Spotify has announced updates to its Shuffle feature designed to keep playlists feeling fresh by reducing the likelihood of recently played songs repeating. The new default setting, called Fewer Repeats, takes users’ recent listening history into account to create a more varied listening experience.
The update is part of a broader set of improvements Spotify has introduced this year to give users more control over their listening experience. These include the ability to refresh Discover Weekly with genre deep dives, exclude specific songs from Taste Profile, and use the Snooze feature.
Shuffle Improvements
The new Fewer Repeats version of Shuffle ensures that songs heard recently are less likely to repeat soon, helping playlists stay fresh and surprising. Premium users who prefer the previous version can switch to Standard Shuffle in their settings, though Spotify notes that more randomness can mean hearing the same tracks more often.
Additional Shuffle improvements include the ability for Premium users to toggle off Smart Shuffle, and for both Free and Premium users to tap any song while shuffling to play it next without reshuffling the entire queue.
How to Adjust Settings
Premium users will have their Shuffle automatically set to Fewer Repeats, but can switch back to Standard Shuffle by following these steps:
- Go to Spotify Settings
- Select Playback
- Choose preferred Shuffle mode: Fewer Repeats or Standard
Spotify indicated it continues to work on improving Shuffle to provide the best possible listening experience, helping users discover more music, enjoy more variety, and get the most out of every playlist.