fix

app/Http/Controllers/CategoryController.php

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace App\Http\Controllers;
 
 use App\Models\Category;
+use App\Models\MusicCategory;
 use App\Traits\StoresUploads;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Storage;
@@ -14,6 +15,12 @@ class CategoryController extends Controller
 
     public function index(Request $request)
     {
+        // Playlist categories live in their own table (music_categories); serve
+        // them here too so the front has one /categories?type=... entry point.
+        if ($request->input('type') === Category::TYPE_PLAYLIST) {
+            return response()->json($this->playlistCategories($request));
+        }
+
         $query = Category::query()->withCount('subcategories');
 
         if ($request->filled('type')) {
@@ -29,6 +36,37 @@ public function index(Request $request)
         );
     }
 
+    // Music categories normalized to the generic category shape.
+    private function playlistCategories(Request $request)
+    {
+        $query = MusicCategory::query()->with('image')->withCount('subcategories');
+
+        if (!$request->boolean('include_inactive')) {
+            $query->where('is_active', true);
+        }
+
+        if ($request->boolean('with_subcategories')) {
+            $query->with('subcategories.image');
+        }
+
+        return $query->orderBy('order')->get()->map(function ($c) use ($request) {
+            return [
+                'id' => $c->id,
+                'name' => $c->name,
+                'type' => Category::TYPE_PLAYLIST,
+                'description' => $c->description,
+                'icon' => $c->image?->path,
+                'icon_url' => $c->image?->url,
+                'order' => $c->order,
+                'is_active' => $c->is_active,
+                'subcategories_count' => $c->subcategories_count,
+                'subcategories' => $request->boolean('with_subcategories') ? $c->subcategories : null,
+                'created_at' => $c->created_at,
+                'updated_at' => $c->updated_at,
+            ];
+        });
+    }
+
     public function store(Request $request)
     {
         $data = $request->validate([