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\u2019re listening to an album or playlist with a specific story or flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we\u2019ll show you how to turn off shuffle on Spotify for both desktop and mobile devices. We\u2019ll also cover some troubleshooting tips if you\u2019re having trouble turning off shuffle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shuffle mode is represented by two overlapping arrows pointing to the right. The shuffle icon is located next to the rewind icon on Spotify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To enable or disable shuffle, locate and tap this icon. In the iPhone and Android apps, tap the song\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shuffle mode is enabled when it is highlighted in green. When there is only white or gray, shuffle mode is disabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You must open the app to see it; it will not appear on your phone\u2019s lock screen or in the control center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shuffle can be turned on or off at any time if you have Spotify Premium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On your home page or in the search tab, you can find \u201cMade for you\u201d playlists, which Spotify\u2019s algorithm generates specifically for you. These playlists use your listening habits, including artists and genres, to create playlists tailored to your preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, for those without Spotify Premium, not all \u2018Made for You\u2019 playlists are available without shuffle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, we discovered that only the \u2018Daily Mixes\u2019 were available in this format during our search. This includes the approximately six Daily Mixes that Spotify creates based on your listening habits. The \u2018Soundtrack of your day\u2019 also typically includes playlists like \u2018Daily Drive\u2019 and \u2018Daily Wellness.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are also instances where you have disabled the shuffle option but the songs continue to play in shuffle mode. In that case, we\u2019ve compiled a list of solutions in the following section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on where the problem occurs, you can try the following fixes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re curious about how Spotify\u2019s shuffling algorithm works, we\u2019ve got you covered in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to save money on a music streaming service but can\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, but it depends on how you define the term \u2018random.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Previously, Spotify shuffle used the Fisher-Yates shuffle, which meant that every song in the playlist had an equal chance of being played next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While this is the correct definition of \u2018random,\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s not ideal because the point of shuffle is to mix up the musical experience of all the artists on a playlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want a more seamless listening experience, organise your songs into playlists based on mood, genre, purpose, or season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To combat this, in 2014, a Spotify engineer named Luk\u00e1 Pol\u00e1ek created a shuffle algorithm that can evenly distribute songs from the same artist across the length of a playlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, while today\u2019s Spotify Shuffle is somewhat random, there\u2019s almost no chance you\u2019ll get multiple songs from the same artist in a row with this algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n