Ever queued up your favorite playlist on Spotify, only to be surprised when it starts playing songs you didn’t add? It’s frustrating when you expect to hear only the tracks you chose, but instead, Spotify throws in some unexpected tunes. This can throw off your listening experience and leave you wondering why your playlist isn’t playing as planned.
In this post, we’ll explore why Spotify might be playing songs that aren’t in your playlist. We’ll cover various features and settings that could be causing this issue, such as Auto-Play, recommendations for free-tier users, and Smart Shuffle. Understanding these features can help you troubleshoot and regain control over your listening experience.
Come here to check why Spotify plays suggested songs automatically and how to stop it doing so. Learn four effective methods to stop autoplay and enjoy uninterrupted music on Spotify.
Part 1. Why Is Spotify Playing Songs Not on My Playlist?
If you've noticed Spotify playing songs that aren't on your playlist, there could be several reasons behind this. Here's a breakdown of what might be happening:
1. Auto-Play Feature
One reason is Spotify's Auto-Play feature. When your playlist ends, Auto-Play automatically starts playing similar songs to keep the music going.
Example: If your pop playlist finishes, Spotify might continue with other pop tracks it thinks you'll like. This can be great for discovering new music, but it can be annoying when you just want to stick to the songs you picked.
Read More: How to Enable/Disable Autoplay on Spotify
2. Free-Tier Recommendations
If you're using Spotify's free version, you might notice recommended songs popping up in the middle of your playlist. These are tracks Spotify suggests based on your listening habits.
Example: Halfway through your playlist, you might hear a new song that's not in your list but fits the same genre or is from the same artist. You'll notice a "We added" section in the mobile app, listing Spotify's suggested songs. They won't be added directly to your playlist but will play automatically. This is Spotify's way of limiting free users' ability to listen to on-demand music and suggesting an upgrade to Premium for more exclusives, costing at least $9.99 per month.
Read More: How to Play Spotify Album/Playlist in Order without Subscriptions
3. Spotify Radio
Spotify Radio is another feature that could be causing this. If you accidentally start a Radio session based on your playlist, Spotify will mix in songs that aren't on your list but match the same vibe.
Example: Typically, you might use the "Go to Radio" option to start a Radio session based on your playlist, so you hear related tracks that you didn't choose.
Read More: How to Access/Customize/Download Spotify Radio
4. Smart Shuffle or Enhanced
Features like Smart Shuffle or Enhanced can also add unexpected songs to your playlist. These features automatically include tracks that Spotify thinks will fit well with your existing playlist.
Example: If Smart Shuffle is on, you might notice new songs blending in with your chosen tracks, keeping things fresh but also catching you off guard. There are slight differences between these features. Smart Shuffle works as a Shuffle Mode, adding tracks to your queue, while Enhanced adds music directly to your playlist, letting you decide whether to keep them or not.
Read More: How to Turn On/Off Smart Shuffle on Spotify
5. Play Queue
Finally, your Play Queue might be the issue. If you've played a song or album earlier and didn't clear the queue, those tracks might start playing after your playlist.
Example: If you listened to an album earlier in the day, Spotify might queue it up to play next without you realizing it. This can be even more unnoticeable if you used Smart Shuffle mode, as tracks are added to your queue directly without asking. You might not realize why Spotify is playing songs not in your playlist until you check your queue.
Read More: How to Find, Remove, Clear Queue on Spotify
Part 2. How to Stop Spotify from Playing Songs Not in Playlist
If Spotify is playing songs not in your playlist and you want to fix it, follow this step-by-step guide to get things back on track. Start with these steps in the exact recommended order to resolve the issue effectively.
Step 1: Check Songs in Your Playlist
If you're using the free tier, you might find it easier to manage your playlist from a computer. On mobile, free users have limited control over playlist modifications. Switch to a desktop or laptop for a more comprehensive playlist management experience.
-
For Mobile:
- Open the Spotify app on your mobile device.
- Navigate to the playlist where you're experiencing issues.
- Review the list of songs. Look for any tracks that seem unfamiliar or were added by Spotify's Enhanced feature (these tracks often have a sparkle icon).
- Remove any unfamiliar songs by tapping on the three dots next to the song and selecting "Remove from this Playlist."
-
For Desktop:
- Open Spotify on your computer.
- Go to the playlist that's causing issues.
- Check for any unfamiliar songs or those added by the Enhanced feature (marked with a sparkle icon).
- To remove a song, right-click on it and select "Remove from Playlist."
Step 2: Turn Off Auto-Play
By turning off Auto-Play, once your playlist finishes, Spotify will no longer automatically start playing similar tracks. Instead, it will stop when your playlist ends, allowing you to take control of what plays next.
-
For Mobile:
- Open the Spotify app on your mobile device.
- Tap on the "Home" tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to access "Settings and privacy."
- Scroll down and tap on "Playback."
- Find the "Autoplay" option and toggle it off.
-
For Desktop:
- Open Spotify on your computer.
- Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner and select "Settings."
- Look for the "Autoplay" option and toggle it off.
Step 3: Turn Off Smart Shuffle
Smart Shuffle mixes in additional songs Spotify thinks you'll enjoy. By turning it off, you ensure only the tracks you've chosen play in the order you selected.
Note: If you find that Smart Shuffle is no longer available because Spotify removed the feature, you can skip this step or just make sure Shuffle is turned off.
