Shuffle mode playing the same songs all the time

[Tom7777777]

I have a playlist with 10,000 songs and use shuffle to listen to them. What I realized the past weeks is that the same songs are played over and over again - and not because I listen to this playlist 24/7 but because the shuffle mode seems to not pick songs just randomly but has some kind of algorythm behind to pick certain songs all the time again and again. This is quiet annoying because the reason I use shuffle in a playlist with 10,000 is not to listen to the same songs all the time but to have variety!

[Tom7777777]

Hi @Tom7777777,

Thanks for posting in the Spotify Community!

Unfortunately, in large playlists (over 150 songs), the shuffle option prioritizes the songs that Spotify perceives you enjoy the most; this is why you might notice that some songs are repeated while listening on shuffle.

However, there is currently a Live Idea to have an option for a “true” shuffle, which would play all the songs in a playlist in a random order, and once they’re all played, reshuffle them and play them again. If this is something you’re interested in, I’d recommend adding your +VOTE to this idea; the more votes an idea gets, the likelier it is that Spotify will implement it, and you can read more about how feedback on ideas reaches Spotify here.

It will also be useful for you to Subscribe to the idea by clicking the three dots next to its title; that way, you can be sure to be informed of any relevant updates.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and have a good day!

[#3]

J'ai presque 1 000 chansons dans titre likés et c'est toujours les mêmes qui sont joués en mode aléatoire. Même pire quand j'écoute Spotify sur ma Google home puis que j'utilise également Spotify juste après dans ma voiture toujours en mode aléatoire, les mêmes chansons que j'écoutais sur ma Google home dans le même ordre exactement hyper pénible!!!Je paie quand même !!!! Et cela augmente chaque année !! inadmissible !!!!

[timsty]

I get it if Spotify wants to "let AI shuffle smartly to keep users listening", whatever. But at least give us an option for True Shuffle. I'm sick of listening to songs I just added to my playlist, I want to hear something from 5-6 years ago randomly. That's the reason I actually have a catch-all bucket playlist.

[villas-app]

When using the Smart Shuffle option, the same shuffled songs are played. The regular Shuffle option shuffles the songs better, but this does not include the new songs I sometimes I hear, which I like.

I don't understand why it is so hard to implement real shuffle functionality. It feels like the old shuffle issue is back again when using Smart Shuffle. That took a real long time to be fixed.

[anniedrews]

Its really disappointment for me

[anniedrews]

The same thing happened with me I fix it instantly to follow mention below steps.

1. Check Shuffle Settings: Some music players have different shuffle settings. Ensure yours is set to fully randomize the playlist.
2. Clear Cache: Sometimes the music player's cache affects playback. Clearing the cache can reset any stuck shuffle patterns.
3. Update the App: Make sure your music player is updated to the latest version as updates often fix bugs related to shuffle algorithms.
4. Create Sub-Playlists: Divide your large playlist into smaller ones. This can help the shuffle algorithm work more efficiently and potentially more randomly.
5. Use Third-Party Apps: If the issue persists, consider using a different music player. Some apps may offer better shuffle algorithms.

These steps should help improve the variety of songs you hear in shuffle mode.

[rednblu]

     ≫ These steps should help . . . .

Thanks.  Very useful.  Those are the kinds of ideas that make this Spotify forum a goldmine.  I will pass on these five ideas to my kids who also have the infuriating experience with the Spotify shuffle.

Consequently, my kids have taken the “Easter egg” hunt approach to the Spotify shuffle so they will like your suggested steps a lot.

As an example of looking for the “Easter egg” in this Spotify shuffle video game, my kids just showed me how to shuffle a 202,756 track Spotify Folder with many playlists in many Folders and Sub-folders that I can change easily and then “reinitialize” the shuffle-- using my desktop to set up the perfect Spotify shuffle on my mobile-- until the shuffle breaks and reads some internal computed list instead of looking at the Folder that started and shuffled perfectly for a whole week! 

As you can see below, even the name of the Folder being shuffled shows up correctly and automatically on my mobile queue display when the shuffle is working right!-- but not on my desktop queue display!

Maybe your ideas will help us do what Spotify should be doing-- namely keep the Spotify shuffle from breaking and just looping on an internal computed nonsense file that was already played!

Desktop Folder, File structure, and lacking FolderName in Queue display

[Kathleena25]

Plan

Currently on the premium plan

Country

US

Device

Samsung Galaxy S23 

Operating System

Windows 10

My Question or Issue

I have a playlist with over 81 hours of music and it continues to play repeat song prior to playing songs that still haven't been played on the playlist or I am running into the issue where it will play a bunch of songs from the same artist on shuffle.  This get frustrating because, when I have have a gathering, I would like to put my playlist on shuffle and let it go without worrying about songs repeating.  I want the playlist to actually shuffle. I continue to have this issue even with uninstalling and reinstalling the app. 

[Redial89g]

I have this same problem. I keep hearing the same songs every time I press play after restarting the app, even though my playlist has 500+ songs. I'm using the smart shuffle function, which I thought should shuffle my own songs and in addition play new songs based on my 'taste'. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that.

