diff --git a/ui/src/actions/player.js b/ui/src/actions/player.js
index 9056abeb6..316830a98 100644
--- a/ui/src/actions/player.js
+++ b/ui/src/actions/player.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { balancedShuffle } from '../utils'
+
 export const PLAYER_ADD_TRACKS = 'PLAYER_ADD_TRACKS'
 export const PLAYER_PLAY_NEXT = 'PLAYER_PLAY_NEXT'
 export const PLAYER_SET_TRACK = 'PLAYER_SET_TRACK'
@@ -46,11 +48,10 @@ export const playNext = (data, ids) => {
 }
 
 export const shuffle = (data) => {
-  const ids = Object.keys(data)
-  for (let i = ids.length - 1; i > 0; i--) {
-    let j = Math.floor(Math.random() * (i + 1))
-    ;[ids[i], ids[j]] = [ids[j], ids[i]]
-  }
+  const ids = balancedShuffle(Object.keys(data), {
+    artistKey: (id) => data[id].artistId || data[id].artist,
+    albumKey: (id) => data[id].albumId || data[id].album,
+  })
   const shuffled = {}
   // The "_" is to force the object key to be a string, so it keeps the order when adding to object
   // or else the keys will always be in the same (numerically) order
diff --git a/ui/src/actions/player.test.js b/ui/src/actions/player.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba685ca2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/actions/player.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { PLAYER_PLAY_TRACKS, shuffle, shuffleTracks } from './player'
+
+const songs = (spec) =>
+  Object.fromEntries(
+    spec.flatMap(([artistId, count]) =>
+      [...Array(count).keys()].map((i) => [
+        `${artistId}${i}`,
+        { id: `${artistId}${i}`, artistId, albumId: `${artistId}-album` },
+      ]),
+    ),
+  )
+
+describe('shuffle', () => {
+  it('keeps every song and prefixes the keys to preserve the order', () => {
+    const data = songs([
+      ['a', 5],
+      ['b', 5],
+    ])
+    const shuffled = shuffle(data)
+    expect(Object.keys(shuffled).sort()).toEqual(
+      Object.keys(data)
+        .map((id) => `_${id}`)
+        .sort(),
+    )
+    Object.entries(shuffled).forEach(([key, song]) => {
+      expect(song).toBe(data[key.substring(1)])
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('does not play the same artist twice in a row when avoidable', () => {
+    const data = songs([
+      ['a', 10],
+      ['b', 10],
+      ['c', 10],
+    ])
+    for (let n = 0; n < 50; n++) {
+      const artists = Object.values(shuffle(data)).map((s) => s.artistId)
+      artists.slice(1).forEach((artist, i) => {
+        expect(artist).not.toBe(artists[i])
+      })
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('spreads the albums of an artist', () => {
+    const data = Object.fromEntries(
+      [...Array(10).keys()].map((i) => [
+        `s${i}`,
+        { id: `s${i}`, artistId: 'a', albumId: `album-${i % 2}` },
+      ]),
+    )
+    let albumRepeats = 0
+    for (let n = 0; n < 50; n++) {
+      const albums = Object.values(shuffle(data)).map((s) => s.albumId)
+      albumRepeats += albums.slice(1).filter((a, i) => a === albums[i]).length
+    }
+    // a uniform shuffle averages 9 * 4/9 = 4 adjacent tracks from one album
+    expect(albumRepeats / 50).toBeLessThan(1)
+  })
+
+  it('falls back to the artist name when there is no artistId', () => {
+    const data = {
+      1: { id: '1', artist: 'x' },
+      2: { id: '2', artist: 'x' },
+      3: { id: '3', artist: 'y' },
+    }
+    for (let n = 0; n < 20; n++) {
+      const artists = Object.values(shuffle(data)).map((s) => s.artist)
+      expect(artists).toEqual(['x', 'y', 'x'])
+    }
+  })
+})
+
+describe('shuffleTracks', () => {
+  it('plays all non-missing songs starting with the first shuffled one', () => {
+    const data = {
+      ...songs([
+        ['a', 3],
+        ['b', 3],
+      ]),
+      gone: { id: 'gone', artistId: 'a', missing: true },
+    }
+    const action = shuffleTracks(data)
+    expect(action.type).toBe(PLAYER_PLAY_TRACKS)
+    expect(Object.keys(action.data)).toHaveLength(6)
+    expect(action.data).not.toHaveProperty('_gone')
+    expect(action.id).toBe(Object.keys(action.data)[0])
+  })
+
+  it('only shuffles the selected ids', () => {
+    const data = songs([['a', 4]])
+    const action = shuffleTracks(data, ['a0', 'a2'])
+    expect(Object.keys(action.data).sort()).toEqual(['_a0', '_a2'])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui/src/utils/balancedShuffle.js b/ui/src/utils/balancedShuffle.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2d88ceed3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/utils/balancedShuffle.js
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+/* balancedShuffle: Return a shuffled copy of the input array in which items
+ * sharing an artist are spread across the whole list instead of clustering.
