diff --git a/Sources/OpenFaderCore/AudioRenderLoop.swift b/Sources/OpenFaderCore/AudioRenderLoop.swift
index 2234aa5..c915b82 100644
--- a/Sources/OpenFaderCore/AudioRenderLoop.swift
+++ b/Sources/OpenFaderCore/AudioRenderLoop.swift
@@ -299,8 +299,15 @@ public protocol RenderLoopManaging: Sendable {
 }
 
 final class RenderedSampleBuffer: @unchecked Sendable {
+    /// Minimum number of consumed samples before compaction is worthwhile.
+    /// Compacting shifts the remaining samples to the front of storage, so we
+    /// only pay that cost once enough dead space (and at least half the array,
+    /// see `compactStorageIfNeeded()`) has accumulated.
+    private static let compactionThreshold = 4096
+
     private let lock = NSLock()
     private var samples: [Float] = []
+    private var readOffset = 0
     private let maximumSampleCount: Int
 
     init(maximumSampleCount: Int = 48_000 * 8) {
@@ -309,7 +316,7 @@ final class RenderedSampleBuffer: @unchecked Sendable {
 
     var sampleCount: Int {
         lock.withLock {
-            samples.count
+            samples.count - readOffset
         }
     }
 
@@ -320,8 +327,14 @@ final class RenderedSampleBuffer: @unchecked Sendable {
 
         lock.withLock {
             samples.append(contentsOf: nextSamples)
-            if samples.count > maximumSampleCount {
-                samples.removeFirst(samples.count - maximumSampleCount)
+            let overflowCount = (samples.count - readOffset) - maximumSampleCount
+            if overflowCount > 0 {
+                readOffset += overflowCount
+            }
+            compactStorageIfNeeded()
+            if readOffset == samples.count {
+                samples.removeAll(keepingCapacity: true)
+                readOffset = 0
             }
         }
 
@@ -334,21 +347,40 @@ final class RenderedSampleBuffer: @unchecked Sendable {
         }
 
         return lock.withLock {
-            let readCount = min(requestedSampleCount, samples.count)
+            let readCount = min(requestedSampleCount, samples.count - readOffset)
             guard readCount > 0 else {
                 return []
             }
 
-            let nextSamples = Array(samples.prefix(readCount))
-            samples.removeFirst(readCount)
+            let readEnd = readOffset + readCount
+            let nextSamples = Array(samples[readOffset..<readEnd])
+            readOffset = readEnd
+            if readOffset == samples.count {
+                samples.removeAll(keepingCapacity: true)
+                readOffset = 0
+            } else {
+                compactStorageIfNeeded()
+            }
             return nextSamples
         }
     }
 
     func clear() {
         lock.withLock {
-            samples.removeAll()
+            samples.removeAll(keepingCapacity: true)
+            readOffset = 0
+        }
+    }
+
+    private func compactStorageIfNeeded() {
+        guard readOffset > 0,
+              readOffset >= Self.compactionThreshold,
+              readOffset * 2 >= samples.count else {
+            return
         }
+
+        samples.removeFirst(readOffset)
+        readOffset = 0
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/Tests/OpenFaderCoreTests/RenderedSampleBufferTests.swift b/Tests/OpenFaderCoreTests/RenderedSampleBufferTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..697154a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/OpenFaderCoreTests/RenderedSampleBufferTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import Testing
+@testable import OpenFaderCore
+
+@Test
+func renderedSampleBufferDequeuesInOrder() {
+    let buffer = RenderedSampleBuffer(maximumSampleCount: 8)
+
+    #expect(buffer.enqueue([1, 2, 3, 4]) == 4)
+    #expect(buffer.sampleCount == 4)
+    #expect(buffer.dequeue(sampleCount: 2) == [1, 2])
+    #expect(buffer.sampleCount == 2)
+    #expect(buffer.dequeue(sampleCount: 4) == [3, 4])
+    #expect(buffer.sampleCount == 0)
+}
+
+@Test
+func renderedSampleBufferDropsOldestSamplesAtCapacity() {
+    let buffer = RenderedSampleBuffer(maximumSampleCount: 6)
+
+    #expect(buffer.enqueue([1, 2, 3, 4]) == 4)
+    #expect(buffer.dequeue(sampleCount: 2) == [1, 2])
+    #expect(buffer.enqueue([5, 6, 7, 8, 9]) == 5)
+
+    #expect(buffer.sampleCount == 6)
+    #expect(buffer.dequeue(sampleCount: 10) == [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9])
+    #expect(buffer.sampleCount == 0)
+}