diff --git a/app/tests/test_download_queue.py b/app/tests/test_download_queue.py
index 695788f..2c0dceb 100644
--- a/app/tests/test_download_queue.py
+++ b/app/tests/test_download_queue.py
@@ -222,6 +222,103 @@ async def test_add_entry_queues_single_video_without_reextracting(dq_env):
     assert dq.pending.exists("https://example.com/watch?v=1")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_channel_download_uses_output_template_when_channel_template_empty(dq_env):
+    """Channel tabs reported as playlists must honor OUTPUT_TEMPLATE when OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_CHANNEL is empty."""
+    notifier = AsyncMock()
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE = "%(channel)s [YT]/%(title)s.%(ext)s"
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_CHANNEL = ""
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_PLAYLIST = ""
+
+    channel_id = "UCabcd123"
+
+    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+        return {
+            "_type": "playlist",
+            "id": channel_id,
+            "channel_id": channel_id,
+            "channel": "Odin",
+            "title": "Odin - Videos",
+            "entries": [
+                {
+                    "id": "vid1",
+                    "title": "Salvia Plath - Pondering",
+                    "url": "https://example.com/watch?v=1",
+                    "webpage_url": "https://example.com/watch?v=1",
+                    "channel": "Odin",
+                    "upload_date": "20130804",
+                },
+            ],
+        }
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, notifier)
+    with patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__extract_info", fake_extract):
+        result = await dq.add(
+            "https://www.youtube.com/@odin/videos",
+            "video",
+            "auto",
+            "any",
+            "best",
+            "",
+            "",
+            0,
+            auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert result["status"] == "ok"
+    url = "https://example.com/watch?v=1"
+    assert dq.pending.exists(url)
+    download = dq.pending.get(url)
+    assert download.output_template.startswith("Odin [YT]/")
+    assert "Odin - Videos" not in download.output_template
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_playlist_download_not_treated_as_channel(dq_env):
+    """Real playlists (id != channel_id) must not be promoted to channel downloads."""
+    notifier = AsyncMock()
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE = "%(channel)s [YT]/%(title)s.%(ext)s"
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_CHANNEL = ""
+    dq_env.OUTPUT_TEMPLATE_PLAYLIST = "%(playlist_title)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s"
+
+    def fake_extract(self, url, ytdl_options_presets=None, ytdl_options_overrides=None):
+        return {
+            "_type": "playlist",
+            "id": "PLxyz789",
+            "channel_id": "UCabcd123",
+            "channel": "Odin",
+            "title": "My Playlist",
+            "entries": [
+                {
+                    "id": "vid1",
+                    "title": "Test Video",
+                    "url": "https://example.com/watch?v=1",
+                    "webpage_url": "https://example.com/watch?v=1",
+                },
+            ],
+        }
+
+    dq = DownloadQueue(dq_env, notifier)
+    with patch.object(DownloadQueue, "_DownloadQueue__extract_info", fake_extract):
+        result = await dq.add(
+            "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxyz789",
+            "video",
+            "auto",
+            "any",
+            "best",
+            "",
+            "",
+            0,
+            auto_start=False,
+        )
+
+    assert result["status"] == "ok"
+    url = "https://example.com/watch?v=1"
+    assert dq.pending.exists(url)
+    download = dq.pending.get(url)
+    assert download.output_template.startswith("My Playlist/")
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_add_merges_global_preset_and_override_options(dq_env):
     notifier = AsyncMock()
diff --git a/app/ytdl.py b/app/ytdl.py
index 78acc82..207d35e 100644
--- a/app/ytdl.py
+++ b/app/ytdl.py
@@ -799,6 +799,16 @@ class DownloadQueue:
         self._add_generation += 1
         log.info('Playlist add operation canceled by user')
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def __is_channel_extraction(entry):
+        """Return True when yt-dlp reported a channel tab as a playlist.
+
+        YouTube channel tabs are extracted with ``_type: 'playlist'`` but set
+        ``id`` equal to ``channel_id``; real playlists keep a distinct id.
+        """
+        channel_id = entry.get('channel_id')
+        return bool(channel_id) and entry.get('id') == channel_id
+
     async def __import_queue(self):
         for k, v in self.queue.saved_items():
             await self.__add_download(v, True)
@@ -1161,6 +1171,8 @@ class DownloadQueue:
                 _add_gen,
             )
         elif etype == 'playlist' or etype == 'channel':
+            if etype == 'playlist' and self.__is_channel_extraction(entry):
+                etype = 'channel'
             log.debug(f'Processing as a {etype}')
             entries = entry['entries']
             # Convert generator to list if needed (for len() and slicing operations)
@@ -1180,7 +1192,15 @@ class DownloadQueue:
                 if "id" not in etr:
                     etr["id"] = _entry_id(etr)
                 etr["_type"] = "video"
-                etr[etype] = entry.get("id") or entry.get("channel_id") or entry.get("channel")
+                if etype == 'channel':
+                    etr["channel"] = (
+                        entry.get("channel")
+                        or entry.get("uploader")
+                        or entry.get("title")
+                        or entry.get("id")
+                    )
+                else:
+                    etr["playlist"] = entry.get("id") or entry.get("channel_id") or entry.get("channel")
                 etr[f"{etype}_index"] = '{{0:0{0:d}d}}'.format(index_digits).format(index)
                 etr[f"{etype}_count"] = total_entries
                 etr[f"{etype}_autonumber"] = index