Best Solutions to Get Truly Spotify Shuffle

Part 1. Why Is Shuffle So Bad on Spotify?

Shuffle on Spotify isn't truly random. Instead of pulling songs completely by chance, the app uses an algorithm designed to create a smoother listening experience. It blends certain tracks together and sometimes favors major artists or new releases, which can make the same songs show up more often than you'd expect.

Caching also plays a role. To load faster, the app stores some tracks on your device, and these cached songs may repeat more often. In practice, shuffle can end up choosing cached tracks instead of pulling more widely from your library. This system is built for efficiency, but it keeps running unless you clear cache from time to time — not only to free up space and fix playback issues, but also to keep shuffle working better.

For listeners hoping for real variety, this can be disappointing. But once you understand why shuffle behaves this way, it becomes easier to work around and improve.

Part 2. How to Improve Spotify Shuffle on Spotify

Way 1. Refresh the Regular Shuffle to Reset Playback Patterns

You can first try refreshing the regular shuffle. Start with a song you haven't played in a while and make sure your playlist isn't sorted alphabetically. This resets the predetermined shuffle order and gives more of your songs a chance to play. Sometimes, it can break up repetition without changing anything in your library.

On Desktop:

1. Open the Spotify app or Spotify Web Player.
2. Navigate to the playlist you want to shuffle.
3. Check the playlist sorting. If it's sorted by Title, click the chevron down icon next to the sorting option and select a different sort order (e.g., Custom order).
4. Pick a song you haven't listened to recently or that Spotify rarely plays.



5. Click the Shuffle button to enable shuffle mode on that song.



6. Start listening and see if shuffle feels more random.

On Mobile:

1. Open the Spotify app.
2. Go to the desired playlist.
3. Swipe down and tap Sort, making sure it's not set to Title.
4. Select a song you haven't heard recently.
5. Tap the Shuffle button to play.

Way 2. Reorder Your Playlists to Enhance Shuffle Variety

Reordering playlists is another approach. By changing the order of songs or playing them in a new sequence, you gain more control over what comes up next. It doesn't create true randomness, but it can surface songs that are usually skipped in standard shuffle. You can manually reorder songs, or use tools like Steven Aleong's Spotify Playlist Randomizer. The tool was created by a user frustrated with shuffle, allowing playlists to be randomized in a more permanent way. You just authorize your account and let it reorder your tracks. Keep in mind, this process cannot be undone once completed, though you can cancel in the middle if needed. Once used, you can play your playlist in a new sequence — even without shuffle — and hear tracks you rarely get to.

On Desktop & Mobile:

1. Go to Steven Aleong's Spotify Playlist Randomizer in your browser.
2. Click Authorize and log in with your credentials.
3. Grant access by clicking AGREE.
4. Once logged in, your playlists will appear. Keep the window open while shuffling.
   • Tip: Consider saving the original playlist first by selecting Add to other playlist > New playlist.

   

5. Select the playlist you want to shuffle and choose Shuffle.



6. Wait until the process is completed.
7. Return to Spotify.
8. Open the playlist — it now has songs in a randomized order.



9. Play this new playlist to hear every track without relying on standard shuffle.

Way 3. Enable Smart Shuffle for Better Randomness

Smart Shuffle adjusts playback based on your listening habits, adding recommended tracks alongside your playlist. It doesn't give perfect randomness, but it makes shuffle feel less repetitive and more surprising, letting you hear tracks that might not come up otherwise.

On Mobile:

1. Open the Spotify app.
2. Go to your profile.
3. Tap Settings & Privacy.
4. Under Playback, find Include Smart Shufffle in play modes and make sure it's turned on.
5. Open your playlist.
6. Tap the Shuffle icon until Smart Shuffle activates (usually indicated by a slightly different icon or tooltip). Recommended tracks are added to the queue, creating a more varied listening experience.
7. Play through your tracks and notice the improved mix.

Way 4. Enable Enhanced Shuffle (If Available)

Enhanced adds another layer of variety if your account has access. It can bring in extra tracks beyond your library, guided by Spotify's algorithm, making shuffle feel more dynamic and introducing music you might not expect.

1. Open your playlist.
2. Look for a toggle or prompt labeled Enhanced near the shuffle button.
3. Enable it to let additional tracks in and improve randomness. Even though the tracks are still influenced by the algorithm, Enhanced adds more variety and a layer of music discovery while shuffling.

Part 3. Advanced Tips & Tricks to Improve Spotify Shuffle

Tip 1: Reshuffle Your Playlist Order Regularly

One simple way to keep shuffle fresh is to reshuffle your playlists from time to time. Even if you rely on the built-in shuffle mode, playlists can develop patterns over repeated listens. By periodically changing the song order — either manually or using a playlist randomizer — you can break up repetition and give less-heard tracks a chance to play. This keeps shuffle sessions feeling new and less predictable.

To do this manually on desktop, go to your playlist and make sure it's sorted by Custom Order so you can drag and drop songs to your preferred positions. On mobile, go to your playlist > Edit, then hold the three-line icon next to songs to change the order.

Tip 2: Create Smaller Sub-Playlists for Better Randomness

If you have a huge playlist, like hundreds or thousands of liked songs, shuffle can sometimes behave unpredictably. One trick is to split your library into smaller sub-playlists based on mood, genre, or activity — about 50 to 100 tracks each. Smaller playlists shuffle more effectively, and songs cycle more evenly. Switching between sub-playlists also gives you more control over the mix while keeping variety high. It's a good time for a playlist clean-up!

