Spotify, one of the world’s leading music streaming platforms, offers a shuffle play feature that allows users to listen to songs in random order from their playlists.
However, a growing number of users have noticed that the shuffle function may not be as random as it should be. Reports suggest that instead of a truly randomized selection, the shuffle feature appears to repeat certain songs more often than others.
Discussions on platforms like Reddit have highlighted this issue. One user shared their experience, saying, “I have a playlist with 3,000 songs, but when I use shuffle play, it seems like only 50 of them keep playing on repeat.” Many other users expressed similar frustrations in the comments, with some pointing out that they have encountered this issue for several years.
One user speculated that Spotify’s shuffle function is not entirely random, suggesting that an algorithm might be influencing song selection. “Someone once told me that when you use Spotify shuffle, it’s not random. There’s still an algorithm working in the background. It drives me crazy,” they said. They believe the algorithm prioritizes songs that the user plays frequently. Another user supported this idea, noting that shuffle play seemed to be more random in the past.
While it’s clear that some users are dissatisfied with Spotify’s shuffle play, the company has yet to address these concerns directly. Until then, the debate over whether Spotify’s shuffle play is truly random or influenced by algorithms continues.
Some users have even suggested that Spotify introduced an algorithm to address complaints from users who weren’t satisfied with the original random shuffle. However, Spotify has not officially confirmed the use of any algorithm in its shuffle function. The frustration with the seemingly unreliable shuffle has been echoed by users in various countries, including Slovakia. Many believe that Apple Music’s shuffle feature performs better, providing a more genuinely random selection of songs.
