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.

[Tjabber]

The shuffle function still only shuffles the first 50-100 songs. FIX THAT **bleep** YOU AMATEURS!!

[Tjabber]

The shuffle function still only shuffles the first 50-100 songs. FIX THAT **bleep** YOU AMATEURS!!

[fragtore]

I get the feeling that the algorithm wants to help me play songs that "I like extra much", and I often get the same songs when I shuffle while some never shows up. Just because I play a song more often doesn't neccessarily mean that I want it all the time when what I accually do when I press shuffle is to ask for a random mix within the playlist. This attitude of pushing clever algorithms down your throat at all times and for every simple function is one of the reasons we have weird politics and polarised silos of extremism in the world today. I mean it.

[fragtore]

EDIT (last post): I couldn't find the latest comments by just klicking page 146 so that's why people aren't reading them. And for you guys suggesting 3rd party solutions as a fix, get real: Ain't nobody got time for that... Better just keep protesting and hope they fix it.

[Guenwhyvar]

The fake "shuffle mode" hasn't worked this whole year. 

I don't know much about programming, but I programmed a "deck of cards" on Basic in the 1970's. It isn't THAT hard (not even with playlists many thousands of songs in size).

[bytebodger]

@fragtore: I guess we can all have our own definition of what it takes to "get real".  You can "keep protesting and hope they fix it".  The first post in this thread was created five years ago.  I don't call that "getting real".  Or you can use a 3rd-party tool, like the one I created (or others), that works right now.  It takes an extra 5-10 seconds to do a true shuffle of your playlist on http://writing.voyage/spotify.  It takes 5 years (and counting) to get Spotify to fix it.  

[bytebodger]

Apparently, their janky forum software can't distinguish between a period in a URL and a period at the end of a sentence.  The address to my utility is:

http://writing.voyage/spotify 

[user-removed]

[image: Inline image 1]this is my screen click playback and there is a
shuffle option, be in a playlist or radio, i have not tried with anything
else

[ryrymadison]

Hi Spotify!

Whenever I shuffle a playlist, it seems to play the songs I listen to the least at the beginning. Personally, I shuffle a playlist so I can have a mix of what is listen to most and what I don't listen to as frequently. I think it would be better for the algorithm to be more random and less planned. I have been noticing this happening for a few months, so I'm just hoping I'm not crazy for thinking this.

Thanks!

[summertide]

Before adding more bells and whistles how about fixing the shuffle function so it doesn't play the same songs every time I shuffle. I have 1,000s of songs in many playlists and any time I shuffle I hear the same 50 or so. It seems that the shuffle function is taking into account the popularity of each song (or some other unseen factor) to place it in a shuffle rank - this is against what "shuffle" should do. If I wanted to shuffle the top track or two from each artist in my playlist I'd make another playlist with jsut those songs.

Please Please Please fix this. I'm a huge fan of Spotify (have the faimly plan) and at every chance I attempt to convince people that Spotify is better than Pandora. But I'm losing faith because a funciton that Windows Media Player nailed 20 years ago is still escaping the tech pros at Spotify.

If someone there came up with the current shuffle strategy and you guys are sold on it - keep it, but give us another shuffle option. FFS.

Help!