diff --git a/system/public/menuband/advanced.html b/system/public/menuband/advanced.html
index ef6fdff0a..922ddaf34 100644
--- a/system/public/menuband/advanced.html
+++ b/system/public/menuband/advanced.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <meta charset="utf-8">
 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
 <title>Menu Band — Advanced</title>
-<meta name="description" content="Download Menu Band directly for extra Mac features.">
+<meta name="description" content="TrackDrum, the free native companion to Menu Band for Mac.">
 <link rel="canonical" href="https://menuband.app/advanced.html">
 <link rel="icon" href="/menuband/icon.png">
 <style>
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
   ul.flat { margin: 4px 0 10px; padding-left: 18px; }
   ul.flat li { margin-bottom: 6px; }
 
-  /* The store-vs-direct choice, stated once and plainly. */
+  /* Where Menu Band actually comes from, stated once and plainly. */
   .note-card {
     margin: 20px 0 4px; padding: 14px 16px;
     background: var(--panel-bg);
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
   .note-card p { margin: 0; }
 
   /* Download button. Deliberately quieter than the App Store jellybean on
-     the landing page — this is the side door, not the front one. */
+     the landing page — TrackDrum is an add-on, not the purchase. */
   .download-stage { margin: 22px 0 4px; text-align: center; }
   a.download {
     display: inline-flex;
@@ -137,25 +137,6 @@
   a.download:hover { text-decoration: none; filter: brightness(1.06); }
   a.download small { font-size: 11px; opacity: 0.85; font-weight: 400; }
 
-  /* Fades in once /api resolves, so a slow round-trip never flashes "0". */
-  p.downloads {
-    margin: 8px auto 0;
-    font-family: "SF Mono", Monaco, monospace;
-    font-size: 11px;
-    letter-spacing: 0.04em;
-    color: var(--ink-soft);
-    text-align: center;
-    opacity: 0;
-    transition: opacity 360ms cubic-bezier(0.25, 0.1, 0.25, 1);
-    min-height: 1.4em;
-  }
-  p.downloads.ready { opacity: 1; }
-  p.downloads .count {
-    color: var(--ink-head);
-    font-weight: 700;
-    font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
-  }
-
   @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
     :root {
       --aqua-sky-top: #0e1a2e;
@@ -194,44 +175,32 @@
 
   <div class="content">
     <h2>Advanced</h2>
-    <p class="tagline">Download Menu Band directly for a few extra Mac features.</p>
+    <p class="tagline">Buy Menu Band once, then add native Mac features as you need them.</p>
 
     <div class="note-card">
-      <p><b>Most people want the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/menu-band/id6767311903?mt=12">Mac App Store version</a>.</b> It updates automatically and plays the same instruments. Choose this download if you want the extra features below.</p>
+      <p><b>Menu Band comes from the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/menu-band/id6767311903?mt=12">Mac App Store</a>.</b> One purchase, the complete instrument, automatic updates. That's the only version — what's below is a companion to it, not an alternative to it.</p>
     </div>
 
-    <h3>What this version can do</h3>
+    <h3 id="trackdrum-addon">TrackDrum</h3>
+    <p>TrackDrum is a free native companion that does the two things a sandboxed App Store app can't do for itself.</p>
     <ul class="flat">
-      <li><b>Type to play in any app.</b> Keep playing notes while you work in another window.</li>
-      <li><b>Open with ⌘⌘.</b> Double-tap Command to bring up Menu Band from anywhere.</li>
-      <li><b>Play with nearby Macs.</b> Menu Band finds them and connects automatically.</li>
-      <li><b>Play with more than one finger.</b> Turn your trackpad into an expressive musical surface.</li>
-    </ul>
-
-    <h3>Good to know</h3>
-    <ul class="flat">
-      <li><b>Updates come directly from Menu Band.</b> The app will let you know when a new version is ready.</li>
-      <li><b>Typing in other apps needs permission.</b> Turn on Menu Band in <b>System Settings → Privacy &amp; Security → Accessibility</b>.</li>
-      <li><b>The first launch may take a moment.</b> macOS checks the app before opening it.</li>
+      <li><b>Play percussion with more than one finger.</b> TrackDrum reads trackpad contacts anywhere on your Mac and sends them to Menu Band. While the instrument is active it hides the pointer and keeps clicks and trackpad gestures from escaping. Press Escape or double-tap Command to exit.</li>
+      <li><b>Open Menu Band with ⌘⌘.</b> Double-tap Command from anywhere and Menu Band comes up popover-open and ready to play, launching first if it isn't already running.</li>
     </ul>
+    <p>The sound and the Tracktramp widget stay inside Menu Band. TrackDrum has no instrument window of its own.</p>
 
     <div class="download-stage">
-      <a id="download-link" class="download" href="https://assets.aesthetic.computer/menuband/Menu-Band-1.5.3.dmg" data-version="1.5.3" download>
-        <span>Download</span>
-        <small id="download-meta">macOS 11 or later · 8.3 MB</small>
+      <a class="download" href="https://assets.aesthetic.computer/menuband/TrackDrum-for-Menu-Band-1.2.dmg" download>
+        <span>Download TrackDrum</span>
+        <small>Free · macOS 12 or later · 1.3 MB</small>
       </a>
-      <p id="downloads-counter" class="downloads" aria-live="polite" hidden></p>
     </div>
 
