engine = useMemo(() => engines.find((e) => e.id === engineId) || null, [engines, engineId]);
 
   // Remix: seed the engine / model / duration from a past render. Keyed on
@@ -282,6 +293,26 @@ export default function MusicGenPanel({ track, title = '', artistId = '', artist
           </button>
         ) : null}
       </div>
+      {generating ? (
+        <div role="status" className="rounded-lg border border-port-accent/30 bg-port-accent/10 px-3 py-2">
+          <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 text-xs">
+            <span className="text-gray-300">
+              {engine?.cudaRequired ? 'Processing on the GPU' : 'Rendering audio'}
+            </span>
+            <span className="font-mono tabular-nums text-port-accent">
+              {Math.floor(generationElapsedSec / 60)}:{String(generationElapsedSec % 60).padStart(2, '0')} elapsed
+            </span>
+          </div>
+          <div className="mt-2 h-1.5 overflow-hidden rounded-full bg-port-border" aria-hidden="true">
+            <div className="h-full w-1/3 animate-pulse rounded-full bg-port-accent" />
+          </div>
+          <p className="mt-1.5 text-[11px] text-gray-500">
+            {engine?.id === 'minimax-music3'
+              ? 'MiniMax Music 3 does not report an exact percentage yet; a 60-second track can take tens of minutes on a 24 GB GPU.'
+              : 'Generation is still active. Longer requested durations take more time.'}
+          </p>
+        </div>
+      ) : null}
 
       {/* Install an additional model from HuggingFace — only for engines that
           can render an arbitrary checkpoint (musicgen/audioldm2). ACE-Step uses
diff --git a/client/src/components/music/MusicGenPanel.test.jsx b/client/src/components/music/MusicGenPanel.test.jsx
index 1b1bddb8d2..dc779352d0 100644
--- a/client/src/components/music/MusicGenPanel.test.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/music/MusicGenPanel.test.jsx
@@ -193,4 +193,26 @@ describe('MusicGenPanel', () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /install model/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: /install runtime/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it('shows honest elapsed GPU feedback while MiniMax generation is running', async () => {
+    api.listMusicEngines.mockResolvedValue({
+      defaultEngine: 'minimax-music3',
+      engines: [engine({
+        id: 'minimax-music3', name: 'MiniMax Music 3 (CUDA only)', ready: true,
+        cudaRequired: true, cudaState: 'available', customModels: false, lyrics: true,
+        maxDurationSec: 300, defaultDurationSec: 60,
+        models: [{ id: 'minimax-music3', repo: 'MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-Music3', name: 'MiniMax Music 3' }],
+        defaultModelId: 'minimax-music3',
+      })],
+    });
+    api.generateMusic.mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}));
+
+    render(<MusicGenPanel track={{ id: 'track-1' }} prompt="cinematic score" lyrics="Example lyrics" />);
+
+    fireEvent.click(await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /generate/i }));
+    expect(await screen.findByRole('status')).toHaveTextContent('Processing on the GPU');
+    expect(screen.getByRole('status')).toHaveTextContent('0:00 elapsed');
+    expect(screen.getByRole('status')).toHaveTextContent(/does not report an exact percentage/i);
+    expect(screen.getByRole('status')).toHaveTextContent(/tens of minutes on a 24 GB GPU/i);
+  });
 });