Author Topic: Random is not random  (Read 3395 times)

musicmouse

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 6
I have a collection of some 20000 mp3s spread over some 100 directories - that are all subdirectories of my main music directory. More than half the tracks I hear are from the first two directories (alphabetically seen). From many directories I have never heard a song. I have tried several settings but the "random" selection keeps preferring the start of the alphabet.

What can I do to fix this and get a truly random selection?

Freddy Barker

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 751
  • 🎧 MB 3.4.7628P
What can I do to fix this and get a truly random selection?

Shuffle can often seem to be not very random, so to add a little control, try experimenting with an Auto-Playlist:

Music track source: Library (music library)
- Match: All of the following rules
- Last Played is not in the last 30 days
- Limit to 2000 items selected by: Random
- Shuffle: Random
- Select by: Track
- Automatically refresh the matching tracks

Fisher-Yates shuffle
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher%E2%80%93Yates_shuffle

Spotify Labs
https://labs.spotify.com/2014/02/28/how-to-shuffle-songs/
Last Edit: December 08, 2018, 11:14:54 AM by Freddy Barker

musicmouse

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. My problem is solved now.

Curt

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Yes, this is obviously the solution: Set Random to Random in the auto playlist. But what is this two-stage? If I choose Random in Player without this knowledge, Real Random does not really come out.

@ Steven Mayall: why so complicated?