John Paul M. Joaquin Tech 08.02.2022 10:Aug AM EDT

Spotify Will Be Separating Its Shuffle and Play Buttons for Premium Users

Spotify users know there is no shuffle button in its mobile version to disable or re-enable the app's shuffle feature initially. However, with the introduction of Spotify-generated playlists, people can now toggle the app's shuffle function at will.

But now, there is one other way to disable the app's Shuffle feature at will - paying for a premium subscription.

Spotify recently announced it had separated the play and shuffle buttons for premium subscribers to give them the ability to choose whether they want their playlists shuffled or not.

The non-existence of a shuffle button in the app's mobile version has been the topic of criticism against Spotify in the past; Adele famously complained about it on her official Twitter page, per NPR.

Spotify Separate Shuffle And Play Button Details

Spotify mentioned in its announcement that it is launching individual Shuffle and Play buttons for Spotify Premium subscribers to simplify how they would like to listen to their playlists.

According to the company, the change will allow premium subscribers to choose the mode they prefer at the top of playlists and albums and listen to them the way they want to.

"Whether you love the joy of the unexpected with Shuffle mode, or prefer listening to tunes in order by simply pressing play, Spotify has you covered," the company wrote in its announcement.

Tech Crunch mentioned in its report that the individual Shuffle and Play buttons would replace the combined button available before, allowing premium users to shuffle or unshuffle playlists at will.

The launching of individual Shuffle and Play buttons is a long-demanded feature in the Spotify community as the button is present in the app's desktop version but not in the mobile version, where Spotify's market is.

One review posted in Spotify's Community forums in 2021 said that the difference between the two versions is confusing for users switching between platforms. The issue was so apparent that the previously mentioned review received 647 upvotes and the agreement of like-minded people.

Why Hide The Buttons Behind A Paywall?

However, the launching of individual Play and Shuffle buttons for Premium users only is a controversial move. Spotify may have done so to attract more users of the app's free version to pay for a premium subscription to get a Shuffle button.

In a way, Spotify has proven that line of thought true. The company told Tech Crunch that the idea to charge for individual Shuffle and Play buttons has to do with the benefits of Spotify's Premium subscription.

Spotify said that at its core, Premium users are paying for the option to listen to any song they want on-demand. As a result, the individual buttons are somewhat of an extension of that idea as it allows users to choose what song they want to listen to on-demand.

The Verge has described Spotify's decision as "ludicrous," while Tech Crunch called it "bizzare" as other music apps, like Apple Music and Amazon Music, have individual buttons for their Shuffle and Play functions.