What happened to "Add to Queue" and what's up with "Add to Up Next"?

[meowsqueak]

Here's the situation. I'm using the iOS app on an iPhone. I have selected an album and am happily listening to it. Mid-album, I decide I want to queue up a new album, for a seamless transition at the end of the current album (maybe I'm about to start driving or running). In the past, the app had the ability to simply queue the next album via "Add to Queue", and it placed the new tracks after the end of the currently playing list of tracks. This is what I'd expect for a queue, and seems sensible.

However with the current version of the app (and it's been like this for a while now), it seems that "Add to Up Next" inserts the new track (or album) directly after the current song! No longer does it place them at the end of the currently playing list of tracks. This breaks up the current album into two parts, with the next album stuck in the middle. I can't imagine this is very useful most of the time.

It is also inconsistent, because if I then add another album, it will place it directly after the end of the second album (still in-between both halves of the first album!). If it's going to be awkward it could at least be consistent!

However, if I remember all this up front, I can start my listening session by selecting my first album using "Add to Up Next" (rather than just selecting the first track of the album), then skip the first track (which will be whatever I was listening to last time) and then I'm happily listening to my first album, and selecting "Add to Up Next" will put the new tracks on the end of the currently playing list. So it's a valid workaround, but it requires forethought and is ugly from a user experience point of view.

What am I missing here? Is the Spotify app user experience broken in this regard? Does anyone know why Spotify changed this? There are valid use cases for queueing a track to play "next" and "after", but the interaction for both cases is inconsistent.

[MartinStoichkov]

Hey there @meowsqueak, thanks for posting! 

The current feature is working exactly as you said, it's adding the songs directly to play next. But once you've started your queue, every song you add next will be played after the previous added there.

There is also a live idea, which suggesting separating the queue in two parts (queue to last or queue to next) you can add your vote and comments there in support : )

[meowsqueak]

Thanks for your reply Martin. Thanks for the link - I see the status is that there are no plans to implement this, and as such I've already commented there.

The situation is actually slightly worse than I described. If there is no current track (e.g. after restarting the app), then adding to "Add to Up Next" doesn't seem to do anything. If it does add tracks to the queue, there seems to be no way to start playing them. The workaround for this is to start playing a single track "normally", pause, then "Add to Up Next" as many tracks as I want to queue, then skip the current track to start the first track in the queue. Seems a bit broken to me.

[MartinStoichkov]

Hey back @meowsqueak 

Usually after you start the app, Spotify remember your last played track and playlist, so you are able ot add songs to the queue without need to play and pause the track first. After the songs you've added to the queue ends, the playing session will continue with the songs from your last played playlist. 

If you select multiple songs CTRL+CLICK or CLICK+SHIFT+CLICK to select songs between the first and the last, you'll be able to add multiple songs to the queue.

Also if you select songs to the queue, but then decide to play something different from other playlist, Spotify will remember your queue and these songs will be played next. After they finish, Spotify will continue playing from the playlist you've selected last. 

Hope that clear things up, if you have something else in mind, you can reply back here, as there is always a chance of misundertanding : ) 

[Ultimation]

This right here is precisely why I get so frustrated with Spotify. I absolutely do not want it to work this way. Have gone back and forth with the forums here and @SpotifyCares for years, sending screenshots, explaining why it doesn't work the way it used to and the way many users prefer.

[Ultimation]

This is because they made a design decision to make the app(s) work more like Google Play. In my opinion it was a terrible decision, for the reasons you've stated here.

[meowsqueak]

Martin, I am using the iOS app - that's where I'm having this issue. I can't select multiple songs to add to the queue in one operation. I have to add them one by one, and that's where this scheme fails.

[MartinStoichkov]

Hello back @meowsqueak : ) 

Since I'm not an iOS user, and I can't confirm how the queue looks like there, but you can select multiple tracks to be played next from the current playlist (see the screenshot) (if you want to add multiple songs to the queue from other playlist, then I'm afraid you can't select multiple)

There is a checkbox in the left, you can tap as much songs as you want, after you tap Add to up next, they'll be played in the order you've selected them. 

Do you have this feature, and are you talking about this? 

Thanks!

[meowsqueak]

Hi Martin,

With all due respect, while I appreciate your eagerness to respond helpfully, I posted this in the iOS section of the forum as my question is about the iOS version of the app. It does not look like the screenshot you posted (presumably from an Android device). There is no way to add multiple tracks to be played from anywhere.

Never mind, I think we just have to agree (perhaps to disagree) that Spotify are on another planet with regards to this functionality and it makes little sense to obviously clueless users like myself.

[kipnosky]

I am also very frustrated that there isn't a simple way to add new selections to the end of queue. Even Tidal has a way to do this. 

[nl51004571]

I am also totally frustrated with the add to QUE placing everything next in list and not adding to the end, every other service works the normal way and it's driving me mad along with not being able to easily clear your​ que.

[vzamora]

First of all, maybe your programmers must return to school to remember how a queue is supposed to work. If the dcision of implement Add to Queue this way was made by a non technical person, please instruct this person on how a queue is supposed to work.

Second, as an old school music listener I like to listen to albums and not playlists or shuffles like kids do, and cannot understand why I just can't just put another album at the end of a queue.

Please, stop trying to justify this stupid decision and fix this feature.   

[nl51004571]

I couldn't agree more, it's the only player that works this way and it's so
backwards.

[teddymazaheri]

So now you just swipe the song title to the right to add to queue if you are looking at a playlist. If you are on the cover art you tap the options symbol and add to queue should be among the options. To see your queued songs, you again click the options symbol and go to queue should be below add to queue if you have any songs queued.

[nl51004571]

Still doesn't allow you to add an album or any song to end of current queue
puts whatever you add as next to play, that's not how add to queue should
work.

[kipnosky]

Ideally, there should be a "Add to end" and "Add to next" queue option just like Tidal does it. 

[MartinStoichkov]

@kipnosky you can give your vote in support to this idea ; )

[nl51004571]

That would sort it.

[IntrinsicRhythm]

I've been a Google user for a few years now and it adds songs to the end of the queue. New Spotify user, and I'm a little dumbfounded that they are ignoring the preference of their users regarding queue functionality.

[kevshea]

I'm late to the party here, but what?? Google play works sensibly - you can add a song/album/whatever to play next or to play at the end of the queue.