diff --git a/server/actions.py b/server/actions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce52743
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/actions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+"""Glue between a chosen Hit and a side-effecting download. Mirrors musicfetch's
+main() dispatch but returns a structured result dict and speakable messages."""
+import os
+from typing import Optional
+
+from . import mf
+
+
+def _source_label(hit) -> str:
+    return "YouTube Music" if hit.source == "youtube" else "Lidarr"
+
+
+def _title(hit) -> str:
+    return hit.album or hit.title or hit.artist
+
+
+def started_message(hit) -> str:
+    return f"Found '{_title(hit)}' by {hit.artist or 'unknown artist'} on {_source_label(hit)}. Downloading now."
+
+
+def done_message(hit) -> str:
+    return f"Finished downloading '{_title(hit)}' by {hit.artist or 'unknown artist'}."
+
+
+def failed_message(hit) -> str:
+    return f"Failed to download '{_title(hit)}' by {hit.artist or 'unknown artist'}."
+
+
+def _yt_path(hit, root: str) -> str:
+    artist_dir = (hit.artist.split(",")[0].strip() if hit.artist else "") or "Unknown Artist"
+    return os.path.join(root, artist_dir, "youtube")
+
+
+def _download_youtube(hit, quality: str, root: str) -> dict:
+    mf.act_youtube(hit, root, quality, False)
+    return {"path": _yt_path(hit, root), "lidarr_album_id": None}
+
+
+def perform_fetch(chosen, hits: list, quality: str, root: str) -> dict:
+    """Run the download for the chosen hit. Returns {"path", "lidarr_album_id"}.
+    Raises on unrecoverable failure (recorded by the job worker)."""
+    if chosen.source == "youtube":
+        return _download_youtube(chosen, quality, root)
+
+    if chosen.kind == "album":
+        handled = mf.act_lidarr_album(chosen, root, False, False)
+        if handled:
+            return {"path": None, "lidarr_album_id": chosen.payload.get("album", {}).get("id")}
+        # No indexer release -> fall through to the top YouTube hit, like the CLI.
+        yt = next((h for h in hits if h.source == "youtube"), None)
+        if yt is None:
+            raise RuntimeError("No Lidarr release and no YouTube fallback available.")
+        return _download_youtube(yt, quality, root)
+
+    # Lidarr artist pick.
+    ok = mf.act_lidarr_artist(chosen, root, False, False)
+    if not ok:
+        raise RuntimeError("Failed to add artist to Lidarr.")
+    return {"path": None, "lidarr_album_id": None}
diff --git a/tests/test_actions.py b/tests/test_actions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dbb2527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_actions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+from server import actions, mf
+
+
+def make_yt_hit():
+    return mf.Hit(source="youtube", kind="track", title="Together",
+                  artist="Avril Lavigne", album="Under My Skin", year="2004",
+                  payload={"videoId": "abc"})
+
+
+def make_lidarr_album_hit():
+    return mf.Hit(source="lidarr", kind="album", title="Under My Skin",
+                  artist="Avril Lavigne", album="Under My Skin", year="2004",
+                  payload={"album": {"id": 5, "title": "Under My Skin"}})
+
+
+def test_started_message_mentions_source_and_title():
+    msg = actions.started_message(make_yt_hit())
+    assert "Under My Skin" in msg
+    assert "Avril Lavigne" in msg
+    assert "YouTube" in msg
+
+
+def test_done_message_mentions_title():
+    msg = actions.done_message(make_yt_hit())
+    assert "Under My Skin" in msg
+    assert "Avril Lavigne" in msg
+
+
+def test_perform_youtube_calls_act_youtube(monkeypatch):
+    calls = {}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mf, "act_youtube",
+                        lambda hit, root, quality, dry_run: calls.update(hit=hit, root=root, quality=quality))
+    hit = make_yt_hit()
+    result = actions.perform_fetch(hit, [hit], quality="best", root="/media/music")
+    assert calls["quality"] == "best"
+    assert result["path"] == "/media/music/Avril Lavigne/youtube"
+    assert result["lidarr_album_id"] is None
+
+
+def test_perform_lidarr_album_handled(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mf, "act_lidarr_album",
+                        lambda hit, root, search_all, dry_run: True)
+    hit = make_lidarr_album_hit()
+    result = actions.perform_fetch(hit, [hit], quality="best", root="/media/music")
+    assert result["lidarr_album_id"] == 5
+    assert result["path"] is None
+
+
+def test_perform_lidarr_album_fallsthrough_to_youtube(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mf, "act_lidarr_album",
+                        lambda hit, root, search_all, dry_run: False)
+    yt_calls = {}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mf, "act_youtube",
+                        lambda hit, root, quality, dry_run: yt_calls.update(hit=hit))
+    lidarr_hit = make_lidarr_album_hit()
+    yt_hit = make_yt_hit()
+    result = actions.perform_fetch(lidarr_hit, [lidarr_hit, yt_hit],
+                                   quality="best", root="/media/music")
+    assert yt_calls["hit"] is yt_hit
+    assert result["path"] == "/media/music/Avril Lavigne/youtube"