Parents in the US will no longer have to pay for a premium Spotify family subscription to set up a managed account for their kids, as the music streaming giant has made it free for all. On Wednesday, the company announced the immediate expansion of free managed accounts across all subscription plans, which will also include the year-end Wrapped feature for younger music fans.
Parents with a Spotify subscription — on any tier — can create a free managed account for their kids. Designed for music streaming, the accounts exclude podcasts and video content. This option is now available in the US, UK, France, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands, with plans to add it for more customers globally, including Canada, Europe and South America. Give your child a Spotify account with parental oversight, and your playlists, recommendations and Wrapped can be yours again. “We’re removing the cost barrier to accessing managed accounts, and are really pleased to be opening them up to young listeners around the world,” said Barry Nevin, Spotify’s product lead, during a press preview. “This ensures equitable access for any family who wants to create a Spotify account for their children.”
Follow the steps to add a kid’s managed account to your subscription.
Spotify Like adult listeners, young music fans will have an experience that includes handpicking their favorite artists to fine-tune their recommendations, as well as Discover Weekly and daylists (Homework Vibes is one Spotify mix). Concerned about parental controls? Default settings ensure videos, album artwork (called Canvas), explicit content and messaging are disabled. No profile photos are used — just avatars — and children’s profiles are not public or searchable. If you want to set up a managed account, you’ll find the option under your profile page on the home screen.
Select “Add a child under 13” and follow the process to create the account. Be sure to check out the parental tools like the content filter, or the feature that allows you to block specific songs or artists (especially if there are any you’d rather your kids not keep in their rotations).
Originally launched in 2024 in select countries for listeners under age 13, the offering was rolled out only for the streamer’s paid family plan. Over the past two years, these monitored accounts have been added for more Spotify users worldwide, and in October, US listeners gained access to the kid-friendly option for premium family subscriptions.
