diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index a8ab6c96..bcce5d06 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.44.0
+0.45.0
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts b/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
index b7da4f9b..e9632958 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,22 @@ export interface ReleaseEntry {
 }
 
 export const RELEASE_NOTES: ReleaseEntry[] = [
+  {
+    version: "0.45.0",
+    date: "2026-07-19",
+    summary:
+      "Read the feed the way you like it, and explore your Plex library by cast.",
+    features: [
+      "The feed has five view modes now — large cards, small cards, rows, compact rows, and a multi-column tile view. Pick the density that suits you from the switcher next to the sort control; your choice sticks.",
+      "Explore your Plex library by the people in it: click any cast member on a film or show's page to see everything they're in. Pick several and, by default, you'll get titles featuring any of them — flip to \"All\" to require every one. The actors you've picked now show as cards above the grid, each with a photo and a title count, and a click to drop them.",
+    ],
+    fixes: [
+      "Plex: clicking a lower-billed cast member no longer empties the grid. We now index a title's full cast (not just the top few), so filtering by anyone shown actually finds their films.",
+    ],
+    chores: [
+      "A large under-the-hood cleanup of the app's internal structure (no behaviour change) — smaller, clearer building blocks that make future features quicker and safer to add.",
+    ],
+  },
   {
     version: "0.44.0",
     date: "2026-07-16",