How to Fix Apple Music Shuffle Plays Same Songs in 13 Solutions [Works 100%]

Apple Music shuffles SAME songs all the time. I have a playlist with over 1500 songs and when I shuffle, it starts playing the exact same songs it did the day before and the day before that…I swear it shuffles only 200 of the 1500 songs. This has been an issue for over a decade and STILL not fixed??

— User from the Apple Community

Apple Music offers three playback features, including Shuffle, Repeat, and Autoplay. When you tap on your currently playing song, all these features can be accessed through symbolic icons in your playing queue window. The Shuffle feature is a convenient way to mix up your music playlist and enjoy tracks in random order. However, it can be frustrating when the shuffle keeps repeating the same songs, disrupting your listening experience. If you find that Apple Music shuffle plays same songs on your device, you are not alone. Many users report this issue. But you don’t need to worry. This post dives into why it happens and how to fix it with 13 practical solutions. Now, just dive into the post to follow the guidance to fix the issue easily and effectively. Plus, you can learn an ultimate method to enhance your Apple Music shuffle experience without limits.

Part 1. Why Does Apple Music Shuffle Play the Same Songs?

Users occasionally report that Apple Music’s shuffle feature sometimes plays the same songs frequently. Why Apple Music shuffle plays same songs? It occurs due to several reasons:

The Repeat Mode is Turned on

Apple Music has three playback modes: Shuffle, Repeat, and Autoplay. The button to enable these modes is next to each other, and if you have turned on the repeat mode by mistake, you’ll be listening to the same song continuously.

Limited Songs in Your Library

If there is a low number of songs in your playlist, it’s not difficult to understand that Apple Music shuffle plays same songs. Because the randomness is constrained by the number of available songs in your playlist. So make sure your playlist contains enough songs for better shuffling.

Your Listening Habits

Apple Music offers music recommendations for subscribers based on their listening habits. If you skip a specific song in a row frequently, Apple Music will play that song less often, even in shuffle mode. And it will only play the songs you often listen to.

Bug in Your Apple Music App

Except for the reasons above, bugs in Apple Music itself can also cause the issue. For example, when your Apple Music app freezes, you won’t be able to access it, and many features won’t work as well as expected, including the shuffle feature. Sometimes, it can also be caused by your outdated Apple Music version.

Part 2. How to Fix Apple Music Keeps Playing Same Song on Shuffle

The shuffle feature is intended to play songs in a random order, but various factors can disrupt its performance. To restore it, you can apply the fixes outlined below. If you’ve already pinpointed the root cause of the issue, you can resolve it quickly with the corresponding solution. Otherwise, you may need to try the fixes one by one to identify what works.

Fix 1. Turn off Repeat Mode and Crossfade

If you have switched the shuffle mode to repeat mode, Apple Music will play the same songs constantly. So make sure both the repeat mode and crossfade feature are turned off in Apple Music. Here’s how to disable it:

On iPhone/iPad:

Step 1. Open Apple Music and play a song in a playlist.

Step 2. Tap the currently playing bar to open the Now Playing screen.

Step 3. Tap the Playing Next button on the right corner of the screen.

Step 4. Check if the Repeat button is highlighted, tap to dim it, and disable the repeat mode.

On Mac/PC:

Step 1. Open Apple Music on Mac or iTunes on PC.

Step 2. Click Music on Mac or Edit on PC, and choose Preferences.

Step 3. Click Playback then uncheck the Crossfade Songs option.

Step 4. Click OK to save your settings.

Fix 2. Enrich Your Apple Music Playlist or Library

If there is a low number of songs in your Apple music library or specific playlists, Apple Music shuffle plays same songs more frequently. You’d better add more songs to your playlists. Or you can directly create a larger playlist with a greater number of songs you want to shuffle. This will reduce the possibility of repeating songs in shuffle mode, and the algorithm can have a wider range to select from.

