[All Platforms] Shuffle algorithm that favours "unpopular" songs

[fraktalisman]

As a paying Spotify premium customer, I need a shuffle algorithm different from the current, non-random shuffle that seems to favor "popular" songs, as has been pointed out by other customers who experimented with what is actually happening (see links to other posts below).

Currently there are only two possible ways to listen to music in playlists, either in the listed order, or shuffled by an algorithm that makes listeners miss out on about 20% to 30% of the songs in the list, favoring the ones that we already listened to hundreds or thousands of times.

I want to be able to choose another algorithm that does exactly the opposite: play songs in a pseudo-random order but leaving out the ones that already have been played frequently, and instead focusing on songs seldom listened to, in order to make me rediscover new songs and inspirations! This is even more important when listening to playlists made by other people, to help me discover new music.

The new algorithm could be called something like "serendipity shuffle" or "discover mode". This could be an option to activate in the user's settings, so the existing popularity shuffle would stay the default option.

In case a serendipity shuffle is too hard for you to implement, a simple randomized shuffle function would also be much better than the current one. This has already been pointed out in other posts in this forum.

See other posts in this community:

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ongoing-Issues/Shuffle-Is-Only-Going-Through-A-Handful-Of-Songs/idc...

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ongoing-Issues/Please-stop-marking-shuffle-complaints-as-quot-not-a...

[beckslee81]

Please this, so often I'm listening to a daily mix and it plays the same song over and over, sometimes twice within an hour.   I'd love to be able to open up the results to other offerings from the same artist.

[haylebop]

Shuffle does not seem very random. It also seems to be tied to what device im listening on. Different device, Different popular songs. I just want to hear all the music in my library. 

[fraktalisman]

Yes, Shuffle still does not seem very random. The problem persists, and Spotify keeps ingoring feature requests from their paying customers. I repeat: we need either a simple randomization, or alternative algorithms ... or an alternative app ... or another music streaming service after all?

[fraktalisman]

Half a year later, and the shuffle options are still missing in my spotify app.

[Ppozniak]

I have around 1700 songs.

This is how usually my shuffle queue looks like when I just play all songs at random 🙂

It's soooooo random as you can see.

[fraktalisman]

Follow-up with an easier to implement solution, that has of course been suggested several times since ca. 2012, but maybe the spotify devs with their mega dx will finally get a grip before the last customer is gone: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Idea-Submissions/non-algorithmic-playlist-shuffle/idi-p/5024739

[KevH4575]

I think this would be a great idea too. The current algorythm is so biased I have to unlike artists/songs I actually do like because suffle plays them to death.

Come on Spotify, surely this is an easy one for you to implement. Just give your user a chance to switch off the repetition.

[Charityrose]

I hate the current Spotify shuffle mode. It's just the same playlist in another set order. When I listen to a shuffled playlist a few times, I can pretty much anticipate the next song. So I'm still only getting the same 20-30 songs over and over, and that's EXACTLY what I DON'T want to happen. That's not a true shuffle. Please give us a true shuffle.

[Gossamer1]

I do agree that I feel like a lot of my older songs that I haven’t heard in a long time don’t surface back up to the top when shuffling my music library. I’ve actually forgotten some of my favorite songs and when I shuffle it seems to be songs that I’ve heard in the last three months over and over and over again.

It just feels like the shuffle is never utilizing every song in my library, which is disappointing.

I’ve also noticed that sometimes the songs are deleted from the phone and have to re-download which makes me question if the shuffle will work worse. 

[Guyb2018]

I recently ran into a similar issue. Every time I shuffle play a Spotify-created playlist, the first 10 songs from the playlist are always played first, no matter what and when. Those are songs I'm already familiar with and enjoy listening to, but after a while I just get tired of them. I may be the most music-diversed person you'll ever know, I just can't listen to the same songs over and over. I usually listen to Spotify-playlists in my 20-minute bus drives to school, or in my 15-minute shower. For short and limited time. And apparently every time I'll play those playlists in my limited listening time, I'll get the same songs. And I'm just tired of it.

After sending an e-mail to Spotify Support, I was told this is an expected behavior, because those songs are supposed to give the listener a familiar feel when he listens to his playlists. But I believe most Spotify users are here to discover new music and not to listen to the same songs over and over again.

I am also about to post this issue to the community, and I hope I'll other people who understand the situation, and want to listen to all songs on all playlists, just like me!