+ *
+ * A uniform shuffle often places tracks by the same artist next to each other
+ * (with 10 tracks by one artist in a 100-track playlist, 63% of all orders do),
+ * which listeners do not perceive as random. This follows the approach Spotify
+ * described in "How to shuffle songs?" (2014): every artist's tracks are
+ * stretched evenly along the list with a random offset and a small random
+ * jitter, and the list is ordered by those positions. Tracks of one artist are
+ * spread across their albums the same way. Positions wrap around, so an artist
+ * with many tracks is as likely to open the list as any other track. A final
+ * pass removes the adjacent repeats the spreading leaves behind. When one
+ * artist has more tracks than all others together (plus one), repeats are
+ * unavoidable; the artist's tracks are then split into runs of equal length.
+ *
+ * Options:
+ * - artistKey(item) / albumKey(item): grouping keys. Items without a key are
+ *   treated as their own group.
+ * - random: a () => [0, 1) generator, Math.random by default.
+ */
+export const balancedShuffle = (items, options = {}) => {
+  const {
+    artistKey = () => undefined,
+    albumKey = () => undefined,
+    random = Math.random,
+  } = options
+  const entries = items.map((item) => ({
+    item,
+    artist: keyOrUnique(artistKey(item)),
+    album: keyOrUnique(albumKey(item)),
+  }))
+  return balance(entries, random).map((e) => e.item)
+}
+
+const keyOrUnique = (key) =>
+  key === undefined || key === null || key === '' ? Symbol() : key
+
+const fisherYates = (list, random) => {
+  const shuffled = [...list]
+  for (let i = shuffled.length - 1; i > 0; i--) {
+    const j = Math.floor(random() * (i + 1))
+    ;[shuffled[i], shuffled[j]] = [shuffled[j], shuffled[i]]
+  }
+  return shuffled
+}
+
+const groupBy = (entries, field) => {
+  const groups = new Map()
+  entries.forEach((e) => {
+    if (!groups.has(e[field])) {
+      groups.set(e[field], [])
+    }
+    groups.get(e[field]).push(e)
+  })
+  return groups
+}
+
+const dominantArtist = (entries) => {
+  const groups = groupBy(entries, 'artist')
+  let dominant = { artist: undefined, count: 0 }
+  groups.forEach((group, artist) => {
+    if (group.length > dominant.count) {
+      dominant = { artist, count: group.length }
+    }
+  })
+  return dominant
+}
+
+// Adjacent repeats can be avoided only if no artist holds more than half
+// of the items (rounded up).
+const isAvoidable = (entries) => {
+  const { count } = dominantArtist(entries)
+  return count <= entries.length - count + 1
+}
+
+// Stretch every group evenly along a circle of length 1: the k-th of n items
+// lands at k/n plus a random offset per group plus up to 10% of the spacing
+// as jitter. orderGroup decides which item of a group takes which slot.
