3 ms·

Thanks! I now have the language to describe the highly annoying fact that the ipod shuffle algorithm seems to be pseudorandom when I wish it was quasirandom!

• eru 15y ago
  You mean: Shuffle should shuffle, like a deck of cards, and not draw with replacement?
• anonymoushn 15y ago
  Does it really? I can't really test this because I don't have an iPod shuffle, but in iTunes shuffle+repeat will 1. generate a random permutation of the playlist 2. play all the way through it 3. goto 1 This does mean that for a playlist of N songs, you'll hear the same song consecutively about once every N^2 songs.
  • Terry_B 15y ago
    The problem comes about I think when you are constantly opening the iPod app on your iPhone and starting again each time in shuffle mode rather than resume. So the playlist gets regenerated each time. I feel like there are songs I've heard 50 times and plenty of songs I've never heard come up. Would be much better if it aimed for an even distribution.
• mooism2 15y ago
  My algorithm for playing songs indefinitely in a random order: 1. let S = set of songs to be played 2. let N = number of songs 3. repeat until bored: 3.1. let R = set of last [N / 2] songs we played 3.2. pick a song at random from S \ R; play it You may want to tweak step 3.2 to give higher probabilities of picking songs that haven't been played for longer.