Google Home routine will not shuffle play my YT Music Playlist. It plays in the saved order.

[Aaroneus]

As the title says, Google Home routines and voice commands will not shuffle play YouTube Music Playlists.  It plays in the saved order.  This same issue was posted years ago, but it's seems not to be fixed. 

I've added the word shuffle to the beginning of the command, the end, both places, and it has never once shuffled the order. This is such an obvious and basic feature of playing music with Google speakers and home systems, so it's really inconceivable that shuffle play isn't supported.

Or maybe there is some secret method that someone out there can tell me. 

[SmartHomeH-TAGS]

Most people would find this the preferred option to listen to playlists.

Shuffling Spotify playlists is how it's played if you don't have the Premium subscription.

Maybe if somehow you signed out or unlinked your Premium service (if that's what you have) you might get your playlist to shuffle.

[Aaroneus]

I have YouTube premium, it is linked and signed in.  I can shuffle the list by pressing the shuffle button in the YouTube music app, but (as described above) it will not shuffle when instructed to via voice command or automation routine in Google home. 

[ByronP]

Hi Aaroneus,

Thank you for reaching out to the community. I see you're having trouble playing your YouTube music playlist in shuffled mode, whether you're using a direct voice command or initiating the action through a routine in the Google Home app, and that the list only works on saved order. I understand how frustrating this is, as music playback should be seamless. I appreciate all the troubleshooting steps you've already taken, and for your assistance, @SmartHomeH-TAGS. I'm here to help.

For better assistance, please answer the following questions:

• When did the situation start?
• What model of Nest speakers or a third-party speaker is used to play the music list? (Here is a helpful article to identify the type of Nest speaker).
• Can the action be performed successfully using the Google Home app or a direct Assistant voice command (outside of a routine)?
• Did you receive an error message notification or verbal response from the Assistant-enabled device when the action failed?
• Is this a custom action within the routine (a text command) or a pre-built music routine block?
• Is this a Household Routine or a Personal Routine?
• What is the make and model of your mobile device, and is it an Android or iOS version?

Please keep me posted on your findings.

Regards,

Byron

[Aaroneus]

I will thank you in advance if you can actually help me solve this shuffle play problem.  First I'll respond to your specific questions.

• When did the situation start?

When I first setup my first Google speaker a few years ago.  This functionality NEVER WORKED.

• What model of Nest speakers or a third-party speaker is used to play the music list? (Here is a helpful article to identify the type of Nest speaker).

All of my speakers are Google Nest Audio speakers.

• Can the action be performed successfully using the Google Home app or a direct Assistant voice command (outside of a routine)?

It can be done from the YouTube app, but cannot be done from a direct Assistant voice command.

• Did you receive an error message notification or verbal response from the Assistant-enabled device when the action failed?

I do not get an error message.  Because Google cannot understand even simple combined commands, I have my "play music" automation broken into several simple commands: (1) "Play my Pangolin Mix"  -> "okay, here's your ..."l; (2) "Shuffle the playlist" -> "will shuffle on the next track" and continues to play the first song on the list; (3) "play the next track" -> "playing the next" (which is horribly ungrammatical) and it plays a random some from my playlist.  However, the song after that, is NOT from my playlist.  The list of songs at "up next" are all unfamiliar to me...it is NOT shuffling MY playlist.

• Is this a custom action within the routine (a text command) or a pre-built music routine block?

There is no such things as a "pre-built music routine block" in the Google Home app automations editor.  It is an "Ask Google" action.

• Is this a Household Routine or a Personal Routine?

It fails the same for both kinds of routines, and note that this distinction does not exist within the Google home app.

• What is the make and model of your mobile device, and is it an Android or iOS version?

Irrelevant because we are talking about the inability of voice command automations routines to play on speaker groups (or shuffle playlists).  The behavior is the same whether I write the routine on my Google Pixel 5, my Samsung Note 20, or on my PC's browser, or if I do it via direct voice command.

Any assistance you can provide in wording the command in a way that it understands or changing the order or whatever.  Ideally I should be able to say (or make a routine with the voice action): "Shuffle play my Pangolin Mix on the Main Speakers group." and it would do that.  But it fails at various points, and the inability to even just correctly shuffle a playlist (a fundamental capability for any media-directed voice assistant) is baffling and disappointing.  Hopefully there is a fix or work-around or trick to getting done.

[ByronP]

Hi Aaroneus,

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the detailed information provided.

Based on your answers, please follow these recommendations:

Step 1: Verify the microphone is not blocked.

• The microphones are under the fabric cover. Two at the top-front and one above the mute switch at the back. Ensure there is nothing covering the fabric cover.

Step 2: Verify the Nest Audio is not muted.

Please toggle the mute switch on and off. Here are the steps:

• Please press or toggle the mute button or switch on the back of the device.
• When you hear the Assistant say that the device is muted, check if the LED lights indicate that the device is muted, and then press it again to unmute the device.

Step 3: Verify that you used the hotword correctly and within range.

You should have within 3 to 5 feet of the Nest Audio and say the hotword "Okay Google" or " Hey Google".

• Check if the LEDs turn on when you use the hotword. If the LEDs turn on, this means that the Nest Audio hears you and is ready to listen for a command. If the device still doesn't respond at this attempt, say the hotword again, but slower.

Please let me know how it goes.

Regards,

Byron

[Aaroneus]

Thank you for replying, although I wish the responses were relevant to my issue.

As I clearly indicated in my answers, I have no trouble giving commands to my speakers and having them act.  I clearly stated that I can start music using both voice commands and routines.  I can sometimes get it to play on my speaker group via voice commands, but never via automation routines.  

The point is that when I tell it to "shuffle", "shuffle play" or any other variant, it does not do that.  Sometimes it says that it will "start shuffling from the next track" (so it CLEARLY is not an issue with the microphone being blocked or muted), but it is a lie.  It continues playing, but does not actually shuffle the playlist/queue.  The next track and the whole remaining queue is random music instead of being from my playlist.  That is the same for voice commands and automation routines.  

Hopefully you (or somebody else) has information relevant to making YouTube music shuffle a music queue through voice command and/or automation routine (assuming everything else is working as it is supposed to).