Tip 3: Like More Songs to Influence Shuffle's Algorithm

Shuffle is also influenced by recent releases and popular artists. By liking more songs, you give the algorithm more data to work with instead of recommending major artists (ex: Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran). Tracks you heart or save are more likely to appear during shuffle sessions. Over time, this improves the variety of songs you hear. It may seem subtle, but keeping up with this habit makes shuffle feel more balanced and personalized.

Tip 4: Try Automatic Playback for a More Varied Listening Experience

Another approach is to use automatic playback features like AI DJ or AutoPlay instead of sticking strictly to shuffle. AI DJ, for example, offers a curated listening experience by mixing not only your selected tracks but also recently played songs, favorite artists, genres, and moods. You're still guided by the algorithm, but it goes beyond traditional shuffle, offering a more dynamic and exploratory listening session.

Part 4. Workarounds to Fix Spotify Shuffle Issues

There are several practical ways to fix Spotify shuffle if it feels repetitive or predictable. Trying these methods can help refresh your shuffle experience and make playback feel more random.

Solution 1: Shuffle the Playlist Offline

One approach is to download your playlist and shuffle it offline. First, open the app and download the playlist to your device. Once the download is complete, enable Offline Mode. Now, try shuffling your downloaded playlist — shuffle behavior is often more consistent when offline.

Solution 2: Log Out and Back In

Another simple workaround is to log out and back in. This helps refresh your session. On desktop, click your profile icon and select Log Out. On mobile, go to Settings & Privacy and scroll down to Log Out. After logging out, close the app, reopen it, and log back in. This can sometimes reset shuffle patterns and improve the overall experience, giving your playback a fresh start.

Solution 3: Clear Spotify Cache

Sometimes shuffle repeats the same tracks because they are stored as cached files. Clearing the cache forces the app to refresh which tracks it loads, giving more variety in shuffle. Go to Settings > Storage > Clear Cache. This works on both desktop and mobile, while Android users can also clear app data from the device settings for a deeper refresh. After clearing, close the app and reopen it to test shuffle again.

Solution 4: Update the Spotify App

Finally, keeping the app up to date can help. Recently, Spotify updated the free tier, removing the shuffle-only mode from mobile. Updating the app ensures you get the latest improvements. Installing a newer version may reset certain internal processes, including shuffle behavior, helping you reach the more genuinely random playback users are looking for.

Part 5. How to Get a Truly Random Spotify Shuffle

Even Steven Aleong's Spotify Playlist Randomizer helps randomize the order of the songs in a playlist, it doesn't work to Spotify curated playlist. Spotify won't let you change the order of the songs in the curated playlist, so how can you shuffle those contents and even all Spotify contents with no limits?

You can launch any media player or your familiar one on your devices to access its shuffle mode you like to play Spotify music on a rather true shuffle mode.

So how can you transfer your Spotify library to another place? With ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, you can always bring the DRM-free version of your accessible Spotify contents to more places.

Added with the DRM-removal function, ViWizard Spotify Music Converter lets Spotify users download Spotify contents, including your created playlists, Spotify curated playlists and more in Spotify Free or Spotify Premium - yes, you can use this download service even without Premium subscription in 6 audio files formats. After that, you can put these songs on any media player and play them on the real shuffle mode offline.

Key Features of ViWizard Spotify Music Converter

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• Download Spotify songs, playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks extremely fast at up to 15x speed
• Convert Spotify into MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B losslessly
• Lets you play Spotify tracks offline on any device without restrictions
• Works seamlessly on Windows and macOS, supporting the built-in Spotify Web Player

Step 1Install ViWizard on Your Computer

Download and install ViWizard Spotify Music Converter for Windows or Mac. After installation, open the program and log in to your Spotify account. Both Free and Premium accounts are supported. ViWizard has a built-in Spotify browser, so you can search for songs or playlists directly without switching apps.

Step 2Add Spotify Tracks or Playlists

Use the search bar to find your favorite songs, albums, or playlists, or paste a Spotify link directly into the converter. Click the + button to add tracks to your conversion list. You can select individual songs, full albums, or entire playlists depending on what you want to export to your media player.

Step 3Select MP3 as the Output Format

Open the Preferences or Settings menu in ViWizard and choose MP3 as the output format. MP3 is compatible with most media players, portable devices, and Bluetooth headphones. You can also adjust audio quality and organize files by artist, album, or playlist to keep your library structured.

Step 4Convert and Save Spotify Music

Click the Convert button to start the process. ViWizard will remove Spotify's DRM protection and save your music as MP3 files on your computer. Once conversion is complete, open the output folder to access your tracks.

Step 5Play Spotify Songs on Shuffle Anywhere

On Windows PC, the built-in Windows Media Player is powerful enough to offer the true shuffle mode.

How to Put Spotify Music in Windows Media Player

1. On Windows PC, open Windows Media Player.
2. Drag and drop the converted Spotify Music files from the device to Windows Media Player.
3. Now all the added Spotify Music files are kept under the Music section in the left menu. You can access it in the Artist, Album or Genre tab.
4. You can choose to create a new playlist with new Spotify Music files or as the original Spotify playlist in Window Media Player.

Once you create the playlist you want to shuffle in Windows Media Player, you can start to shuffle the tracks in it.

How to Turn on Random in Windows Media Player

1. Go to the desired contents in the left menu. For example, if you want to shuffle your music collection, click "Music". Or if you want to shuffle your new playlist, click [Your Playlist's name] under "Playlists".



2. Click the shuffle button (Turn shuffle on) in the playback control at bottom.
3. Click the Play button in the playback control to play the tracks included in a shuffle mode.