Spotify is stripping out its Play and Shuffle buttons entirely — but only for premium subscribers. Today, the company announced that it’s starting to roll out separate buttons for the two functions, which will replace the combined Play/Shuffle button that currently tops playlists and artist pages. The change is expected to impact Android and iOS devices in the coming weeks.
“This new change will allow you to choose the mode of your choice at the top of playlists and albums and listen the way you want,” Spotify wrote on its blog. “Whether you prefer the unexpected joy with Shuffle Mode, or simply prefer to listen to tunes by pressing Play, Spotify has you covered.”
Spotify’s interest in shuffling tracks has at times drawn the dismay of artists who want their albums to be heard in the original running order. “We don’t make albums with so much care and consideration on our track list for no reason,” Adele tweeted last year. This led Spotify to display the standard Play button on album pages by default instead of the Play/Shuffle combo. Now, Spotify Premium subscribers will see different buttons throughout the app. “From the moment you hit play on Spotify, you decide how you want to listen to your favorite playlist or the new album you love,” the company wrote.
It seems a bit strange that Spotify is now using Buttons and its user interface as a distinction between the service’s free and paid offerings, but here we are. Unfortunately, you still won’t be able to play or shuffle any Spotify HiFi tracks. It’s been nearly 18 months since Spotify announced its lossless-quality streaming tier, and the company has yet to roll it out to subscribers. And no, I’ll never stop bringing it.