Implement an actual shuffle function

[RoninTheOrigina]

Yes, you read that right.  The "shuffle" function in Spotify is nothing more than a randomizer.  There's a difference?  YES.

RANDOM - Play one song.  The next song can be ANY song in your playlist.  Including the one you just listened to.  Though I've never had this specifically happen, I literally just heard the same song that I heard 2 songs ago.  This is how Spotify's "shuffle" currently functions.

SHUFFLE - Take your entire list, shuffle them (like cards), and play the first song in the shuffle.  Once finished, move that song off the pile.  Once the pile is depleted, shuffle the deck again and start over (maybe pop a message up).

I know enough about programming (not much) to know that shuffling is probably a bit harder than random, but come on.  I may be in the minority, but I don't have a lot of little playlists.  I have one list with nearly a thousand songs in it, because I like all the music, and am rarely not in the mood for one of those songs.  But what I can't stand is hearing the same song over and over again.  I think there may even be songs in my list I haven't heard yet, while I've heard others 4-5 times.

I know it may not matter much, but I would probably lay down the money for at least a year subscription if this feature was implemented.

EDIT: Another user pointed out that I can see what all is queued up in my shuffle by clicking the Play Queue link, and that Spotify supposedly sets up a rolling shuffle of 50 songs.  It would be nice if this range could be expanded to say 50-100% of your playlist.

EDIT 4/6/12: I just dealt with the same song 16 tracks later.  The song played the first time yesterday afternoon.  I went home, listened for a bit on my home PC (just a few songs), then started listening again this morning.  If the list recycles itself after a day, or if you log in from another computer, I see that as an area for improvement.

[Loganm2977]

Shuffle is still awful. It's not an algorithm that's needed, it's a simple array storing played song ID's followed by an if then statement checking to see if the upcoming song ID matches the ID of any song in the played song array.

Frankly, as a programmer the dysfunctional shuffle feature on spotify is entirely unacceptable. In my opinion spotify charges for what should be an alpha release, and at best a beta.

Just fix the %!#$ thing. Personally I want a solution, not some canned response along the lines of "thanks for the feedback, we'll take it into consideration." We all know such responses are pretty much bull$!#* at this point.

[ObeyConsume]

Here's an idea. Instead of marking things as 'implemented' or 'solved' when they are not, actually read what users are telling you, and fix your shuffle algorithm.

Here's a 92 page thread that continues to be updated on an almost daily basis: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Implemented-Ideas/Implement-an-actual-shuffle-function/idi-p/27607

and another 20+ page on the same topic:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/spotifyiOS/page/1/thread-id/300...

BOTH have been marked solved, when they are obviously NOT.

It looks like clients seem to pull a page of songs in, then only shuffle that first page. Read the replies, there are a lot of reports, stop ignoring this issue.

[Younghill]

Fix shuffle. Its like it shuffles 40 songs at most, even if there's 300 or even 100 songs.

Shuffle. Play. Remove (from que). Next song. Remove. Next song.

Its been a problem since the beginning of Spotify...

[wcharleton13]

It plays songs that were downloaded in close proximity.  I downloaded a bunch of christmas music this year, along with other music thrown in.  I play a jazz song song I downloaded this december, and the next 15 songs are all christmas songs I also downloaded in December.  I downloaded a bunch of 90s music last summer.  If I am listening to one of those songs and hit random, all the songs that play I downloaded last summer.  Why can't you have options?  I just want 100% random shuffle.  I don't care if the same song plays twice.

[RLWIVELL]

The problem isn't the shuffle algorithm but the fact that you have a shuffle algorithm. Shuffle should simply randomize the songs in the list.

[djeboe]

OK, Spotify. Here is the true problem. You have confused two types of playback methods. You are using a method called "Random". That randomly plays a song from the playlist after the previous one plays. Your algorithm has some aspects of shuffle programmed into it to prevent the previous track from repeating for x period of time, but I can play a playlist that I have curated of what a fictional College/Commercial Alternative station would have played on 12/31/1988, and quite frequently on my mobile device, it seems to want to play "Stuart" by the Dead Milkmen as the first song. Unless the soil is causing the problems with your algorithm, I certianly can't see that particular song as being driven by some sort of financial agenda, so... But I digress.

True "Shuffle" mode is EXACTLY as it is described above. I fail to see how you can understand this. Much like the repeat button, where when you click or tap on it more than once, it cycles through repeat all, one track... make the Shuffle button do the same... except rename the current function to "Random" and then add a true Subtractive "Shuffle" as the next option. Give it tool tips on the mouse over if you need to on the desktop app. If you want to, make it be a toggle in settings instead for the button on the front panel. 

JUST IMPLEMENT THE CHOICE FOR THOSE OF US WHO WANT IT TO WORK CORRECTLY. IT'S CHEAPER THAN TRYING TO ENDLESSLY TWEAK SOME ALGORITHM.

[camilasbabe]

Not a fan every time I go to shuffle a playlist there are times where a song plays that's not even in the playlist and then I will try to clear the app to see if I can go back and then maybe a song from the playlist will play and that doesn't happen

[DarkKnight13]

The New Update February 14th for Spotify has broken the shuffle playlist playing unknown artists not even related to my genre music please fix it and go back to how it was before it feels like year after year this app keeps getting worse 

[roderickzzz]

The shuffle "function" is seriously pants!!! Spotify, listen to your PAYING CUSTOMERS!!!!!  Fix it! Seriously, this is a major fault in your otherwise good application. So frustrating, when I'm paying for a service that's, by the look of all the pages and pages of feedback, over years and years, not caring about its customers feedback. You're offering the the shuffle service, so make it shuffle for the sake of everyones sanity!  

[rednblu]

Pure poetry, my fellow supplicants, for the mercy of Spotify the Great-- who in the modern type--

   Never hears

Nor even denies--

          . . .

   Do the right thing, dear Spotify--

Give us a TrueShuffle-- A Shuffle, please, that plays each and every track in a 9,000 track playlist before it repeats even one track in that 9,000 track playlist--

  Please

For the love of Spot!