I’ve always been somewhat puzzled by this considering it’s been an issue for years now.
I can’t imagine it’s that difficult for the computer to pick the songs in a truly random fashion.
It’d be nice if they had a setting in the smart shuffle section for “Not likely at all.”
I have a Smart Playlist that I use because of this very reason.
The “Slow” playlist that is referred to is a playlist I dump all my slow songs I come across. This makes the playlist a bit nicer to have running all the time.
My IMG was stripped.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2249/2039007175_4cba8d3b7a.jpg
This is my Smart playlist named “New Junk.” It keeps me listening to new stuff I’ve added.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2001/2039809708_7b4c85c35c.jpg
i don’t think i’ve ever used smart playlist — ever. I just play my list on shuffle; badaboom badabing, not many repeated artists.
I usually just shuffle the main Library if I want it completely random. The Party Shuffle does work some voodoo I’ve never been able to quite understand. For example, hip-hop will play at the office more frequently on Fridays. I used to think it was coincidence, but it happens every week.
Perhaps my computer is possessed.
Perhaps you’re possessed.
After all, 99% of the time it’s a user issue.
No, you are definitely not possessed. I have for a long time felt that iTunes shuffle is not truly random. I sometimes feel like it’s trying to be clever and play popular songs (don’t ask me how). At the moment I have my library set to shuffle albums.
Also (to add a nerdy point), few things are truly random. We talked about random number algorithms in Computer Science class.
I am a sick bastard who hates shuffle. Hate it… I need control. I am the guy who makes a four compilation playlist by hand for a party instead of trusting shuffle.
Speaking of random number generators (RNG) and algorithms, any programmer can tell you that some RNGs are more random than others. I have no idea what variables Apple uses for its RNG, but some will use system clocks as the base variable which leads to clunky randomizing. This is likely in this case.
I’ve noticed the same thing. I have ‘favorite songs’ which I assume most people do, which I like to listen to first. I put shuffle on so I can get variety after my first song, but every time I play that song, the tracks after are always the same, in the same order. Say the song is track 1. With shuffle on, today it will play track 1, then track 16, then track 2, then track 75. Tomorrow, I’ll click track 1, and after that it will play track 16, then track 2, then track 75. If its random, it shouldn’t do that…
“…Ben Harper songs (ugh), 5 Slayer songs (metal!), and 4 Joy Division (depression!)”
Um, ever think of deleting the songs you don’t like? Oh yeah, you paid for those 20,000 songs, that’d be wasteful…
So i put my massive library on shuffle, and i’ve heard Johnny Cash’s
“long black veil’ four or five times today. Don’t get me wrong i love that song…just too much is too much. if my library is seven days long you’d think that i’d be able to get a days worth of all different music. any suggestions?
I’m annoyed at the lack of shuffle sometimes too. Seems to me that it didn’t used to be as bad as it is now. I’ve noticed many times iTunes will follow a song by another one by the same artist. (Is iTunes trying to be clever?). I’ve also noticed it will play a whole string of short 2-5 second “sound bites” songs in a row (I intersperse movie quotes, etc. throughout music playlists for fun). So it seems to me iTunes has a tendency to play similar length songs in a row too …
I don’t get repeats of tracks within a session, but I have noticed that the selection isn’t all that random; artists do get repeated within a short space of time, but after that it moves away from them and on to other artists.
My theory is that the iPod software assumes that tracks by artists have been loaded onto the iPod at the same time so are therefore close together on the disk. By “randomising” in this way, the drive doesnt’ have so much seeking to do to find a track, and therefore saves on battery life.
It therefore follows that the same randomization routine is employed within iTunes.
I AM ANNOYED BY APPLE THESE DAYS I GUESS SINCE IT HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER, SHUFFLE IS JUST ONE OF THE ISSUES. THOUGH THEY HAVE BROUGHT US UP IN THE WORLD THEY ALSO ARE HOLD US DOWN ( personal opinion ) anyways view this if you like… all the best ron (UK) http://www.cnet.com.au/itunes-just-how-random-is-random-339274094.htm
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I'm a graphic designer and sometimes writer living in Anderson, South Carolina. I serve as the Design Director for NewSpring Church. I love Jesus, my wife, Levi's Jeans, good Tex-Mex, and 8oz glass bottle Coca-Cola Classic. On good days I love them roughly in that order. Email me.
Why Does iTunes Shuffle Repeat Artists So Often?
Fri 11/16/07
Before anyone asks, yes, I went to preferences > playback and changed all my smart shuffle settings to “less likely.”
I’ve got over 20,000 songs and iTunes shuffle has spit out 8 Ben Harper songs (ugh), 5 Slayer songs (metal!), and 4 Joy Division (depression!) songs in the last two hours. Obviously, shuffle isn’t doing what it’s supposed to. It’s like it finds one or two artists everyday and decides “I know you asked me to shuffle through your whole massive library of musical goodness, a land of rare gems and brilliant moments of beauty, but you really need to listen to this guy today. A lot.” That’s what albums are for, iTunes.
I shouldn’t have to start compiling a complex web of smart playlists based on last-timed-played just to get iTunes to shuffle well.