Spotify Family - How do I add kids to the account?

[iM69]

Just upgraded to Spotify Family so that my kids can start listening to music and building their own playlists.

However, I'm stumped as to how to set them up.

They are only young, so don't have email addresses (and certainly not Facebook accounts).

I copied out the long link generated from the 'Invite By Link' option into the browser on my son's device - but he gets prompted to sign up with an email address.

Surely a 'Family' option isn't reliant on children having email addresses?

[JCdotnl]

Hey @iM69,

I'm here to help you! So nice of you to get your kids on the streaming! 

You are doing everything the right way, there is only one problem! For people to accept your invite link, they must have an own Spotify account.

You can create an account here [edit, link updated] https://support.spotify.com/article/spotify-kids/

By the way HERE is the official Q&A for the Spotify family plan.

So unfortunately you need to create accounts for your kids, so they can manage their playlists etc. 
But after that, you are good to go and the whole fmaily can stream their favorite songs.

Hope I've helped you, please let me know if there is something going wrong.
- Jordy

[laraarogerss]

I was just wondering if on a family account you can stream on different accounts at the same time. I am the admin of the family account and last night my dad tried to stream music (whilst we were both online) but it wouldn't allow him as I was doing it. Is there a way of changing this?

[Grasbekk]

Hi there. My kids do have their own email-accounts, but when creating a Spotify account we are asked of their birthday. When I enter their correct birthdays, Spotify will not accept due to their age. They are to young.. 

What to do?? 

Anyone...?

[JCdotnl]

Hey @Grasbekk,

I recommend you pick an age at 16! It can't do harm! So your kids can use Spotify, and explict songs or content will not be shown when they're 16 unless the rating aproves the content for 16 years and older. In two years the account for your kids will be 18 and they get more acces to explict content (Songs, Podcasts). 

It's up to you if you're oke with it! It's just a security measure for Spotify. 

There is an active post about this idea Here, gives it kudos and share your thoughts!

But for now this is the only solution, I'm aware of! If I hear some additional info from other Rockstars, I'll let you know!

- Jordy

[JCdotnl]

Hey @laraarogerss,

Spotify Family sharing gives you the option to get discount on your Spotify premium, up to 6 family members can join it. When you're the admin you get the option to invite people to your plan and you're the one paying for it. 

Can you be more specific about the problem?
Do you both have own accounts? Or are you using the same account for streaming music? You can't stream on two devices. 
If you are using both the same account, I recommend your dad makes an own account, after that follow the steps:
- Spotify.com;
- Click right above on your username;
- Go to account;
- Click on family sharing;
- Invite your dad or other family members via e-mail.

I also referring you to this post about family sharing HERE.

Let me know if it worked, or maybe this isn't the problem at all!
- Jordy

[laraarogerss]

I am the admin on the Spotify family account and all the other slots are used up with separate accounts (including the one my dad was trying to use). We used to share the same premium account so I was used to only one person being able to stream online, however, I didn't realise this would still be the case with a family premium account?

[Ambivalence]

Hello @laraarogerss,

if you are in a Premium for Family account and you and your family only use one account/slot, streaming will only be available for one device like usual. If you have a Premium for Family account with your family in seperate slots, you'll still be able to stream on one device, only the other accounts in your family will also get to stream. So if your dad, mum and yourself have three slots/accounts in Spotify for Family, you'll be able to stream on three devices on seperate accounts!

Hope this helps!

- Brian

[epanska]

I am struggling with this as well. JCdotnl, I will probably follow your advice, but I do think having to lie about your child's age in order to use a paid 'Family' account is a poor solution.

[mroutdoors]

I have just subscribed to a family account and am dissapointed to find that I cant add my children without falsifiying their ages. ITunes have managed to do this very well and also prevent access to explicit content. Trouble is with ITunes most of my music seems to be DRM protected so I thought spotify would be an easier solution, apparently not. As much as i like Spotify, I think this issue needs to be addressed if you are to claim that you can sell family sharing for £15, when actually you cant!

[brendan304]

Anyupdates on this problem? We were looking to start a family plan for a family of four, but we are unwilling to lie about ages just to accomdate the service. 

[lkroland]

Yes. How can the call it family account and then have us lie about the age of our children. That's real nice... Well thought through, Spotify! Real family values... If someone asks your age, just lie about it. 

[louitag]

I have also just bought the Premium for Family, and have found that I have to lie about my children's ages to get them to listen to music. My eldest is fine, but my middle son is 12 and he had to lie as well, as it wouldn't accept him. 

What is that teaching our children??? That if we can't get what we want if we're honest, let's just lie and get it anyway.

Surely there must be a way for a company like Spotify to work out how to exclude explicit content from a 10 year old's playlist? It can't be that hard for their experts!

It does make me wonder about their values and morals when they're selling something for the family - but clearly advocate lying.

[Psmunz]

Just joined Spotify family sharing, and I too am amazed at this revelation that you cannot add your kids without falsifying their age. This makes me wonder too how you regulate the content they are listening to. I want Spotify to know to automatically block content unsuitable for an 11 year old. Sort it out Spotify you cannot call this "family sharing" if the application cannot handle a typical family. 

[glaudie]

totally agree with you.  My child cannot legitimately join the family account and share with their own account, as he is too young.

Really needs to change that if you say that family accounts are available.  Look at apple and itunes and how they have set up family sharing with parental control and ask to buy option on any new downloads

[iM69]

To be fair, it's not as bad as the crazy situation with Audible... 

I am an Amazon Prime and Audible customer, and also have an Amazon Household set-up, to allow me to share Prime benefits and content with my wife and sons.

I am very frustrated that Audible does not allow me to share audiobooks with my sons through Amazon Household Sharing - http://audible.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4949/~/can-i-share-my-audiobooks-with-child-prof...

I am not comfortable with the work-around I currently have to do, of downloading and signing in to my Audible account on my sons’ devices and giving them access to my full library – whilst I trust them not to make purchases, I don’t want them to see or inadvertently listen to my own purchases.

It’s a made-up scenario (honest ) but if I’d downloaded “The Haynes Manual to Fixing Your Broken Marriage” or “Overcoming Alcoholism for Dummies”, I wouldn't necessarily want the kids to know....

If I can purchase a children’s Kindle e-book and share it with my children, what is the rationale for me not being able to do likewise with audiobooks?

In fact, if they cannot listen to them, what is the point of Audible having children’s titles in its ranges – are there really that many adults listening to kids’ books?

[Troy65]

Okay , so I have a premium Spotify account , but my son who's 7yrs old doz'nt live with me his father . But he doz have a mini I-pad with a e.mail address. No Facebook / an don't want him to either .but when I tried to sign him up with Spotify . It came back with him been to young . With some music been explicit . 

But I have set his pad up so no matter what he try's an gets . It will ping me first to see if I will allow him . 

So what should I do to get him on board please ? 

I await your advise , many thanks Mr. T . Bentley - Walls 

[kri5tin88]

It looks like they also need a cell phone because email accounts can't be setup without a cell number. If I use my cell number, then Spotify declines adding them saying they already have an account.  This is a rat race!

[madamiub]

There are legal restrictions in the US for data collection for children under 13. Rather than working through these regulations, Spotify has chosen to "close" the service to children under 13. It's a pretty frustrating choice on their end.

[koos6789]

Hi Spotify, may I comment that this lying about children's age is the most stupid security feature I have aver seen, Thank you for making me laugh !!!!!!!