The streaming giant has just announced it is rolling out separate play and shuffle buttons, allowing listeners to quickly choose between playing full albums or playlists in order or shuffling between them. Believe it or not, Spotify has never done this, even though it is a common staple on other streaming apps, dating back to iTunes and related players. “This new change will allow you to choose the mode you prefer at the top of playlists and albums and listen the way you want to,” Spotify wrote in a blog post. “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.” Of course, there is a caveat. This feature is only available for paying Spotify subscribers. Those with free accounts will continue to only have access to a play/shuffle button, as free accounts don’t even allow for the listening of full albums. The play/shuffle combo was the predominant option on the service until many artists, such as Adele, complained that it lessened the impact of full albums. This caused the company to drop the play/shuffle in favor of just a single play button. As for these new changes, Spotify says the separate buttons will arrive on Android and iOS devices “in the coming weeks.”
