How to Stops Spotify from Playing Suggested Songs

Part 1. Why Does Spotify Automatically Play Recommended Songs?

Spotify automatically suggests songs for several reasons:

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  1. To Keep You Listening – AutoPlay Feature

  AutoPlay adds similar tracks to the "Next up" queue after your session ends so your music doesn't stop. You can find this feature under Playback settings and turn it on or off. When enabled, Spotify plays tracks continuously - you can't fully shuffle or repeat, but your music keeps playing without interruption.

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  2. To Enhance Playlists – Enhance / Smart Shuffle Feature

  Premium subscribers get extra tools to expand playlists with smart recommendations. Enhance adds suggested tracks directly into your playlist, while Smart Shuffle adds songs randomly to your queue based on your listening habits.

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  3. To Introduce New Music – ‘Recommended' Section

  Playlists include a built-in "Recommended" section at the end. This shows suggested tracks that fit the vibe of your playlist, helping you discover songs that match your taste.

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  4. To Work Within Free Version Limits and Encourage Premium Upgrades – Shuffle-Only Mode + AI-Recommendations

  Free users often see suggested tracks because shuffle-only mode and skip limits restrict on-demand playback. Spotify uses these recommendations to keep music playing and encourage Premium upgrades. Even if you can select tracks on demand, suggestions still appear in your queue while shuffling.

Part 2. How to Stop Spotify from "Playing Suggested Songs for You" (Shuffle Mode)

"Playing Suggested Songs" means that when you play a playlist or album, Spotify mixes in both your original tracks and suggested songs. The goal is to keep you listening by recommending tracks based on your selections.

Mobile free users are most affected because shuffle is automatic, though you can now play specific tracks without shuffling. Smaller playlists are particularly vulnerable, and skip limits make extra tracks more likely to appear. To reduce this, you can switch to the desktop app or upgrade to Premium for more control over playback.

On Mobile (Android & iOS/iPadOS)

Step 1 Open the Spotify app on your phone or tablet.

Step 2 Find the playlist you want in Your Library or search for it.

Step 3 Tap Play to start listening. Free users will notice it plays in Shuffle Mode automatically.

Step 4 If you want to disable Shuffle, you may be prompted to upgrade to Premium to use other listening modes like Play in Order or Smart Shuffle.

Step 5 To see what's coming up next, tap the Now Playing bar, then tap the Queue icon.

Step 6 Look for AI-recommended tracks marked with a sparkle icon.

On Desktop (Windows & Mac)

Step 1 Open the Spotify desktop app on your computer.

Step 2 Find the playlist you want in your library or search for it.

Step 3 Click Play or select a specific track to start listening.

Step 4 Check the Now Playing bar at the bottom.

Step 5 Click the queue icon to view upcoming tracks. Unlike free mobile users, you normally won't see a "Shuffling from" list with AI-recommended tracks - only the current playlist content.

Part 3. How to Stop Spotify from "Playing Recommended Songs for You" (AutoPlay)

"Playing Recommended Songs" occurs when AutoPlay continues your listening by adding similar tracks to the queue. Unlike shuffle-mode suggestions, which mostly affect mobile free users, AutoPlay is available to both Premium and free users.

Both shuffle-mode suggestions and AutoPlay aim to keep music playing and introduce new tracks, but they work differently-shuffle-mode adds random tracks to your playlist, while AutoPlay continues a stream of similar songs. Knowing these differences helps you regain control over your listening experience.

On Mobile (Android & iOS/iPadOS)

Step 1 Open the Spotify mobile app.

Step 2 Click your Profile icon in the top-right corner.

Step 3 Select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu.

Step 4 Scroll down and choose Playback.

Step 5 Find the Autoplay similar content setting.

Step 6 Toggle the switch off.

Step 7 Play a playlist or album to confirm Spotify no longer automatically adds recommended songs.

On Desktop (Windows & Mac)

Step 1 Open the Spotify desktop app.

Step 2 Tap the Gear icon in the top-right corner to open Settings.

Step 3 Scroll down and select Playback.

Step 4 Locate the Autoplay section.

Step 5 Toggle Autoplay off to stop recommended songs after a playlist or album ends.

Step 6 Play a playlist or album to make sure the change works.

Part 4. Best Ways to Stop Spotify from Playing Recommendations

Tip 1: Make Your Playlists Long Enough

Short playlists are more likely to trigger suggested songs automatically. Adding more tracks helps prevent Spotify from filling your playback with extra recommendations. Open the Spotify app on your mobile device or desktop, go to your playlist or create a new one, and add at least 15–20 tracks. This ensures longer, uninterrupted playback and fewer auto-added songs.

Tip 2: Turn Off Enhance, Smart Shuffle, and Autoplay

Disabling these features keeps playback closer to your original selection. To stop these, open a playlist, tap its name to check for the Enhance button, and turn it off. Next, look for the Smart Shuffle icon near the shuffle button and switch it off. Finally, go to Settings > Playback, scroll to Autoplay, and toggle it off to stop automatic recommended tracks.

Tip 3: Use a Private Session

Private sessions prevent Spotify from using your listening activity to influence recommendations. Open the app, then on mobile go to Profile > Settings & Privacy > Privacy & Social, or on desktop tap your profile icon. Enable Private Session, and Spotify will no longer add suggested tracks based on that session, while still letting you listen normally.

Tip 4: Play in Offline Mode (Premium Only)

Offline Mode stops Spotify from adding suggested tracks because only your downloaded music will play. Open the playlist you want to listen to and toggle Download at the top. On mobile, go to Profile > Settings > Playback / Data-saving & Offline and enable Offline Mode. On desktop, open Settings > Playback and toggle Offline Mode on. This ensures Spotify plays only your offline tracks, giving you full control over playback.

Tip 5: Unblock More Playback Controls (Without Premium)

ViWizard Spotify Music Converter can help if you want full control over your playback anytime, anywhere, without dealing with suggested songs. The tool downloads and converts your playlists or entire music library into MP3 files, and you don't need a Premium subscription to listen offline.

For example, if you want to play your Spotify music in other media players, simply download and install ViWizard Spotify Music Converter on your computer. Then select the playlists, albums, or songs you want to convert, and ViWizard will automatically turn them into a more "open" format. You can also customize the output format according to your preferences. Once the conversion is done, you unlock a world of musical possibilities and enjoy a Premium-like experience-listening to your music without ads or limits.

Note: This music tool is for personal use only and cannot be distributed.

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Part 5. Where to Find Spotify's Song Recommendations

Playlist Recommendations:

At the bottom of your playlists, you'll see a "Recommended" section. It lists songs that match the playlist's vibe or are from similar artists. You can choose to add any of these tracks to your playlist.

Home and Music Feed:

The Home tab and Music Feed show trending tracks, new releases, and curated playlists. On mobile, scroll through the Home tab to find songs similar to what you listen to, then tap to play instantly.