diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/CategoryController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/CategoryController.php
index 1cc0769..14eefeb 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/CategoryController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/CategoryController.php
@@ -15,25 +15,36 @@ class CategoryController extends Controller
 
     public function index(Request $request)
     {
+        $type = $request->input('type');
+
         // Playlist categories live in their own table (music_categories); serve
-        // them here too so the front has one /categories?type=... entry point.
-        if ($request->input('type') === Category::TYPE_PLAYLIST) {
-            return response()->json($this->playlistCategories($request));
+        // them here too so the front has one /categories entry point.
+        if ($type === Category::TYPE_PLAYLIST) {
+            return response()->json($this->playlistCategories($request)->values());
         }
 
         $query = Category::query()->withCount('subcategories');
 
         if ($request->filled('type')) {
-            $query->where('type', $request->input('type'));
+            $query->where('type', $type);
         }
 
         if ($request->boolean('with_subcategories')) {
             $query->with('subcategories');
         }
 
-        return response()->json(
-            $query->orderBy('name')->get()
-        );
+        $categories = $query->orderBy('name')->get();
+
+        // No type filter → also fold in the playlist (music) categories so the
+        // response contains every category across both tables.
+        if (!$request->filled('type')) {
+            $categories = $categories
+                ->concat($this->playlistCategories($request))
+                ->sortBy('name')
+                ->values();
+        }
+
+        return response()->json($categories);
     }
 
     // Music categories normalized to the generic category shape.