-    <div class="note-card" id="trackdrum-addon">
-      <p><b>Play percussion with your trackpad!</b> TrackDrum sends global trackpad contacts to Menu Band. While the instrument is active, it hides the pointer and prevents clicks or trackpad gestures from escaping. Press Escape or double-tap Command to exit. The sound and Tracktramp widget stay inside Menu Band; TrackDrum has no instrument window of its own.</p>
-      <div class="download-stage">
-        <a class="download" href="https://assets.aesthetic.computer/menuband/TrackDrum-for-Menu-Band-1.2.dmg" download>
-          <span>Download TrackDrum</span>
-          <small>macOS 12 or later · 1.3 MB</small>
-        </a>
-      </div>
-    </div>
+    <h3>Good to know</h3>
+    <ul class="flat">
+      <li><b>Install Menu Band first.</b> TrackDrum plays through it and does nothing on its own.</li>
+      <li><b>The first launch may take a moment.</b> macOS checks the app before opening it.</li>
+    </ul>
 
     <h3>Help</h3>
     <p>Playing tips and troubleshooting live on the <a href="/menuband/support.html">support page</a>. Email <a href="mailto:mail@aesthetic.computer?subject=Menu%20Band%20advanced">mail@aesthetic.computer</a> for anything else.</p>
@@ -242,104 +211,5 @@
   © <a href="https://aesthetic.computer">aesthetic.computer</a> · 2026 · <a href="/">back to Menu Band</a>
 </footer>
 
-<script>
-  // ── Release manifest + downloads counter ────────────────────────────
-  //    Moved here from the landing page when the App Store became the
-  //    front door (2026-07-12). /menuband/manifest.json is the single
-  //    source of truth for which DMG the button points at;
-  //    bin/publish-release.fish updates it after each new build.
-  //    /api/menuband-downloads keeps a per-version tally in MongoDB and
-  //    only accepts POSTs whose `version` is in the manifest's allowlist,
-  //    so the counter can't be inflated with junk strings. We fire the
-  //    increment via sendBeacon so the click isn't blocked on the network
-  //    round-trip — the browser hands the download off normally and queues
-  //    the POST in the background.
-  (function downloadsAndManifest() {
-    const link = document.getElementById('download-link');
-    const meta = document.getElementById('download-meta');
-    const counter = document.getElementById('downloads-counter');
-
-    function fmtBytes(n) {
-      if (typeof n !== 'number' || !isFinite(n) || n <= 0) return '';
-      const mb = n / (1024 * 1024);
-      // Match the existing "2.3 MB" style — one decimal up to 9.9 MB,
-      // round to integer beyond.
-      return (mb < 10 ? mb.toFixed(1) : Math.round(mb).toString()) + ' MB';
-    }
-
-    function paintCounter(total) {
-      if (!counter) return;
-      const n = Number(total) || 0;
-      counter.innerHTML = (n === 1 ? '1 download' : '{n} downloads')
-        .replace('{n}', '<span class="count">' + n.toLocaleString() + '</span>');
-      counter.hidden = false;
-      // Defer adding the .ready class so the transition runs.
-      requestAnimationFrame(() => counter.classList.add('ready'));
-    }
-
-    // Pull the latest version + URL into the download button. The macOS
-    // app polls a smaller-schema sibling at
-    // https://assets.aesthetic.computer/menuband/latest.json and both
-    // files are kept in sync by bin/publish-release.fish. If the manifest
-    // is missing or malformed we leave the hardcoded fallback alone so the
-    // page still works.
-    fetch('/menuband/manifest.json', { cache: 'no-store' })
-      .then((r) => r.ok ? r.json() : Promise.reject(new Error('HTTP ' + r.status)))
-      .then((m) => {
-        if (!m || !Array.isArray(m.versions)) return;
-        const latestVersion = m.latest || m.version;
-        if (!latestVersion) return;
-        const entry = m.versions.find((v) => v && v.version === latestVersion);
-        if (!entry || !entry.dmg || !entry.version) return;
-        if (link) {
-          link.href = entry.dmg;
-          link.setAttribute('data-version', entry.version);
-        }
-        if (meta) {
-          const size = fmtBytes(entry.size);
-          meta.textContent = ['macOS 11 or later'].concat(size ? [size] : []).join(' · ');
-        }
-      })
-      .catch(() => { /* leave hardcoded fallback */ });
-
-    // Pull current downloads total. If the call fails, keep the line
-    // hidden — better no counter than a "—" placeholder.
-    fetch('/api/menuband-downloads', { cache: 'no-store' })
-      .then((r) => r.ok ? r.json() : Promise.reject(new Error('HTTP ' + r.status)))
-      .then((d) => {
-        if (!d || typeof d.total !== 'number') return;
-        paintCounter(d.total);
-      })
-      .catch(() => { /* hidden */ });
-
-    // Fire the increment when the user actually clicks Download. sendBeacon
-    // keeps the request alive even though the browser is simultaneously
-    // navigating away to the DMG; fall back to fetch with keepalive on the
-    // rare browser without it.
-    if (link) {
-      link.addEventListener('click', () => {
-        const version = link.getAttribute('data-version');
-        if (!version) return;
-        const url = '/api/menuband-downloads';
-        const payload = JSON.stringify({ version });
-        try {
-          if (navigator.sendBeacon) {
-            navigator.sendBeacon(url, new Blob([payload], { type: 'application/json' }));
-            return;
-          }
-        } catch { /* fall through */ }
-        try {
-          fetch(url, {
-            method: 'POST',
-            headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
-            body: payload,
-            keepalive: true,
-          });
-        } catch { /* swallow — the download itself shouldn't fail */ }
-      });
-    }
-  })();
-</script>
-
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/system/public/menuband/index.html b/system/public/menuband/index.html
index a984b23e1..8f7dfd903 100644
--- a/system/public/menuband/index.html
+++ b/system/public/menuband/index.html
@@ -249,8 +249,9 @@
   }
 
