"Repeat One" functionality question

[SleepDeprived]

Good day:

I've tried to search for this on the board, but I couldn't find it. If this has been asked before, please forgive me. I am curious about the "Repeat One" functionality for the Spotify iOS app, compared to the desktop versions.

Let's say I'm playing a song on the desktop version, and I have "Repeat One" activated. No matter what song I choose to play, "Repeat One" is still highlighted, and it behaves in that matter.

On the mobile side, every music app I've used on iOS behaves the same as described above, except for Spotify. The Spotify mobile app for iOS, for me, will change from "Repeat One" to "Repeat All" once a new song is selected to play.

I would like to know if anyone else noticed this. If this is intended behavior, it seems a bit weird, since other apps, such as Rdio's app, the built-in Music app, etc., don't behave that way.

I am currently using iOS 7.1.2 on both an iPhone 4S, as well as an iPad 2, and both are using ver. 1.5.0 of the Spotify app.

Once again, if this has been asked before, please excuse my oversight.

[Liam · Accepted solution]

Hi @SleepDeprived 🙂

This does seem strange. I'll ask Spotify staff to look into it further.

Liam

[MattSuda · Accepted solution]

Hello, and welcome to the community!

I am the one who got Spotify to add a repeat one option. It was just added back in February. 😉

Yes, I have noticed this too, but even though I am not the developer who added it into the mobile app, I always thought the behavior was intended.

Let's say you are playing a song from a playlist and you want to listen to it over and over again.

You then open the now playing view and click on repeat until it goes to repeat one.

Since you want to keep listening to that song you close out of the Spotify app and carry on whatever else you are doing.

If you then decide to play another song or continue on with the playlist, the repeat one option is turned off.

I think this is intended because usually you don't just want Spotify to repeat one every song you click on.

If it so happens that you want a certain song on repeat one, then you would just go to the now playing screen and turn repeat one on.

It would be a hassle to leave repeat one on because when you want to play a different song or continue playing the rest of the playlist, you would have to go to the now playing screen EVERY SINGLE TIME and turn off repeat one so you can continue listening without the app repeating the next song that you chose, over and over again.

The desktop app keeps the repeat one on because the button is always in view and easy to turn on and off. It's not so easy in the mobile apps.

Hopefully this clarifies what I think to be the intended behavior. 

Just because every other music app on iOS does it, doesn't mean it's the best experience for the user. I think the way Spotify's repeat button behaves is really nice.

[MattSuda · Accepted solution]

I have confirmed with someone at Spotify that this is the indeed behavior of the repeat feature. 

[SleepDeprived]

Thank you for the heads up.

I've no problem with the execution of the functionality. It's interesting that Spotify put thought into it, when all other apps toed the line.

I should try to get some sleep now 🙂 Cheers.

[georgo]

Hi,

Totally disagree. I would like to remain in the Repeat One mode even after going to the next song.

It works like this with almost all the music playing apps and devices from the past 2 decades.

Anyway, if Spotify changes this, there sould be an option in the settings to set this back to the standard behaviour at least.

My two cents. 🙂

[JupiterWrath]

Hi there!
So firstly, I may come off sounding like perhaps an unusual or boring person here, but I tend to be distracted really easily, so I prefer to listen to each and every song on Repeat One, instead of just playing through a play-list. For me a playlist is more of a category selection, in which the songs are grouped together for similar moods, not because I want to listen to each one.

MattSuda wrote: 

I think this is intended because usually you don't just want Spotify to repeat one every song you click on.

---

Well actually, whilst at work, I've found that I enjoy listening to select songs from the Mass Effect franchise, and will listen to each one on repeat for up to an hour before swtiching to the next song, again on repeat one mode. Not every song on the list is a favourite though, but when I find the next one I want to listen to, I do indeed want Spotify to repeat that song for me.

MattSuda wrote:

It would be a hassle to leave repeat one on because when you want to play a different song or continue playing the rest of the playlist, you would have to go to the now playing screen EVERY SINGLE TIME and turn off repeat one so you can continue listening without the app repeating the next song that you chose, over and over again.

---

See for me, I have to go to the now playing screen EVERY SINGLE TIME that I want to listen to another song on repeat mode within say my game music playlist. I will often go through the playlist saying "next, next, next, ne- Oh there's one I want to listen to on repeat now!". and it is therefore a real hassle if I am on public transport and needing to go back into the app to change it to repeat one every time.

MattSuda wrote:

Just because every other music app on iOS does it, doesn't mean it's the best experience for the user. I think the way Spotify's repeat button behaves is really nice.

I am a user too =(!.. and as a user, I am not finding it the best experience to continuously have to set the songs to repeat one every time..

I know that by and large, most people don't enjoy that sort of behaviour, however, couldn't there be an toggle option in the advanced settings menu called "persistent repeat one"?.. I really like spotify and just hope that the needs of the many don't always dictate the experience of the few..

[JoJo67]

dang, i needed this function to finish running my marathon but couldn't figure it out while running!!

[Wandat46]

Love your idea. I also like to play the same song at least 8 times, depending on my mood. I just created a Playlist with one song to see if I can get it to play over and over. 

[spotifyman12533]

Make a new playlist.

Put the one song you want on repeat into the new playlist.

Turn on repeat.

Done!

[georgo]

I am sorry, what you have offered is not a solution at all.

To change then to a different song and still keep the repeat one song functionallity is even more difficult. Not a solution at all.

[AllNatural]

Hi. Using a Windows 10 laptop, I do sometimes want to listen to any one of my short playlists on repeat, I have some with only two (2) songs. But, with or without the "Repeat 1" clicked on (or off), my playlists Do't Repeat. What is the problem? I am paying for services, we all are, and we can't contact you people in person? But what is the problem that the songs don't repeat?

[Matt_1]

And Chrome doesn't do it eather 

[Danseman]

I have opened a feature request for this under https://community.spotify.com/t5/Idea-Submissions/All-Platforms-Keep-quot-Repeat-One-quot-option/idi...

If you agree that this should be a thing, be sure to give it an upvote.

[sinancnry]

Hello,
I have found a strange solution now. Open spotify on your phone, choose desktop-pc device to listen. Then you can open "repeat one" function from your phone. The button emerges and remains there on your desktop application even after the mobile application is closed.
Have a good one 🙂

[DillPickleChipz]

I'm sorry, I'm kind of new... so... if repeat one repeats the song over and over again, what does the plain repeat do? Repeat the playlist? Also, is there a way to make it so songs that aren't on your playlist don't come up?