diff --git a/Imagine Dragons - Believer/Imagine Dragons - Believer.mp3 b/Imagine Dragons - Believer/Imagine Dragons - Believer.mp3
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02c2ea946
Binary files /dev/null and b/Imagine Dragons - Believer/Imagine Dragons - Believer.mp3 differ
diff --git a/client/components/recommendations/RecommendButton.vue b/client/components/recommendations/RecommendButton.vue
index 17520fea1..4e5400c67 100644
--- a/client/components/recommendations/RecommendButton.vue
+++ b/client/components/recommendations/RecommendButton.vue
@@ -27,11 +27,17 @@
             <option value="recipient-only">recipient-only</option>
           </select>
 
+          <div v-if="form.visibility === 'recipient-only'">
+            <label class="block text-sm mb-1">Recipient (username)</label>
+            <input v-model.trim="form.recipient" class="w-full mb-3 rounded border px-2 py-1 bg-[#111827] text-gray-100 border-gray-600" placeholder="Type the recipient’s username" autocomplete="off" />
+            <p class="text-xs text-gray-400 -mt-2 mb-2">Enter the user’s <strong>username</strong>. We’ll resolve it on the server.</p>
+          </div>
+
           <label class="block text-sm mb-1">Note <span class="opacity-60">(optional)</span></label>
           <textarea v-model="form.note" rows="3" maxlength="1000" class="w-full rounded border border-gray-600 bg-transparent px-2 py-1" placeholder="Why should someone read/listen to this?"></textarea>
 
           <div class="mt-4 flex items-center gap-2">
-            <button :disabled="submitting || !form.tagId" class="rounded px-3 py-1 text-sm bg-primary text-white border border-primary hover:bg-primary/90 disabled:opacity-50 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-primary/40" @click="submit">
+            <button :disabled="submitting || !form.tagId || (form.visibility === 'recipient-only' && !form.recipient)" class="rounded px-3 py-1 text-sm bg-primary text-white border border-primary hover:bg-primary/90 disabled:opacity-50 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-primary/40" @click="submit">
               {{ submitting ? 'Posting…' : 'Post recommendation' }}
             </button>
             <span v-if="error" class="text-sm text-error">{{ error }}</span>
@@ -56,7 +62,7 @@ export default {
     submitting: false,
     ok: false,
     error: '',
-    form: { tagId: '', visibility: 'public', note: '' }
+    form: { tagId: '', visibility: 'public', recipient: '', note: '' }
   }),
   mounted() {
     const flag = this.$store.getters['getServerSetting']?.('recommendationsEnabled')
@@ -104,6 +110,10 @@ export default {
     },
     async submit() {
       if (!this.form.tagId) return
+      if (this.form.visibility === 'recipient-only' && !this.form.recipient) {
+        this.error = 'Recipient is required'
+        return
+      }
       this.submitting = true
       this.error = ''
       this.ok = false
@@ -112,7 +122,8 @@ export default {
           bookId: this.bookId,
           tagId: this.form.tagId,
           note: this.form.note || '',
-          visibility: this.form.visibility
+          visibility: this.form.visibility,
+          recipientUsername: this.form.visibility === 'recipient-only' ? this.form.recipient : null
         }
         const created = await this.$axios.$post('/api/recommendations', payload)
         this.$emit('recommended', created)
diff --git a/server/controllers/recommendationsController.js b/server/controllers/recommendationsController.js
index 31e153826..456f41808 100644
--- a/server/controllers/recommendationsController.js
+++ b/server/controllers/recommendationsController.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module.exports = (injectedManager) => {
       const userId = req.user?.id
       if (!userId) return res.status(401).send('Unauthorized')
 
-      const { bookId, tagId, tagSlug, recipientUserId, note, visibility } = req.body || {}
+      const { bookId, tagId, tagSlug, recipientUserId, recipientUsername, note, visibility } = req.body || {}
       if (!bookId) return res.status(400).json({ message: 'bookId is required' })
       if (!tagId && !tagSlug) return res.status(400).json({ message: 'tagId or tagSlug is required' })
 
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ module.exports = (injectedManager) => {
         tagId,
         tagSlug,
         recipientUserId,
+        recipientUsername,
         note,
         visibility
       })
diff --git a/server/managers/RecommendationManager.js b/server/managers/RecommendationManager.js
index 0be609c91..9ef501eae 100644
--- a/server/managers/RecommendationManager.js
+++ b/server/managers/RecommendationManager.js
@@ -86,19 +86,30 @@ const RecommendationManager = {
     return null
   },
 
-  async resolveRecipient(recipientUserId) {
-    if (!recipientUserId) return null
-    const user = await Database.userModel.findByPk(recipientUserId)
-    return user || null
+  async resolveRecipient({ recipientUserId, recipientUsername }) {
+    const User = Database.userModel
+    if (recipientUserId) {
+      const u = await User.findByPk(recipientUserId)
+      return u || null
+    }
+    if (recipientUsername) {
+      const u = await User.findOne({ where: { username: String(recipientUsername) } })
+      return u || null
+    }
+    return null
   },
 
-  async createRecommendation({ userId, bookId, tagId, tagSlug, recipientUserId, note, visibility }) {
+  async createRecommendation({ userId, bookId, tagId, tagSlug, recipientUserId, recipientUsername, note, visibility }) {
     const tag = await this.resolveTag({ tagId, tagSlug })
     if (!tag) return { error: { status: 400, message: 'Invalid tag' } }
 
-    const recip = await this.resolveRecipient(recipientUserId)
-    if (recipientUserId && !recip) return { error: { status: 400, message: 'Recipient not found' } }
-
+    if (visibility === 'recipient-only' && !recipientUserId && !recipientUsername) {
+      return { error: { status: 400, message: 'Recipient is required for recipient-only visibility' } }
+    }
+    const recip = await this.resolveRecipient({ recipientUserId, recipientUsername })
+    if (visibility === 'recipient-only' && !recip) {
+      return { error: { status: 400, message: 'Recipient not found' } }
+    }
     const created = await Database.bookRecommendationModel.create({
       bookId: String(bookId),
       tagId: tag.id,