+const spread = (entries, field, random, orderGroup) => {
+  const positioned = []
+  groupBy(entries, field).forEach((group) => {
+    const ordered = orderGroup(group)
+    const spacing = 1 / ordered.length
+    const offset = random()
+    ordered.forEach((entry, k) => {
+      const jitter = (random() * 2 - 1) * 0.1 * spacing
+      const position = (((k * spacing + offset + jitter) % 1) + 1) % 1
+      positioned.push({ entry, position, tiebreak: random() })
+    })
+  })
+  positioned.sort((a, b) => a.position - b.position || a.tiebreak - b.tiebreak)
+  return positioned.map((p) => p.entry)
+}
+
+// Remove adjacent repeats of the same artist. A repeat at index i is fixed by
+// pulling the next item of another artist forward; when none is left, the
+// item moves to a random earlier gap between two other artists.
+const repairAdjacent = (entries, random) => {
+  const list = [...entries]
+  let i = 1
+  while (i < list.length) {
+    if (list[i].artist !== list[i - 1].artist) {
+      i++
+      continue
+    }
+    const previous = list[i - 1].artist
+    let j = i + 1
+    while (j < list.length && list[j].artist === previous) {
+      j++
+    }
+    if (j < list.length) {
+      list.splice(i, 0, ...list.splice(j, 1))
+      i++
+      continue
+    }
+    const [entry] = list.splice(i, 1)
+    const gaps = list[0].artist !== entry.artist ? [0] : []
+    for (let p = 1; p < i; p++) {
+      if (
+        list[p - 1].artist !== entry.artist &&
+        list[p].artist !== entry.artist
+      ) {
+        gaps.push(p)
+      }
+    }
+    if (gaps.length === 0) {
+      list.splice(i, 0, entry)
+      i++
+      continue
+    }
+    list.splice(gaps[Math.floor(random() * gaps.length)], 0, entry)
+  }
+  return list
+}
+
+const balance = (entries, random) => {
+  if (entries.length < 2) {
+    return [...entries]
+  }
+  const byAlbum = (group) =>
+    spread(group, 'album', random, (album) => fisherYates(album, random))
+  if (isAvoidable(entries)) {
+    return repairAdjacent(spread(entries, 'artist', random, byAlbum), random)
+  }
+
+  // Too many items by one artist: place the others first, then fill the
+  // gaps around them with runs of the dominant artist of (almost) equal size.
+  const { artist } = dominantArtist(entries)
+  const others = balance(
+    entries.filter((e) => e.artist !== artist),
+    random,
+  )
+  const dominant = byAlbum(entries.filter((e) => e.artist === artist))
+  const slots = others.length + 1
+  const baseRun = Math.floor(dominant.length / slots)
+  const longerRuns = new Set(
+    fisherYates([...Array(slots).keys()], random).slice(
+      0,
+      dominant.length % slots,
+    ),
+  )
+  const result = []
+  let next = 0
+  for (let slot = 0; slot < slots; slot++) {
+    const run = baseRun + (longerRuns.has(slot) ? 1 : 0)
+    result.push(...dominant.slice(next, next + run))
+    next += run
+    if (slot < others.length) {
+      result.push(others[slot])
+    }
+  }
+  return result
+}
diff --git a/ui/src/utils/balancedShuffle.test.js b/ui/src/utils/balancedShuffle.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..26977cba2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/utils/balancedShuffle.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,208 @@
+import { balancedShuffle } from './balancedShuffle'
+
+// Deterministic generator (mulberry32) so every assertion is reproducible
+const seeded = (seed) => () => {
+  seed = (seed + 0x6d2b79f5) | 0
+  let t = Math.imul(seed ^ (seed >>> 15), 1 | seed)
+  t = (t + Math.imul(t ^ (t >>> 7), 61 | t)) ^ t
+  return ((t ^ (t >>> 14)) >>> 0) / 4294967296
+}
+
+// spec: [[artist, albums, tracksPerAlbum], ...]