-
For Mobile:
- Open the Spotify app on your mobile device.
- Navigate to the playlist you're working with.
- Tap the "Shuffle" icon at the top of the playlist (it looks like two crossing arrows with a sparkle symbol).
- If Smart Shuffle is still an option, you can switch between different shuffle modes by tapping the icon multiple times. Make sure to turn off Smart Shuffle.
-
For Desktop:
- Open Spotify on your computer.
- Go to the playlist you're managing.
- Look for the "Shuffle" button at the bottom of the Spotify window (it looks like two crossing arrows with a sparkle symbol).
- Click on the button to cycle through shuffle modes. Ensure the Shuffle mode is turned off.
Step 4: Clear the Playback Queue
Your Playback Queue might contain songs or albums you played earlier or were added by features like Smart Shuffle. Clearing the queue ensures that only the songs in your current playlist play, and nothing extra from previous sessions.
-
For Mobile:
- Open the Spotify app on your mobile device.
- Tap on the "Now Playing" bar at the bottom of the screen to bring up the "Now Playing" view.
- Tap on the "Queue" icon, which looks like three horizontal lines.
- In the Queue view, select "Clear Queue" to remove all the songs currently in your queue.
-
For Desktop:
- Open Spotify on your computer.
- Click on the "Queue" icon in the bottom-right corner of the Spotify window (it looks like a list).
- In the Queue view, click on the three dots in the top-right corner.
- Select "Clear Queue" to remove all the tracks from your queue.
Step 5: Play Playlist in Order
Playing your playlist in order ensures that the songs play sequentially, exactly as you've arranged them. If Shuffle mode is turned off, Spotify will follow the order of tracks as they appear in your playlist.
-
For Mobile:
- Open the Spotify app on your mobile device.
- Navigate to the playlist you want to play.
- Ensure that Shuffle mode is turned off (as detailed in Step 3).
- Tap on the first song in the playlist to start playing it.
- The songs will play in the order they appear in the playlist.
-
For Desktop:
- Open Spotify on your computer.
- Go to the playlist you want to play.
- Make sure Shuffle mode is disabled (refer to Step 3).
- Click on the first song in the playlist to start playback.
- The playlist will play in the sequence you've set.
Step 6: Sign Out and Sign Back In (Optional)
This step can help refresh your Spotify session and reset any temporary issues causing Spotify to play songs not in your playlist.
-
For Mobile:
- Open the Spotify app on your mobile device.
- Tap on the "Home" tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to open "Settings."
- Scroll down and tap on "Log Out."
- Confirm that you want to log out. Once logged out, close the app and reopen it.
- Sign back in with your credentials.
-
For Desktop:
- Open Spotify on your computer.
- Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner of the Spotify window.
- Select "Log Out" from the drop-down menu.
- Confirm the logout. Close the application and reopen it.
- Sign back in with your Spotify account details.
Step 7: Uninstall the Spotify App (Optional)
Uninstalling and reinstalling the app can resolve persistent issues that may not be fixed by other troubleshooting steps.
-
For Mobile:
- On iOS:
- Press and hold the Spotify app icon on your home screen until it starts to jiggle.
- Tap the "X" or the minus sign (−) that appears on the app icon.
- Confirm that you want to delete the app.
- Go to the App Store and reinstall Spotify.
- On Android:
- Open the "Settings" app on your device.
- Go to "Apps" or "Application Manager" (the exact name may vary).
- Find and tap on "Spotify."
- Tap "Uninstall" and confirm your choice.
- Go to the Google Play Store and reinstall Spotify.
- On iOS:
-
For Desktop:
- On Windows:
- Open the "Start" menu and go to "Settings."
- Select "Apps" or "Apps & Features."
- Find "Spotify" in the list of installed applications.
- Click on it and select "Uninstall."
- Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation.
- Download and reinstall Spotify from the official website.
- On macOS:
- Open the "Finder" and go to the "Applications" folder.
- Find "Spotify" and drag it to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash to complete the uninstallation.
- Download and reinstall Spotify from the official website.
- On Windows:
Step 8: Download Music off Spotify (Recommended)
If you want to have even more control over your favorite music and enjoy it anytime, consider downloading your music with a tool like ViWizard Spotify Music Converter.
ViWizard Spotify Music Downloaderlets you convert Spotify tracks into popular formats like MP3, M4A, WAV, and FLAC. This way, you can save your favorite songs, albums, or playlists directly to your computer. Once downloaded, you can listen to your music offline without needing Spotify's app or an internet connection.
With ViWizard, you can keep your music in high quality and transfer it to other devices or media players. For example, if Spotify's Auto-Play or Shuffle features have been causing you problems, having your music saved in a format you control means you can enjoy your favorite tracks without interruptions.
Downloading your music not only gives you more control but also ensures you always have access to the songs you love, no matter what changes Spotify might make. It's a great way to keep your personal playlist just the way you want it.
Key Features of ViWizard Spotify Music Converter
Free Trial Free Trial* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.
- Download Spotify songs, albums, playlists, podcasts, audiobooks
- Convert Spotify music to lossless MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, M4B
- Support playing offline Spotify music on any device at any time
- Compatible with Windows and macOS, as well as, the latest Spotify
You May Be Interested
An experienced writer of ViWizard who is obsessed about technology, music, movie, and software.
Leave a Comment (0)