Spotify brings parent-managed accounts to free tier users

Spotify announced on Wednesday that it’s bringing parent-managed accounts for kids to its free tier. Families in the U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands can now create a “Managed Account” for their child, a feature previously available only to paid subscribers. “Managed Accounts,” which launched in 2024 , is a shared account feature that allows parents to control what their children listen to.

Since these accounts are separate, kids’ music choices won’t impact their parents’ algorithm or show up in their annual Spotify Wrapped experience. Children can add songs to their favorites, create their own playlists, and have their own personalized recommendations. The expansion of Managed Accounts to free users reflects broader efforts by major tech companies to give parents greater control over how their children use online platforms, and which features are available to them in response to regulatory pressure.

With Managed Accounts, parents can control and restrict playback of specific artists and songs. By default, children can’t listen to music labeled as explicit, and video playback is also disabled by default. Interactivity features are also limited on managed accounts, which means that kids don’t get access to age-gated features like Messages.

Managed Accounts give parents more granular control over the music their child can listen to, without requiring them to use the more restrictive Spotify Kids app. To set up the managed account, Family Plan account holders need to navigate to their account pages in the app, select the “Add a Member” option, and tap the “Add a listener aged under 13 (or the market equivalent)” option. From there, parents will be guided through some steps to get their child’s account set up, including choosing a display name and setting up content preferences.

Parents have the option to make adjustments at any time. Spotify says it plans to bring Managed Accounts to more countries soon. Why this matters: The introduction of parent-managed accounts on Spotify's free tier marks a significant step towards providing parents with more control over their children's online activities.

As regulatory pressure mounts on tech companies to prioritize child safety and parental controls, Spotify's move sets a precedent for the industry. For developers and businesses, this shift highlights the importance of integrating robust parental control features into their services. For consumers, particularly parents, this expansion offers more flexibility and peace of mind when managing their child's online experience.

However, questions remain about the effectiveness of these controls in curbing exposure to explicit content and the potential impact on children's access to information. As Spotify plans to roll out Managed Accounts to more countries, it will be crucial to monitor the feature's adoption and effectiveness in addressing these concerns.