How do you shuffle custom music playlists on Apple TV 4th Gen?

Hey there Quothuk,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities.

If I understand correctly, you want to know if there's an option to shuffle Apple Music tracks that you've added to playlists in My Music with your Apple TV. Try choosing the More button and then selecting shuffle, as described in the article below.

For You - Apple TV

Get more playlist options. While viewing a playlist’s contents, select the More button to shuffle, play next, add music to the Up Next queue, create a station based on the currently selected music, or add the playlist’s songs to your own playlist.

So long.

AS Quothuk stated, there is NO option to shuffle custom made Playlists on the new Apple TV 4th gen, despite following the advice subsequently given. Is this something that will be brought back? Very frustrating along with quite a few other anomalies. Considering putting my old Apple TV back in operation as quite a few functions have been removed. Feels like things have taken a retrograde step in this new version I'm afraid. Very disappointed.

LInda.

But that's the problem, there is no 'more' button, (or❤️, or 'in my music' buttons) when you display user-created playlists

Re the "Shuffle" problem on the new Apple TV. There is a shuffle option with all my playlists on the iPad/iPhone/iPod. However on the Apple TV, the option seems only to be available on very few playlists. I can't seem to find any common factor why it is available on some & not others. Some of the Apple Music playlists have the "more" option, yet others don't. Some of my custom playlists have the "more" option, but then others don't. It doesn't seem to matter if they're long or short playlists or whether they are Apple Music or custom made; the "more" option enabling shuffle is only intermittent. Perhaps Apple could tell us what the criteria is with playlists to get the "more" option? I like to play my music through the home cinema system so not having the shuffle option is a big drawback as there is no variety, but perhaps I'm in the minority. Considering ditching the new Apple TV for the old version & not continuing with Apple Music after the free trial, as that was the main reason I upgraded. I can also list a few other reasons why the new version is a retrograde step. Turning into an expensive mistake!

LInda.

I'm having the same problem on my Apple TV 4th Gen and tvOS 9.0. No way to shuffle any of my playlists, whether it is a Smart Playlist or a regular Playlist.

Plus if you notice, the playlists are limited to a maximum of 250 songs!!!!

Yep, there is no shuffle for my playlists. This is clearly an oversight that will hopefully be fixed soon... same with the ability to give songs stars.

Had same problem but prior post solved it. Just email playlist. Actually just going to sent option changes playlist to Shared. Once Shared the more option appears on appletv.

i don't understand how emailing the playlist helps creates options on ATV 4. If I email a playlist I have already created it and it already shows in my Apple Music on the ATV--without any option for shuffle,

I suppose I can just air play it from Iphone or Ipad and use shuffle but that's a shame but hopefully they will add options to custom playlists on the 4th Gen ATV.

I am now playing a custom playlist on ATV. i'll use this workaround until they add the option for shuffle to  Music. It is a lot more convenient to just use the app on the ATV but..... They are making changes already with the app store so I expect they will pay some attention to the Music app soon.

I Know there is not much logic to it, but if you share a playlist, I assure you the option to shuffle does appear!

Yes, this actually works! Don't know why, but it does!

But really, why should we have to do this? Haven't seen any instructions from Apple to perform this. Thank you to sdrel & simonbin for telling us; wouldn't never have known otherwise! 🙂

yes, by george it does work LOL, I didn't get it to work the first time I think because I hadn't gone out of  Music and then opened again.

To lindafromcumbria, I don't really have problems with this right now. Over the years with Apple I have found they pay attention to details and users and fix things, I can't say the same for my many years with MS most of the time, Work arounds are okay fir the moment, They fixed some other bugs in Ipad, Iphone apps so these shkd be also, Hopefully someone has reported this in feedback.

Hi Picnicmetoo,

Yes, I'm sure Apple will straighten out these niggles with the new tv. I suppose they rely on us users to report any anomalies! I've already heard that there is an update on the way.

I love anything Apple as it always works so well, so I suppose I was bit disappointed when some things didn't work right or had been taken away with the new tv4. I'm a much happier bunny now! 🙂

LInda.

I am seeing this 250 playlist limit too. Anyone else notice this and have a solution? Does sharing the playlist solve this as well as add shuffle ability?

I Did report the shuffle issue as a bug to Apple feedback but not the 250 limit of tracks. If I'm not mistaken I think this was addressed maybe on twitter or some tech interview by Cue saying they would increase that limit with next update--but I might BE MISTAKEN on that. I don't like playlists of more than 200 or so, just create second ones for same time period or genre, etc. For now if you like longer playlists then I don't think there is a fix currently.

THe sharing of the playlist is an easy workaround for shuffle for custom playlists, I haven't tried turning shuffle OFF yet.

sdrel & simonbin, I do not see an option to share or e-mail my playlist on my Apple TV, iTunes, iPad or iPhone. Where do I find this?

I tried looking under more (...), on iTunes under File / Library / Export Playlist, etc., but I'm not seeing it anywhere.

Do I have to be subscribed to  Music Music? I'm only subscribed to iTunes Match.