Fix 3. Turn off the Listening History Feature

Using the Listening History feature in Apple Music can affect the shuffle play and your music recommendations. When this feature is enabled, Apple Music is based on your listening history and habits to customize the shuffle order. Here’s how to disable it on an iPhone or iPad:

Step 1. Open the Settings app on your device.

Step 2. Scroll down to select Music.

Step 3. Toggle off the Using Listening History option.

Fix 4. Upgrade Your Apple Music App

Using the latest version of the Apple Music app can ensure you a better experience and avoid many unpredictable issues like Apple Music shuffle plays same songs. So make sure your Apple Music app is upgraded to the latest version, or it may cause your Apple Music shuffle to play the same songs.

Step 1. Open the App Store on your phone and search for Music.

Step 2. Tap the Update icon to upgrade it to the latest version. 

Fix 5. Force Close and Restart Apple Music

A simple and direct way to handle all issues in an app is to force close and restart it. Force it to quit to make sure all functions in the app stop running in the background. Then restart it after a few seconds, and try playing Apple Music songs offline again to see if it works. To force close the app, you should:

Step 1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to browse all recently used apps.

Step 2. Drag the Apple Music preview card up to force close it.

Fix 6. Clear Apple Music Cache

Regularly clearing the cache will help you get rid of corrupted Apple Music files and bugs. The corrupted music files may cause to Apple Music shuffle to play the same songs. Let’s see how clear the cache data of Apple Music on your iPhone:

Step 1. Open the Settings app on your phone and tap General.

Step 2. Tap on the iPhone Storage option and choose Music.

Step 3. Choose Offload App to clear the cache of Apple Music.

How to Clear Apple Music Cache [Complete Guide] – Tunelf

This post is customized for users who have no idea how to clear Apple Music cache. Here you can get several helpful methods.

Fix 7. Uninstall and Reinstall Apple Music

Now, if you have tried all the methods above but still can’t solve the problem, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Apple Music app. This operation will delete all the previous app data and settings from your device, and ensure you start Apple Music afresh. 

Fix 8. Restart Your Device 

Sometimes, to solve all potential issues on the Apple Music app, you just need to reboot your device. This method is suitable for any app. To restart your phone:

Step 1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time until the power-off slider is on your screen.

Step 2. Swipe the slider to shut down your phone.

Step 3. Press and hold the Power button to start your phone again.

Part 3. How to Make Apple Music Shuffle Better

Beyond the standard troubleshooting fixes for Apple Music shuffle not working, here are some other tips that can help you get rid of the situation of sticking with the same repetitive songs. They can ensure that your shuffle plays a more diverse selection of songs. Let’s explore them together!

Way 1. Get a Smart Playlist

A Smart Playlist is a great way to customize your shuffle experience. It allows you to create dynamic playlists based on specific criteria, such as genre, recently played songs, and so on. You can add songs that are not often played in Apple Music shuffle mode to the smart playlist. You should notice that you need to create a smart playlist on your computer. Here are the steps to do so.

Step 1. Go to the iTunes or Music app on your computer and sign in to your Apple ID.

Step 2. Then, click File at the top menu.

Step 3. Select New > Smart Playlist.

Step 4. Once it is created, you can rename it as you wish. Then, move your cursor to the Playlist section at the side bar and right-click any blank space.

Step 5. Select New Smart Playlist. It will prompt you to set the rule, such as limiting the playlist to songs from different albums, genres, or specific ratings.

Step 6. Click OK to save your playlist and use it for a more varied shuffle.

Way 2. Create Radio Station

Another way to enhance your shuffle is by creating a Radio Station based on a song, artist, or genre. Apple Music’s Radio feature plays a mix of tracks related to your selection, providing a wider variety than the standard shuffle.

Step 1. Go to the Apple Music app and start to play any song, playlist, or album you like.

Step 2. Enter the Now Playing screen. Then, tap the three dots icon at the bottom.

Step 3. Select Create Station.

Once your station is created, Apple Music will continue to play related songs, which helps break up the monotony of your standard shuffle.

