Spotify shuffle is a great way to discover new music and listen to your favorite songs in a random order. But sometimes, you just want to listen to your songs in order, especially if you’re listening to an album or playlist with a specific story or flow.
In this article, we’ll show you how to turn off shuffle on Spotify for both desktop and mobile devices. We’ll also cover some troubleshooting tips if you’re having trouble turning off shuffle.
Quick Answer
- To disable shuffle on the Spotify Android or iOS app, make the song currently playing full-screen. Tap the Shuffle button repeatedly until it turns grey.
- Click the Shuffle button on the Spotify desktop app or web player until it turns grey to disable shuffle.
How to Turn off Spotify Shuffle
Shuffle mode is represented by two overlapping arrows pointing to the right. The shuffle icon is located next to the rewind icon on Spotify.
To enable or disable shuffle, locate and tap this icon. In the iPhone and Android apps, tap the song’s name at the bottom to make it full-screen. Tap the song currently playing in the bottom-left corner of the iPad app. It will be at the bottom of the screen in the desktop app.
Shuffle mode is enabled when it is highlighted in green. When there is only white or gray, shuffle mode is disabled.
You must open the app to see it; it will not appear on your phone’s lock screen or in the control center.
Shuffle can be turned on or off at any time if you have Spotify Premium.
However, you can only control shuffle in the Spotify desktop apps if you use the free version of Spotify. Your playlists and albums are permanently in shuffle mode in the mobile app, but Spotify playlists are not shuffleable.
How to Turn Off Shuffle on Spotify (Desktop and Web Player)
Shuffle can be turned off in the desktop app or web player by clicking the button until it turns grey. This button, which resembles two intertwined arrows, is located at the bottom of the interface in the playback bar. If the button is in shuffle mode, it will be green with a dot underneath it.
If you have music in your queue, it will precede the shuffled music. Unless you clear your queue, music will always play in the order it was queued.
For Spotify Free Users: Turn Off Shuffle in ‘Made for You’
On your home page or in the search tab, you can find “Made for you” playlists, which Spotify’s algorithm generates specifically for you. These playlists use your listening habits, including artists and genres, to create playlists tailored to your preferences.
Unfortunately, for those without Spotify Premium, not all ‘Made for You’ playlists are available without shuffle.
In fact, we discovered that only the ‘Daily Mixes’ were available in this format during our search. This includes the approximately six Daily Mixes that Spotify creates based on your listening habits. The ‘Soundtrack of your day’ also typically includes playlists like ‘Daily Drive’ and ‘Daily Wellness.’
Other playlists that do not have shuffle-only playback are also available. The majority of these playlists are based on Spotify campaigns. Playlists for holidays, seasons, and special occasions are examples.
There are also instances where you have disabled the shuffle option but the songs continue to play in shuffle mode. In that case, we’ve compiled a list of solutions in the following section.
What Should You Do If Spotify Is On Shuffle?
Even with a premium account, playlists on Spotify have been known to get stuck on shuffle. Spotify is not working as intended due to a programming error within the app.
Depending on where the problem occurs, you can try the following fixes:
- Double-tap the first song in a playlist or album. By default, all Spotify playlists play on shuffle; double-tapping will cause them to play in order.
- For playlists without shuffle control (such as daily mixes), return to your previous playlist and disable shuffle play. Auto-generated playlists, such as daily mixes, use the settings from your most recent playback.
- If nothing works, restart the app: Spotify occasionally accumulates unwanted bugs in the cache, resulting in issues such as being stuck on shuffle. Restarting the app can reset its settings.
Regardless of where the problem occurs, you may have a reason for disabling shuffle playback. The Spotify shuffle may be too random or not random enough for you.
If you’re curious about how Spotify’s shuffling algorithm works, we’ve got you covered in the next section.
If you want to save money on a music streaming service but can’t stand the shuffle-only playback, you should look into YouTube Music. The free plan allows you to listen to music on the go via the mobile app.
Is Spotify Shuffle Random?
Yes, but it depends on how you define the term ‘random.’
Previously, Spotify shuffle used the Fisher-Yates shuffle, which meant that every song in the playlist had an equal chance of being played next.
While this is the correct definition of ‘random,’ it caused issues for Spotify Shuffle users. For instance, if you put five Beyonce and five Drake songs on a playlist, Single Ladies and Crazy in Love might follow Hotline Bling and In My Feelings back to back.
That’s not ideal because the point of shuffle is to mix up the musical experience of all the artists on a playlist.
If you want a more seamless listening experience, organise your songs into playlists based on mood, genre, purpose, or season.
To combat this, in 2014, a Spotify engineer named Luká Poláek created a shuffle algorithm that can evenly distribute songs from the same artist across the length of a playlist.
So, while today’s Spotify Shuffle is somewhat random, there’s almost no chance you’ll get multiple songs from the same artist in a row with this algorithm.
If this describes you, you do not have Spotify Premium. A Shuffle button is only available to Spotify Premium subscribers. If you use Spotify Free, you must use the app in Shuffle mode at all times, so you cannot disable it with the Shuffle button.
Is it possible to shuffle a Spotify playlist?
Spotify playlists can, in fact, be shuffled.
To disable shuffle on desktop, you do not need Spotify Premium.
Is Spotify’s shuffle feature random?
Yes. When you use shuffle, all of the music you listen to is randomized. Albums, playlists, and even individual songs are all included.
In the playback bar, you’ll find the Shuffle button. The media controls on the playback bar are Shuffle, Previous, Play, Next, and Repeat. However, there is no Shuffle button if you are a Spotify Free user.
Conclusion
One of the many limitations that mobile users face is shuffle-only playback on Spotify’s free plan. On the plus side, they provide ways for their users to have a personalized experience that will persuade them to upgrade to the premium plan.
- SPOTIFY FREE VS PREMIUM: Is It Worth the Upgrade?
- Spotify Free vs Premium: What Are the Key Differences?
- HOW TO SHARE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: EASY Methods!
- HOW TO DELETE A SPOTIFY ACCOUNT: Step-By-Step Guide 2023
- How To Change Screen Saver on iPhone, Simplified!!!!
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