+const library = (spec) =>
+  spec.flatMap(([artist, albums, tracks]) =>
+    [...Array(albums * tracks).keys()].map((i) => ({
+      id: `${artist}-${i}`,
+      artist,
+      album: `${artist}-album-${i % albums}`,
+    })),
+  )
+
+const singles = (count) =>
+  library([...Array(count).keys()].map((i) => [`single${i}`, 1, 1]))
+
+const options = (random) => ({
+  artistKey: (t) => t.artist,
+  albumKey: (t) => t.album,
+  random,
+})
+
+const adjacentRepeats = (list, key = (t) => t.artist) =>
+  list.slice(1).filter((t, i) => key(t) === key(list[i])).length
+
+const longestRun = (list) => {
+  let longest = list.length ? 1 : 0
+  let run = 1
+  for (let i = 1; i < list.length; i++) {
+    run = list[i].artist === list[i - 1].artist ? run + 1 : 1
+    longest = Math.max(longest, run)
+  }
+  return longest
+}
+
+const runs = (tracks, times, seed = 1) => {
+  const random = seeded(seed)
+  return [...Array(times)].map(() => balancedShuffle(tracks, options(random)))
+}
+
+const sortedIds = (list) => list.map((t) => t.id).sort()
+
+describe('balancedShuffle', () => {
+  it.each([0, 1, 2, 1000])('returns a permutation of %i items', (count) => {
+    const tracks = [...Array(count).keys()].map((i) => ({
+      id: `t${i}`,
+      artist: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'c'][i % 4],
+      album: `album-${i % 3}`,
+    }))
+    const result = balancedShuffle(tracks, options(seeded(7)))
+    expect(result).toHaveLength(tracks.length)
+    expect(sortedIds(result)).toEqual(sortedIds(tracks))
+  })
+
+  it('does not modify the input array', () => {
+    const tracks = library([
+      ['a', 1, 5],
+      ['b', 1, 5],
+    ])
+    const copy = [...tracks]
+    balancedShuffle(tracks, options(seeded(1)))
+    expect(tracks).toEqual(copy)
+  })
+
+  it('is deterministic for the same random source', () => {
+    const tracks = library([
+      ['a', 2, 5],
+      ['b', 1, 7],
+    ]).concat(singles(20))
+    expect(balancedShuffle(tracks, options(seeded(42)))).toEqual(
+      balancedShuffle(tracks, options(seeded(42))),
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('works with Math.random and without keys', () => {
+    const tracks = library([['a', 1, 10]])
+    expect(sortedIds(balancedShuffle(tracks))).toEqual(sortedIds(tracks))
+  })
+
+  it.each([
+    [
+      '10 artists with 10 tracks each',
+      library([...Array(10).keys()].map((i) => [`a${i}`, 2, 5])),
+    ],
+    [
+      'one artist with 10 of 100 tracks',
+      library([['a', 2, 5]]).concat(singles(90)),
+    ],
+    [
+      'artists with 50, 30 and 20 tracks',
+      library([
+        ['a', 5, 10],
+        ['b', 3, 10],
+        ['c', 2, 10],
+      ]),
+    ],
+    [
+      'one artist with 40 of 100 tracks',
+      library([['a', 4, 10]]).concat(singles(60)),
+    ],
+    [
+      'one artist with exactly half of the tracks',
+      library([['a', 5, 10]]).concat(singles(50)),
+    ],
+  ])('never plays the same artist twice in a row: %s', (_, tracks) => {
+    runs(tracks, 200).forEach((result) => {
+      expect(adjacentRepeats(result)).toBe(0)
+    })
+  })
+
+  it.each([
+    ['60 of 100', 60, 40, 19, 2],
+    ['80 of 100', 80, 20, 59, 4],
+  ])(
+    'splits unavoidable repeats into even runs: one artist with %s',
+    (_, dominant, others, minimalRepeats, maxRun) => {
+      const tracks = library([['a', 4, dominant / 4]]).concat(singles(others))
+      runs(tracks, 200).forEach((result) => {
+        expect(adjacentRepeats(result)).toBe(minimalRepeats)
+        expect(longestRun(result)).toBe(maxRun)
+      })
+    },
+  )
+
+  it('spreads the albums of a single artist', () => {
