Spotify announced the availability of free, managed accounts for children, eliminating the requirement for a premium family subscription in the United States. The streaming music company extended this feature to all its subscription plans, allowing parents to create children’s accounts at no additional cost.
The company detailed that the new accounts include access to Wrapped, the annual feature that compiles the user’s musical activity, now available for younger users.
The measure is already in effect in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands, and a progressive expansion to markets such as Canada, the rest of Europe, and South America is planned. Thus, users can create an account with parental supervision and regain access to their own lists, recommendations, and personal Wrapped.
Features and parental controls
The managed accounts feature is aimed at parents with an active subscription to any Spotify plan. Account holders can create a free managed account for their children, which only allows for music streaming. Podcasts and videos are not included, which aims to reinforce safety and focus on musical content for minors.
Barry Nevin, Product Director at Spotify, stated during the press presentation: “We are removing the economic barrier to accessing managed accounts and we are extremely pleased to make them available to young listeners around the world.” The executive remarked that the initiative seeks to “guarantee equitable access for any family that wishes to create a Spotify account for their children.”
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Regarding the user experience, children can choose favorite artists to receive recommendations and access features such as Discover Weekly and daily playlists, including Homework Vibes.
Wrapped, Spotify’s annual summary feature, will also be available to younger users.
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For added protection, the default settings disable videos, album art (Canvas), explicit content, and messages. Kids’ profiles only allow the use of avatars, do not support real profile photos, and remain private, with no possibility of being searched by other users.
Configuration process and additional tools
Creating a managed account is done from the main profile page in the application. Simply select the “Add a child under 13” option and follow the indicated steps. Among the parental control tools are content filters and the ability to block specific songs or artists, which gives parents detailed control over what their children can access.
The managed accounts feature for children was originally launched in 2024 for children under 13 years old, first available exclusively on the platform’s paid family plan. Over the following two years, the option was extended to more regions and subscription types. Setting up child profiles prevents the use of real photos and maintains privacy.
Last October, premium family subscription users in the United States accessed this children’s mode for the first time. Now, the company is committed to expanding its global reach, with the goal of facilitating safe and supervised access to music for minors.
