Communicating shuffled media content

A server system for communicating a playback order for a plurality of media content items to a user device, the server system comprising a processing device, a computer-readable storage device, and a communication device, the computer-readable storage device storing data instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to:

• receive, at the server system, an indication that the user device will enter an offline mode;
• generate, at the server system, a playback order for the plurality of media content items upon receiving the indication that the user device will enter the offline mode, the generating being based at least in part on a seed;
• and
• transmit the generated playback order to the user device before the user device enters the offline mode.

A method of playing a plurality of media content items on a user device, the method comprising:

• operating in an online mode, and while operating in the online mode:
• sending an offlining indication to a server system using the communication device, the offlining indication containing data indicative that the user device will enter an offline mode;
• and
• receiving from the server system a playback order for a plurality of media content items, the playback order being generated at the server system;
• and
• entering the offline mode after receiving the playback order, and while operating in the offline mode:
• initiating playback of the plurality of media content items based on the playback order.