Spotify has announced that its parent-managed accounts feature is now available to users on its free tier in the UK. The feature, previously exclusive to paid subscribers, allows parents to control their child's music choices and is available to families in the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Managed Accounts, which launched in 2024, is a shared account feature that enables parents to control what their children listen to. The accounts are separate, meaning kids' music choices won't impact their parents' algorithm or show up in their annual Spotify Wrapped experience.
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. With Managed Accounts, parents can control and restrict playback of specific artists and songs, and by default, children can't listen to music labelled as explicit.
Parents can set up the managed account by navigating to their account pages in the app, selecting the 'Add a Member' option, and tapping 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.