+    const tracks = library([['a', 3, 10]])
+    const albumRepeats = runs(tracks, 200).map((result) =>
+      adjacentRepeats(result, (t) => t.album),
+    )
+    const mean = albumRepeats.reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0) / albumRepeats.length
+    // a uniform shuffle averages 29 * 9/29 = 9 adjacent tracks from one album
+    expect(mean).toBeLessThan(1)
+  })
+
+  it.each([
+    ['empty', ''],
+    ['missing', undefined],
+    ['null', null],
+  ])('treats tracks with %s artist as distinct artists', (_, artist) => {
+    const tracks = [...Array(10).keys()]
+      .map((i) => ({ id: `t${i}`, artist }))
+      .concat(library([['b', 1, 5]]))
+    const results = runs(tracks, 200)
+    results.forEach((result) => {
+      expect(sortedIds(result)).toEqual(sortedIds(tracks))
+    })
+    // as one artist they would hold 10 of 15 tracks and always open the list
+    expect(results.some((result) => result[0].artist === 'b')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('spreads the tracks of an artist evenly across the list', () => {
+    const tracks = library([['a', 1, 10]]).concat(singles(90))
+    const smallestGaps = runs(tracks, 200).map((result) => {
+      const positions = result.flatMap((t, i) => (t.artist === 'a' ? [i] : []))
+      return Math.min(...positions.slice(1).map((p, i) => p - positions[i]))
+    })
+    const mean = smallestGaps.reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0) / smallestGaps.length
+    // a uniform order with its neighbours separated averages about 2
+    expect(mean).toBeGreaterThan(4)
+  })
+
+  it('gives every track an even chance of every position', () => {
+    const tracks = library([['a', 2, 5]]).concat(singles(90))
+    const watched = [tracks[0], tracks[50]]
+    const deciles = watched.map(() => Array(10).fill(0))
+    const results = runs(tracks, 3000, 11)
+    results.forEach((result) => {
+      watched.forEach((track, w) => {
+        deciles[w][Math.floor(result.indexOf(track) / 10)]++
+      })
+    })
+    deciles.flat().forEach((count) => {
+      expect(count / results.length).toBeGreaterThan(0.07)
+      expect(count / results.length).toBeLessThan(0.13)
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('lets an artist with many tracks open the list as often as by chance', () => {
+    const tracks = library([['a', 2, 5]]).concat(singles(90))
+    const results = runs(tracks, 3000, 5)
+    const opened = results.filter((r) => r[0].artist === 'a').length
+    expect(opened / results.length).toBeGreaterThan(0.07)
+    expect(opened / results.length).toBeLessThan(0.13)
+  })
+
+  it.each([
+    ['one artist', library([['a', 200, 100]])],
+    ['one artist with 95%', library([['a', 190, 100]]).concat(singles(1000))],
+    ['one artist with half', library([['a', 100, 100]]).concat(singles(10000))],
+    [
+      '100 artists',
+      library([...Array(100).keys()].map((i) => [`a${i}`, 5, 20])),
+    ],
+  ])('shuffles 10,000+ tracks quickly: %s', (_, tracks) => {
+    const start = performance.now()
+    const result = balancedShuffle(tracks, options(seeded(1)))
+    // generous for slow CI runners; a quadratic repair pass takes much longer
+    expect(performance.now() - start).toBeLessThan(5000)
+    expect(result).toHaveLength(tracks.length)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui/src/utils/index.js b/ui/src/utils/index.js
index 779b6f886..e7b1ca747 100644
--- a/ui/src/utils/index.js
+++ b/ui/src/utils/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+export * from './balancedShuffle'
 export * from './formatters'
 export * from './intersperse'
 export * from './notifications'