Way 3. Change Songs Order

Sometimes, the solution to a stale shuffle is as simple as changing the order of your playlist. By manually rearranging the songs, you can prevent Apple Music’s shuffle from repeatedly picking the same tracks.

Step 1. Open your playlist in Apple Music.

Step 2. Tap Edit in the upper-right corner.

Step 3. Drag and drop songs to reorder them according to your needs.

Step 4. Tap Done to save the changes.

Way 4. Refresh Current Algorithm

Apple Music’s shuffle algorithm may get stuck if it keeps playing repeated tracks. To refresh it, you can clear your current listening history or reset your preferences. This forces the algorithm to approach shuffle from a fresh perspective. Disable the Use Listening History feature first, and then follow the steps below to clear your listening history.

On Android/iOS device:

Step 1. Open Apple Music on your mobile phone and go to the Now Playing screen.

Step 2. Tap the three horizontal lines icon and swipe down. Then, you can see your listening history.

Step 3. Select Clear and you are done.

On desktop:

Step 1. Launch iTunes or Music on your desktop.

Step 2. Click the menu icon at the top, which is next to the Apple icon.

Step 3. Select History > Clear.

Part 4. Ultimate Fix: Shuffle Apple Music on Other Platform Without Repetition

Using the methods above surely can reduce the chance of Apple Music playing the same songs on shuffle, but are you tired of Apple Music’s shuffle algorithm? Maybe you can use another music player to shuffle your favorite Apple Music playlists. To do this, you have to remove the DRM protection of Apple Music and convert the playlists to MP3 format. Then upload your playlists to other music players or other devices. Now, we’ll show you how to play Apple Music on shuffle without issues.

The tool you need is Tunelf Apple Music Converter. This is an Apple Music Converter, which allows you to convert your Apple Music songs, playlists, and albums to MP3, AAC, FLAC, and other open formats. After converting, your Apple Music tracks will be saved on your computer. And you can upload them to any music player or device for shuffle play. It supports converting music with 30X faster speed and keeps lossless audio quality. With Tunelf Audio Converter, you can also customize the parameters of the output audio, such as bit rate, sample rate, and channel. Let’s see how to use this tool.

Key Features of Tunelf Audio Converter

• Convert Apple Music to MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, and other audio formats
• Remove DRM from Apple Music, iTunes audios, and Audible audiobooks
• Preserve the converted audio with lossless audio quality and ID3 tags
• Support the conversion of audio format at a 30× faster speed in batch

Free Download

Free Download

Step 1 Import Apple Music to Playlist to Tunelf

Launch the Tunelf Audio Converter on your computer, and click on the Load iTunes Library icon on the screen. Then, your downloaded Apple Music songs will be presented in Tunelf. Choose the downloaded songs you want to shuffle and tap Add to add them to the conversion list. Or you can drag the songs from Apple Music, and drop them to Tunelf.

Step 2 Set Output Format for Apple Music Tracks

Once your target songs are added to Tunelf, you can click the Edit button to edit the ID3 information of the songs, such as title, album, genre, etc. Then click the Format button on the left corner, and choose the output format as MP3. Other output parameters such as sample rate, channel, and bit rate can also be set in this part. Finally, click OK to save all your settings.

Step 3 Start Converting Apple Music Songs

Now, click the Convert button at the bottom of the screen. After a few minutes, all the added songs will be converted to MP3 and saved in your computer as local files. Then you can browse all converted Apple Music songs by clicking on the Converted button. Now, you can shuffle-play your downloaded Apple Music songs on any device. 

Part 5. Conclusion

The issue of Apple Music shuffle plays same songs can be annoying, but it is usually fixable with the steps outlined above. From tweaking your settings to keeping the app updated, there are many ways to improve your experience. For a more reliable solution, consider using Tunelf Apple Music Converter to download your Apple Music library and play your favorite Apple Music playlists on other music players. This not only eliminates shuffle problems but also gives you greater control over your music.