diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 64e0684f..099626f4 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "1.7.0"
+  ".": "1.8.0"
 }
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index de4f9694..2c389202 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,24 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [1.8.0](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/compare/v1.7.0...v1.8.0) (2026-07-29)
+
+
+### Features
+
+* **plugins:** localized manifest descriptions & option labels ([a39e1cf](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/a39e1cf24b468e94f43e9465e400d822459c84c6)), closes [#440](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/440)
+* **plugins:** publish-safe `*_i18n` sibling for localized strings ([e76b70f](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/e76b70fb519ea981e9854425d2f3ebd2bf1c3c35)), closes [#440](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/440)
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* **album:** carry the full track row so Properties isn't half empty ([c2515fb](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/c2515fb5fdd4cf1ea0523001d7d10943cc5f2a5f)), closes [#458](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/458)
+* **plugin-host:** dedup a cause against its parent, not the whole buffer ([5a7bff7](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/5a7bff7be30e2e1014d5a9ce27378ffa9850d5ad)), closes [#452](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/452)
+* **plugin-host:** surface the cause chain behind an http error ([8546324](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/854632449a6c989464bcb898350c2c3dd6abcf2f)), closes [#452](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/452)
+* **plugins:** skip blank entries when resolving a localized string ([4784b4a](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/4784b4af9be9fc00521f88e8b4b6055a8c2cbcd0)), closes [#440](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/440)
+* **stats:** local artist images, ragged KPI row, clipped hour labels ([e6d1000](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/e6d10002d7a35303e1b96372ea06a656fafd9760)), closes [#453](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/453)
+* **web-radio:** let a 429 fall through to the next host ([cb8a31c](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/cb8a31c4da733bb380fc59bfa4979ea376cf8926)), closes [#452](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/452)
+* **web-radio:** try the round-robin host, and retry, before failing ([4a20483](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/commit/4a20483e6cbfdf6e39e6778b20ccc54003d191a3)), closes [#452](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/issues/452)
+
 ## [1.7.0](https://github.com/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/compare/v1.6.0...v1.7.0) (2026-07-26)
 
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f254139d..6aacc04d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 </p>
 
 <p align="center">
-  <img src="https://img.shields.io/static/v1?label=version&message=1.7.0&color=emerald&style=flat-square" alt="Version" /> <!-- x-release-please-version -->
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/static/v1?label=version&message=1.8.0&color=emerald&style=flat-square" alt="Version" /> <!-- x-release-please-version -->
   <img src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/InstaZDLL/WaveFlow/total?style=flat-square&color=emerald&label=downloads" alt="Downloads" />
   <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/tauri-2.11-blue?style=flat-square&logo=tauri" alt="Tauri 2" />
   <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/react-19-61dafb?style=flat-square&logo=react" alt="React 19" />
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a8d52e28..9ffb8f95 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "waveflow",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "1.7.0",
+  "version": "1.8.0",
   "type": "module",
   "license": "GPL-3.0",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/src-tauri/crates/app/Cargo.toml b/src-tauri/crates/app/Cargo.toml
index ac501c78..16234e1a 100644
--- a/src-tauri/crates/app/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src-tauri/crates/app/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "waveflow"
-version = "1.7.0"
+version = "1.8.0"
 description = "Local music player for desktop — Spotify-inspired UI, real-time audio engine, your files stay on your machine."
 authors = ["InstaZDLL <github.105mh@8shield.net>"]
 edition = "2021"
diff --git a/src-tauri/crates/app/tauri.conf.json b/src-tauri/crates/app/tauri.conf.json
index d892b890..d6ce7d11 100644
--- a/src-tauri/crates/app/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/src-tauri/crates/app/tauri.conf.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://schema.tauri.app/config/2",
   "productName": "WaveFlow",
-  "version": "1.7.0",
+  "version": "1.8.0",
   "identifier": "app.waveflow",
   "build": {
     "beforeDevCommand": "bun run dev",
diff --git a/src-tauri/crates/core/Cargo.toml b/src-tauri/crates/core/Cargo.toml
index 6ee92d91..90bbce27 100644
--- a/src-tauri/crates/core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src-tauri/crates/core/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "waveflow-core"
-version = "1.7.0"
+version = "1.8.0"
 description = "Business logic shared between the WaveFlow desktop app and the future waveflow-server: scanning, metadata enrichment, DSD conversion, smart-playlist algorithms, repository traits."
 authors = ["InstaZDLL <github.105mh@8shield.net>"]
 edition = "2021"