Spotify adds songs automatically because you turned on a setting that lets the app fill your playlist with recommendations
When you create a playlist on Spotify, the app offers to add songs for you. This happens through a feature called autoplay or song radio, depending on which Spotify plan you have and which device you're using. If you see songs appearing that you didn't add yourself, you almost certainly enabled this feature at some point — either when you made the playlist or later in the playlist settings.
The songs Spotify adds are based on what it thinks matches the music already in your playlist. The app looks at the artists, genres, and even the mood or tempo of your existing songs, then picks new ones that fit the same pattern. This is why a playlist of indie rock might suddenly include a song by a band you've never heard of — Spotify's algorithm decided it sounded similar enough to belong there.
You can turn this off at any time. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a phone, computer, or tablet, but the setting is always in the playlist itself, not buried in your account preferences.
Key Takeaways
- Spotify adds songs automatically when autoplay or song radio is turned on in your playlist settings, not because of a glitch or a change to your account.
- The app chooses songs based on the artists, genres, and musical style of songs already in your playlist.
- You can disable this feature by opening the playlist, finding the settings menu, and turning off autoplay or song radio.
- Free Spotify accounts may have fewer options to control autoplay than paid Premium accounts do.
How to find and turn off autoplay in your playlist
On a phone or tablet, open the playlist where songs are being added. Tap the three dots (the menu icon) in the top right corner of the playlist. Look for an option that says "Go Offline," "Autoplay," "Song Radio," or "Allow Song Radio" — the exact wording changes depending on your device and Spotify version. If you see a toggle next to any of these, tap it to turn autoplay off.
On a computer, right-click the playlist name in your library on the left side. A menu will appear with options including "Go Offline" or settings related to autoplay. Click to disable whichever option is turned on. If you don't see a menu, click the three dots next to the playlist name instead.
After you turn off autoplay, Spotify will stop adding new songs to that playlist. Any songs it added before you disabled the setting will stay in the playlist unless you delete them manually.
Why Spotify offers this feature in the first place
Spotify uses autoplay to keep you listening longer. When a playlist ends, the app can automatically start playing similar songs so you don't have to choose what to listen to next. This benefits Spotify because longer listening sessions mean more ad impressions on free accounts and more engagement data that helps the company understand what you like.
For some listeners, this is useful — you might want background music that matches the mood of your playlist without having to build it yourself. For others, it clutters a carefully curated list with songs you didn't choose. Spotify lets you decide which way you prefer it.
The difference between autoplay and song radio
Autoplay adds songs to your existing playlist and keeps playing after the playlist ends. Song radio creates a temporary station based on one song or artist you select, without changing your actual playlist. The names vary by device — what your phone calls "Song Radio" might be called "Go to Song Radio" on a computer.
If you're seeing songs added directly to your playlist, autoplay is the culprit. If you're just hearing music continue after your playlist finishes, that's autoplay continuing to play, but it's not adding to the playlist itself. Both can be turned off in the same settings menu.
What happens on free versus Premium accounts
Spotify Premium subscribers have full control over autoplay — they can turn it on or off for any playlist. Free account holders have fewer options. On free accounts, autoplay may be forced on during certain listening sessions, and you might not see a clear toggle to disable it.
If you're on a free account and can't find the autoplay setting, this is why. Spotify uses autoplay partly to encourage free users to upgrade to Premium, where you get more control over your listening experience. Upgrading to Premium gives you the ability to turn autoplay off completely and keep your playlists exactly as you build them.
Songs keep getting added even after you turn autoplay off
If songs are still appearing in your playlist after you've disabled autoplay, the setting may not have saved properly. Close the Spotify app completely and reopen it, then check the playlist settings again to confirm autoplay is still off. Sometimes the app needs to refresh to explore the change.
Another possibility is that you're looking at a playlist someone else created and shared with you. If a playlist is marked as "collaborative," other people can add songs to it, and you might not realize someone else is doing so. Check the playlist details to see if it says "Collaborative Playlist" or if other people are listed as contributors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see which songs Spotify added versus which ones I added?
Spotify doesn't mark songs differently based on who added them. Once a song is in your playlist, there's no way to tell if you added it or autoplay did. If you want to keep track, you can delete the songs you didn't choose and rebuild the playlist with only your selections, then turn autoplay off.
Does turning off autoplay affect my recommendations elsewhere on Spotify?
No. Turning off autoplay in one playlist only affects that playlist. Your Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and other recommendation features will continue to work the same way. Autoplay is a playlist-by-playlist setting, not an account-wide one.
Why does Spotify sometimes add songs I've already heard?
Spotify's algorithm matches based on musical similarity, not on whether you've heard the song before. If a song has the same genre, tempo, or artist style as your playlist, autoplay might add it even if you've skipped it or disliked it in the past. This is a limitation of how the recommendation system works.
If I delete the songs autoplay added, will it stop adding more?
No. Deleting songs doesn't turn off autoplay — it just removes the songs that were already added. You still need to go into the playlist settings and disable autoplay itself to stop new songs from appearing.