Why is Music acting like Pandora?

Question

Why is Music acting like Pandora?

I play a lot of my playlists on Music with the control set to "repeat all". Lately, though, Music is not repeating all, but instead resorts to what I'll call "Pandora Mode". For example, I have one playlist with only one album on it so far, "Sicilienne", played by pianist Katsumi Shimomori. At the end of that album, instead of repeating the tunes on the album, Music starts playing tunes not on the album, and plays similar music—and the window at the top reads "Sicilienne Station", a la Pandora.

I do not have anything on my iMac related to Pandora or any other similar app. And I can find no setting to change this behavior.

How did this happen and how can I fix this? Restarting Music is not a fix.

I'm running Monterey 12.3.1 on a 24" M1 iMac.

iMac 24″, macOS 12.3

Posted on May 9, 2022 9:38 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

danielfrombolingbrook Author

Level 1

32 points

May 11, 2022 1:01 PM in response to Sheree_P

Sheree_P—

You solved my issue, and thank you. It was indeed the Autoplay function, which—when I look at it—can be shut off by clicking on the infinity symbol. What I would prefer is that there'd be a preference in Music by which you could shut it off there and not have it just come on automatically.

Maybe the software engineers can work on that in an update. For now, I can deal with it. Thanks again.

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Answer 2

JovonaP.

Community Specialist

May 11, 2022 7:47 AM in response to danielfrombolingbrook

danielfrombolingbrook,

Thanks for following up with additional details. We recommend testing this issue while in safe mode. Starting in safe mode allows your Mac to run certain checks, remove caches, and prevent login items from automatically launching. This can isolate possible third party issues. Use the steps and information in the following resource for assistance with safe mode: How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

Let us know the results. Be sure to include specific error messages and any other steps that you may have tried.

Cheers!

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Answer 3

May 11, 2022 1:22 PM in response to danielfrombolingbrook

danielfrombolingbrook wrote:

Sheree_P—

You solved my issue, and thank you. It was indeed the Autoplay function, which—when I look at it—can be shut off by clicking on the infinity symbol. What I would prefer is that there'd be a preference in Music by which you could shut it off there and not have it just come on automatically.

Maybe the software engineers can work on that in an update. For now, I can deal with it. Thanks again.

Apple doesn't read here for suggestions or feedback but you can let them know what you'd like to see here:

Product Feedback - Apple

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Answer 4

May 11, 2022 7:39 AM in response to Sheree_P

Yes, the album is set to repeat. But that isn't my problem. I've been on Macs for over 25 years and have never had an issue with iTunes nor Music, until recently. And the problem I'm having has happened three times with different albums within different playlists, all of which I purchased through the iTunes Store.

Each time it happens, the playlist will apparently time out (regardless of the 'repeat' setting) and then Music starts playing things that are not at all what I have in my collection, but instead appear to be suggestions close to the style of music I've been playing, similar to what Pandora or Spotify would play.

And the readout in the title bar states that it is in "station" format, whatever that means. For example, if I've been playing music that I own by Shawn Colvin any given afternoon, Music eventually will start playing Emmylou Harris and Alison Krauss, and the title bar will actually say "Shawn Colvin Station". I own some Alison Krauss, but no Emmylou Harris.

I maintain digital security with a really good Intego suite of anti-virus protection. So I'm not concerned with any programming intrusion.

I'm beginning to wonder if a recent update to Monterey triggered this.

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Answer 5

May 11, 2022 8:11 AM in response to Sheree_P

Sheree_P—

You may have uncovered something for me here, by way of your asking about the repeat setting. In the article you cited, it mentions "Autoplay", something I was only marginally familiar with. In reading it, it looks like Autoplay may be my target. I am an Apple Music subscriber, and my situation certainly appears to be an Autoplay thing in that Music will indeed play similar tunes after my playlist finishes.

I'll test this out later today. And thanks for your suggestion.

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