   /* Demoted caption beneath the App Store button — links read as plain
-     text, not as buttons. Carries the `advanced` link to the direct
-     download, which is deliberately not a second jellybean up top. */
+     text, not as buttons. Carries the `advanced` link to the free
+     TrackDrum companion, which is deliberately not a second jellybean up
+     top: the App Store is the only place Menu Band itself is sold. */
   p.aux {
     margin: 14px auto 0;
     font-family: "Berkeley Mono Variable", "SF Mono", Menlo, monospace;
diff --git a/system/public/menuband/manifest.json b/system/public/menuband/manifest.json
index 10599d1f1..f70119af5 100644
--- a/system/public/menuband/manifest.json
+++ b/system/public/menuband/manifest.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "_comment": "Source of truth for the Menu Band downloads page (committed, served by lith at /menuband/manifest.json). The macOS app reads a smaller-schema sibling at https://assets.aesthetic.computer/menuband/latest.json — both are written by slab/menuband/bin/publish-release.fish so they stay in sync. /api/menuband-downloads validates POST {version} against this file's `versions[].version` allowlist.",
+  "_comment": "Historical release index for the retired direct download (committed, served by lith at /menuband/manifest.json). The website no longer offers a direct Menu Band DMG — the Mac App Store is the only version sold, and /advanced carries only the free TrackDrum companion — so no page reads this file anymore. It is kept because already-installed direct builds poll a smaller-schema sibling at https://assets.aesthetic.computer/menuband/latest.json, both are written by slab/menuband/bin/publish-release.fish, and /api/menuband-downloads still validates POST {version} against this file's `versions[].version` allowlist.",
   "latest": "1.6.5",
   "versions": [
     {
diff --git a/system/public/menuband/support.html b/system/public/menuband/support.html
index 2109976f0..6bd185e85 100644
--- a/system/public/menuband/support.html
+++ b/system/public/menuband/support.html
@@ -174,10 +174,10 @@
 
     <h3>Troubleshooting</h3>
     <ul class="flat">
-      <li><b>Typing doesn't play notes.</b> In the Mac App Store version, Menu Band must be the active app: click the menu-bar piano, choose <em>Notepat</em> or <em>Ableton</em>, then type. The direct-download version can also play globally when Menu Band has Accessibility access under <b>System Settings → Privacy &amp; Security → Accessibility</b>. Menu Band uses keystrokes only to play notes.</li>
+      <li><b>Typing doesn't play notes.</b> Menu Band must be the active app: click the menu-bar piano, choose <em>Notepat</em> or <em>Ableton</em>, then type. Double-tap Command to bring Menu Band forward from another app if <a href="/advanced#trackdrum-addon">TrackDrum</a> is installed. Menu Band uses keystrokes only to play notes.</li>
       <li><b>No sound.</b> Confirm your Mac's output volume, and that a DAW isn't capturing the <code>Menu Band</code> MIDI source silently. With no DAW connected, the built-in synth should sound.</li>
       <li><b>My DAW doesn't see Menu Band.</b> Rescan MIDI devices in your DAW, or quit and reopen it after launching Menu Band so CoreMIDI re-enumerates the source.</li>
-      <li><b>Trackpad percussion doesn't open.</b> Install and open <a href="https://assets.aesthetic.computer/menuband/TrackDrum-for-Menu-Band-1.2.dmg">TrackDrum for Menu Band</a>, then reopen Menu Band and arm its percussion surface. TrackDrum runs without a window; the Tracktramp widget appears in Menu Band.</li>
+      <li><b>Trackpad percussion doesn't open.</b> Install and open <a href="/advanced#trackdrum-addon">TrackDrum for Menu Band</a>, then reopen Menu Band and arm its percussion surface. TrackDrum runs without a window; the Tracktramp widget appears in Menu Band.</li>
       <li><b>Microphone sampling does nothing.</b> Grant microphone permission (see above), then try holding <code>`</code> again.</li>
     </ul>