[rednblu]

    ≫ ... I keep hearing the same songs every time I press play after restarting the app ...

Yes-- a big pain!

Furthermore, that repeatBug infuriates every single instance and version of the Spotify player alive today! 

But in 10 seconds, everybody I hear from can leave their Spotify player-- desktop, mobile, TV, and WebPlayer-- in every Spotify player version that my family Spotify accounts use today-- so that in 1, 2, 3, 4, Five!-- 10 seconds-- you can leave any one of those Spotify players in a readyToStartState so that all you do is startPlay-- and Voila!...

... The Spotify player plays a random firstTrack from the playlist, Folder, or Sub-Folder you selected and plays up to 5,302 tracks without repeating any track-- except for those particular tracks that are repeated in the playlist, Folder, or Sub-Folder on which you initiated play by the 1, 2, 3, 4, Five!-- tenSecondInitialization.

Then, after you get the Spotify shuffle play started correctly without repeats-- by the 1, 2, 3, 4, Five!-- tenSecondInitialization as above-- just turn on the smart shuffle function as you like it,  and it will work correctly, presenting for you only the repeats that are designed into the smart shuffle function-- as all my family accounts tell me.

Because the Spotify shuffle gives none of those infuriating if you initialize it correctly by the appropriate 1, 2, 3, 4, Five!-- tenSecondInitializtion-- I suggest that you and everybody else concerned should get the Spotify Help information corrected so that the Spotify Help information has what you need to fix this.

[Ulkutan]

I have the same issue as many other users have regarding Spotify shuffle function. Out of a large playlist, Spotify only shuffles from a smaller subset. Same artists' songs keep shuffling. This has been raised by other users and it always comes to the same Spotify answer by TomLegend, which doesn't help at all. He says in his answer that they have a few troubleshooting steps and threads related to the issues, but doesn't provide a link to those steps and threads. Some other steps he listed in his answer are totally useless.

[lucbloom]

It is a reason to cancel my subscription. Not only because I need this function, but because I know as a dev it's so simple to implement. Mersenne Twister anyone? Large playlists (constantly playing party playlists) need this feature the most. It also creates a feedback loop: "Oh I guess he really like the songs I've been "rANdOmLy" playing 500 times over and over again, specifically..." 

[otokoyama]

Its done on purpose to drive you to pay for Spotify. As if the constant interruption of ads was not enough. They, like all companies want to shake every last penny out of you that they can.

[melle_hbk]

Plan

Premium

Country

Sweden

Device

PC

Operating System

Windows 11

My Question or Issue

I know this has been a topic in a few different threads, but some of them direct to old threads that are "denied" for me to watch... Anyways, when will Spotify Shuffle but randomized? I mean I have a shared playlist with a friend and we have over 4000+ songs but I still listen to the same 100-200 songs with STANDARD Shuffle (not Smart Shuffle, its even worse). 

Can you somehow fix this? If anyone has a solution with like an addon or plugin. 

[Kanefire]

Spotify shuffle went from suck to blow. New sMaRt sHuFfLe plays same 20 songs with randos sprinkled in between. 1000s to chose from on playlist and same 20 songs. Been like this for weeks now. Try to manually play another song in different part of playlist but keeps going back to the same 20 songs. Driving me nuts. 

[Nuteramiruku]

A few months ago, I was listening to music on Spotify and there was a queue that I was listening. Spotify closed and I reopened it, my queue wasn't there. I started listening to the same songs, listened, then I looked at my phone; and saw a song looks still playing and it's played about 17 hours. Infinity. And my queue was there. When I listen to music on pc, it shows that one song is playing on my phone as song info. And  the queue on my phone is different, THAT QUEUE, THAT OLD QUEUE. I use my phone to listen to music at nights, and I always be needed to delete the queue.

Shortly, Spotify always keeps playing the same queue.

[Nuteramiruku]

Also discord always shows that song like I'm listening to it. Everytime. Even I don't listen to music.

[Speedsters]

Plan

Premium

Country

United Kingdom

Device

PC

Operating System

Windows 11

My Question or Issue

When i have a large playlist, if I want to shuffle listen to the playlist, I turn on Shuffle and Repeat. But it only ever plays like 20-30 songs. After 2 hours of listening I hear the same Songs playing again. I believe it's to do with the queue system and large playlists.....

[Clein]

For a little less than a month, I've been having problems with Spotify. Regardless of the platform, when I shuffle a playlist, it always repeats the same list. I end up listening to the same songs every day. Even if I jump to a random position in my "Liked Songs" list to start a new shuffle, I always end up with the same non-random list that has been created in the background.

Additionally, songs that have no relation to my music style are being added to my "non-random" playlists (I skip the same songs every day).

Does anyone know what's going on? Is the entire random playlist system actually bugged?

[Adzolicious]

I have this exact same issue 

[Adzolicious]

I've done a full reinstall of the app and it's made no difference.

I'm on iPhone14 pro on iOS 17.5.1

I have to play my liked songs alphabetically because shuffle keeps giving me the same 50 or so songs.

Same issue as above. Spotify keeps switching to its own autogenerated queue