diff --git a/res/css/views/voice_messages/_PlaybackContainer.scss b/res/css/views/voice_messages/_PlaybackContainer.scss
index a9ebc19667..49bd81ef81 100644
--- a/res/css/views/voice_messages/_PlaybackContainer.scss
+++ b/res/css/views/voice_messages/_PlaybackContainer.scss
@@ -36,7 +36,13 @@ limitations under the License.
         height: 28px; // default is 30px, so we're subtracting the 2px border off the bars
 
         .mx_Waveform_bar {
-            background-color: $voice-record-waveform-fg-color;
+            background-color: $voice-record-waveform-incomplete-fg-color;
+
+            &.mx_Waveform_bar_100pct {
+                // Small animation to remove the mechanical feel of progress
+                transition: background-color 250ms ease;
+                background-color: $voice-record-waveform-fg-color;
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/res/themes/legacy-light/css/_legacy-light.scss b/res/themes/legacy-light/css/_legacy-light.scss
index e05285721e..d7352e5684 100644
--- a/res/themes/legacy-light/css/_legacy-light.scss
+++ b/res/themes/legacy-light/css/_legacy-light.scss
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ $voice-record-stop-border-color: #E3E8F0;
 $voice-record-stop-symbol-color: #ff4b55;
 $voice-record-waveform-bg-color: #E3E8F0;
 $voice-record-waveform-fg-color: $muted-fg-color;
+$voice-record-waveform-incomplete-fg-color: #C1C6CD;
 $voice-record-live-circle-color: #ff4b55;
 
 $roomtile-preview-color: #9e9e9e;
diff --git a/res/themes/light/css/_light.scss b/res/themes/light/css/_light.scss
index 342b5dfd9a..20ccc2ee41 100644
--- a/res/themes/light/css/_light.scss
+++ b/res/themes/light/css/_light.scss
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ $voice-record-stop-border-color: #E3E8F0;
 $voice-record-stop-symbol-color: #ff4b55; // $warning-color, but without letting people change it in themes
 $voice-record-waveform-bg-color: #E3E8F0;
 $voice-record-waveform-fg-color: $muted-fg-color;
+$voice-record-waveform-incomplete-fg-color: #C1C6CD;
 $voice-record-live-circle-color: #ff4b55; // $warning-color, but without letting people change it in themes
 
 $roomtile-preview-color: $secondary-fg-color;
diff --git a/src/components/views/voice_messages/PlaybackWaveform.tsx b/src/components/views/voice_messages/PlaybackWaveform.tsx
index 89de908575..de38de63bb 100644
--- a/src/components/views/voice_messages/PlaybackWaveform.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/voice_messages/PlaybackWaveform.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {replaceableComponent} from "../../../utils/replaceableComponent";
 import {arraySeed, arrayTrimFill} from "../../../utils/arrays";
 import Waveform from "./Waveform";
 import {Playback, PLAYBACK_WAVEFORM_SAMPLES} from "../../../voice/Playback";
+import {percentageOf} from "../../../utils/numbers";
 
 interface IProps {
     playback: Playback;
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ interface IProps {
 
 interface IState {
     heights: number[];
+    progress: number;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -36,9 +38,13 @@ export default class PlaybackWaveform extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState
     public constructor(props) {
         super(props);
 
-        this.state = {heights: this.toHeights(this.props.playback.waveform)};
+        this.state = {
+            heights: this.toHeights(this.props.playback.waveform),
+            progress: 0, // default no progress
+        };
 
         this.props.playback.waveformData.onUpdate(this.onWaveformUpdate);
+        this.props.playback.clockInfo.liveData.onUpdate(this.onTimeUpdate);
     }
 
     private toHeights(waveform: number[]) {
@@ -50,7 +56,12 @@ export default class PlaybackWaveform extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState
         this.setState({heights: this.toHeights(waveform)});
     };
 
+    private onTimeUpdate = (time: number[]) => {
+        const progress = percentageOf(time[0], 0, time[1]);
+        this.setState({progress});
+    };
+
     public render() {
-        return <Waveform relHeights={this.state.heights} />;
+        return <Waveform relHeights={this.state.heights} progress={this.state.progress} />;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/views/voice_messages/Waveform.tsx b/src/components/views/voice_messages/Waveform.tsx
index 5fa68dcadc..840a5a12b3 100644
--- a/src/components/views/voice_messages/Waveform.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/voice_messages/Waveform.tsx
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import React from "react";
 import {replaceableComponent} from "../../../utils/replaceableComponent";
+import classNames from "classnames";
 
 interface IProps {
     relHeights: number[]; // relative heights (0-1)
+    progress: number; // percent complete, 0-1, default 100%
 }
 
 interface IState {
@@ -28,9 +30,16 @@ interface IState {
  * A simple waveform component. This renders bars (centered vertically) for each
  * height provided in the component properties. Updating the properties will update
  * the rendered waveform.
+ *
+ * For CSS purposes, a mx_Waveform_bar_100pct class is added when the bar should be
+ * "filled", as a demonstration of the progress property.
  */
 @replaceableComponent("views.voice_messages.Waveform")
 export default class Waveform extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
+    public static defaultProps = {
+        progress: 1,
+    };
+
     public constructor(props) {
         super(props);
     }
@@ -38,7 +47,13 @@ export default class Waveform extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
     public render() {
         return <div className='mx_Waveform'>
             {this.props.relHeights.map((h, i) => {
-                return <span key={i} style={{height: (h * 100) + '%'}} className='mx_Waveform_bar' />;
+                const progress = this.props.progress;
+                const isCompleteBar = (i / this.props.relHeights.length) <= progress && progress > 0;
+                const classes = classNames({
+                    'mx_Waveform_bar': true,
+                    'mx_Waveform_bar_100pct': isCompleteBar,
+                });
+                return <span key={i} style={{height: (h * 100) + '%'}} className={classes} />;
             })}
         </div>;
     }