Spotify Kids: Parent-Managed Accounts Now Available in the US & More

Spotify Expands Availability of Managed Accounts for Younger Listeners

Spotify announced on Tuesday the expansion of Managed Accounts, a feature designed to give parents control over their children’s listening experience. This shared account functionality is now accessible to users in several additional countries.

Rollout to New Regions

The rollout of Managed Accounts is currently underway in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. This expansion follows a successful pilot program initiated last year.

Eligibility and Functionality

Managed Accounts are exclusively available to subscribers of the Spotify Premium Family plan. They enable account holders to create a distinct, music-only listening environment for children under the age of 13.

Crucially, children’s musical selections remain isolated. Their choices will not influence the parent’s personalized algorithm or appear in the annual Spotify Wrapped summary.

Features for Young Listeners

Kids utilizing Managed Accounts can curate their own playlists, save favorite songs, and receive tailored music recommendations. This fosters a personalized listening journey.

Parental Control Options

Parents retain the ability to restrict access to specific features. This includes disabling video playback, content previews, and Canvas videos – the looping visuals accompanying music. Restrictions can be applied to content marked as explicit.

Furthermore, parents can exert control over the playback of individual artists and songs, ensuring age-appropriate content is accessible.

Limited Interactivity

To ensure a safe environment, interactivity features are limited on Managed Accounts. Access to age-restricted functionalities, such as Messages, is unavailable to younger users.

Alternative to Spotify Kids

Managed Accounts provide a more nuanced approach to parental control. They allow for granular decisions regarding a child’s music access, offering an alternative to the more restrictive Spotify Kids application.

Setting Up a Managed Account

To establish a managed account, Family Plan subscribers should navigate to their account settings within the app. Select “Add a Member,” then choose “Add a listener aged under 13 (or the market equivalent).” Follow the on-screen prompts to configure the account.

Existing Availability

Spotify’s Managed Accounts were previously launched in New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia.

Industry Trend

This wider launch aligns with a growing trend among major technology companies. These companies are increasingly focused on providing parents with enhanced control over their children’s online experiences and feature access, responding to evolving regulatory demands.