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.

[ws1482]

I was just listening in my car on my Iphone on shuffle. I heard a series of 4 or 5 songs and got out of my car. I got back into my car 30 minutes later, started listening on shuffle and I heard the same series of songs I just heard in the same exact order. Spotify just said they fixed shuffle play. Ha!

[Lorelo89]

I agree with most of the people here saying the problem is not solved yet. I listen to my playlist daily, and the songs come out in almost the same order every time!! The shuffle experience is really AWFUL guys!!!!!! Please create a new algorithm. I think is disrespectful towards every one of us paying for the service, and this issue is under discussion since 2012! (really???)

[kcpz]

I maintain a large playlist of songs that I enjoy listening to and have 255 songs at the time of writing this. I've run into the issue where I reach the first song that I started with and I very clearly haven't been listening long enough to finish the whole playlist. The shuffle function seems to be skipping songs, which I don't like. 

Off topic idea: allow shuffling to be maintained across devices, so if I switch from one device to another it will actually remember that I've already listened to a song, which it doesn't seem to do.

[NospmasD]

I am getting so frustrated with this that I am about to cancel my subscription. Especially sucks when running and you hear the same songs within the first 4 or 5 played. C'mon Spotify. FIX THIS NOW!

[tekch1c]

It's definitely bad when out for a run. Three mornings this week, pressed Shuffle... went out the door.

Song #1 played.... 

Different song for song #2

Next up? Song number freaking 1 again!

It seems to be fairly repeatable, and I've noticed every day this week that the first 5-6 songs of my playlist I hear at least twice, if not more (I just get frustrated and double-tap my earbud to skip to next).

Is Shuffle really *that* hard of an algorithm to implement with no repeats until the whole list has played through?

[NospmasD]

Spotify doesn't seem to listen or care if this has been a problem since 2012. I wonder if they even monitor this community. I'm going to look for a different service.

[user-removed]

I see that Spotify tried a fix in Feb 2016 but I am still getting repeating of the same song within a playlist (in May 2016)  using the shuffle function and was hoping this can be corrected soon. I would really appreciate it. thank you.     Bocceking 

[rednblu]

FYI.

Spotify development has taken shortcuts that do not bother 80% of my friends and probably do not bother 99% of Spotify's paying customers by giving all of those hated repeats.

In programming the "Shuffle module", Spotify development has omitted a "memory module" large enough to remember what it played for you already-- so you generally start getting those hated repeats from the Spotify Shuffle before you can catch your breath.

However, please inform your friendly Spotify development team that @Tobraham has developed a >very successful replacement for the cyrrebt joke of a "Spotify Shuffle". <<

I have tracked the performance of @Tobraham's Shuffler as you can see at >> this last.fm link. << In that sorted display-- sorted by descending number of plays in the last 7 days-- you will see repeats on only three tracks that I wanted to hear as many times as I deliberately put those repeats on my Play Queue-- and no more, thank God for @Tobraham's true and perfect Spotify Shuffler.

Please inform your friendly Spotify development team, @user-removed, @NospmasD, @tekch1c, @Lorelo89 that @Tobraham demonstrates the proper design and proper use of a "memory module" to remember what you have played already in the last 7 days-- so that you can get no repeats for at least 7 days.

I know that Spotify development will not want to put anything as useful as @Tobraham's true and perfect Shuffler inside the Spotify player code-- so you might suggest to your friendly Spotify development that they should purchase or license @Tobraham's Shuffler design to run as a separate Web service just as @Tobraham let's us run his true and perfect Shuffler as a Web service inside your browser.

Don't be disrespectful of Spotify development, please-- Just please tell them what they should do-- They should acquire @Tobraham's working prototype true and perfect Shuffler.

* I get no commissions.
* Clearly I do not work for Spotify.
* I truly enjoy hearing music-- when I get Zero unasked repeats of what I already heard. And the Spotify library is "big enough" to satisfy me perfectly and by "orders of magnitude". I will be listening to Spotify for another two centuries 24 X 7 with Zero repeats at this rate!-- thanks to @Tobraham.

[user-removed]

hi kcpz, your idea is a good idea. I like it and hope they take a look at
that. I have a growing playlist of my favorites ( around 1000 songs) that
grows everyday, and get way too much repeating. nothing much at this point
seems to work. if I'm listening to my list, in shuffle mode, I have been
looking at the 'play q', of a good bunch of songs, usually on my desktop in
my house, and if I notice a few of those songs in that 'play q' that I
already heard too many times recently, I just go to the bottom of the list
a hit 'play' on the last song, skipping all the songs in the presently
showing 'play q' this way, I get a new bunch of songs to view. its not a
good situation. I guess they have known about this issue for years so its
not looking good for the serious music listener, and in my case, a paying
customer. note: when listening to my Spotify on any of my devices, at the
gym, or at work, its no better. otherwise, I love Spotify. its an important
issue. I may stop the service if I become too impatient or lose interest.
thanks for your help kcpz. bocceking.

[Tobraham]

Try my ShuffleFly application, guys. It will build you a beautifully shuffled playlist from your entire library and you can just turn off your random mode and play it from start to finish. It also remembers the playlist it built and will not select the same songs the next time you use it.

Riograndemud.com/shufflefly