Shuffling is Limited

[top40junky]

Hello - I'm a Premium User in the US with an iPhone 11 Pro with iOS 14.2

Lately I've noticed that the Shuffling isn't truly working. It will shuffle but a ~10 song subset of the songs of a much larger playlist are always at the top (vs. truly randomizing the playlist).

Please see the attached screenshots where I've done this a few times on the app created playlist that has 150 songs. However, this is not unique to this playlist and has been a recurring issue for me. I've also noticed this on both the iPhone app and the desktop computer app.

Any fix?

Thanks!

[Eni]

Hi @top40junky, 

Welcome to the Community 🙂 

We suggest keeping the app updated to its latest version to ensure optimal performance. It's well worth running a clean reinstall by following these steps on all your devices to get rid of any cached files that might be causing trouble.

On another note, could you let us know if this is only happening with one playlist or with all of them?

We'll be waiting for your reply!

[top40junky]

Hi Eni - This is happening on multiple playlists and it's also happening on
the web, desktop and mobile app version (not just the app).

Thanks!

[Eni]

Hey there @top40junky, 

Thanks for sending us this information. 

Just to confirm, have you already run a clean reinstall on your devices following the specific steps we sent in our previous message?

On another note, could you try logging in with a friend's account in one of your devices to check if the issue persists with that account?

We'll keep an eye out for your reply!

[top40junky]

Yes I did a clean install, and again this is happening on multiple devices
/ platforms.

Even if I start a song in the middle or bottom of the playlist, the same
10-15 songs are always playing first when on Shuffle mode.

I asked a friend to test this and she actually has a similar problem on her
device / her account. Is it possible there's a bug with the playlist?

[Eni]

Hey @top40junky,

Thanks for getting back in touch!

Could you let us know the exact make/model, operating system and Spotify version of your devices?

Additionally, could you let us know if this issue started happening after a specific event such as an update?

On another note, would you mind letting us know if this is happening only when you're streaming or with your offline music too?

We'll be waiting for your reply 🙂

[top40junky]

Sure thing:

- iPhone 11 Pro, iOS 14.2, Spotify version 8.5.86.739
- I've actually noticed it for awhile now, just got to the point I
wanted to do something about it 🙂
- Good question - I've only streamed this playlist. I just downloaded
it, went offline, and the issue is still happening
- I also noticed it on another playlist Hit Rewind which has a
similar group of artists (e.g., Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Little Mix,
Britney Spears)
- Is it possible that some artists are being prioritized in the shuffle?

Thanks!

[Eni]

Hey @top40junky, 

Thanks for this info and for your quick reply! 

Could you let us know if this is only happening with the Spotify-created playlists, or with your own playlists as well?

Additionally, sending us the URI of the playlists you're mentioning would come in handy. To get them, open the Spotify desktop app > click the three dots next to the content > Share > Copy Spotify URI.

We'll keep an eye out for your reply!

[schwastl]

I’ll chime in as I’m experiencing the exact same problem. It’s been happening for me for the last week or two on this playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX2LTcinqsO68?si=mpbOvqj8TWmvtMtSAKrOFg

Whenever I shuffle, it will put the first ten songs on the playlist in some order right at the top. It’s happened on both my iPhone XS Max running 14.3 and Spotify v. 8.5.86.739 and my iPad Air 2 running 14.2 and the same Spotify version. 

It did NOT have the problem with this user-created playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3utwTHYv5KMCqzd3fxYGes?si=uaRkqSETR8eaER2fBUajyQ

or on a playlist that I created, but it DID do it on another Spotify-created genre playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX6GRSnGELn7L?si=wU0oEtSJS6Kl6yUjA07LWA

[Eni]

Hi there @schwastl,

Welcome to the Community and thanks for the info you've sent.

We've passed it on to the right folks, who are currently looking into it.

If you have any questions or need a hand with anything else, give us a shout!

Have a good one 🙂

[schwastl]

Thanks for passing it along! I also checked on my wife’s phone (iPhone 11 Max), and it has the same problem on the Old School Metal playlist, but not on the Rock This or 90s Rock Anthems. So maybe it’s a bug only on certain playlists? It also looked like the playlist had been updated on her phone but not on mine.

[Ver]

Hey @schwastl,

Thanks for keeping us posted 🙂

We can confirm that this is an expected behavior for some of the playlists. It's a good idea to wait a bit and check again if the other songs also start shuffling. 

If you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We'll be happy to help.

Stay safe!

[top40junky]

Hi There,

Here are the Spotify Playlists I've been experiencing this with:

*Guilty Pleasures*
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX4pUKG1kS0Ac?si=AyUey80aSVeFnIDdFUpM7w

*Hit Rewind*
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX0s5kDXi1oC5?si=W8jpEySJTm-tlcQGN-UQfw

I also just tried the Old School Metal playlist that schwastl shared, and I
have the same issue there. (Not my usual music, but love me some Love
Potion No. 9)

When you say "expected behavior" - what does that mean? The point of a
Shuffle feature is to wholly randomize songs, is it not? Especially when
there are 50+ songs in the playlist.....

I feel like this has to either be a bug or is it possible that certain
artists are being promoted (even when in Shuffle mode) in these
Spotify-created playlists....?

[Ver]

Hey @top40junky,

Thanks for getting back to us 🙂

We have investigated this further and can confirm that this is an expected behavior. Some of the playlists may start shuffling the first 10 songs and then shuffle the rest of them.

We are always running tests in order to better our app and the experience with it. We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us and will make sure to pass it on to the right team.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We'll be happy to help.
 

[top40junky]

Thanks for following up! Personally I think that defeats the purpose of
"shuffling" but appreciate looking into it and sharing.

Please stay healthy and well!