Spotify Expands Parent-Managed Accounts to Users on Its Free Tier
Spotify has made a significant move in its efforts to provide parents with greater control over their children’s online activities. The company has announced that it will now offer its ‘Managed Account’ feature to users on its free tier, in addition to its paid subscribers.
Source: techcrunch.com
Launched in 2024, ‘Managed Accounts’ is a shared account feature that allows parents to control what their children listen to on Spotify. This feature has been available to paid subscribers since its inception, but the expansion to free users marks a significant step in Spotify’s efforts to give parents greater control over their children’s online activities.
Families in the U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands can now create a ‘Managed Account’ for their child, which will allow them to control and restrict playback of specific artists and songs. By default, children will not be able to listen to music labeled as explicit, and video playback will also be disabled by default. Interactivity features will also be limited on managed accounts, which means that kids will not have 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. This is a significant advantage for parents who want to give their children access to a wide range of music, while also ensuring that they are not exposed to explicit content.
To set up a managed account, family plan account holders will 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 will also have the option to make adjustments at any time.
Spotify says it plans to bring Managed Accounts to more countries soon, which will give even more parents the ability to control what their children listen to on the platform. This move is part of a broader effort by major tech companies to give parents greater control over how their children use online platforms.
In a statement, Spotify said, ‘We’re committed to providing parents with the tools they need to give their children a safe and enjoyable experience on Spotify. With Managed Accounts, we’re giving parents even more control over what their children listen to, and we’re excited to see how this feature will help families enjoy music together.’
By expanding Managed Accounts to free users, Spotify is taking a significant step towards providing parents with greater control over their children’s online activities. This move is likely to be welcomed by parents who want to give their children access to a wide range of music, while also ensuring that they are not exposed to explicit content.
Spotify’s expansion of Managed Accounts to free users is also part of a broader trend in the tech industry towards giving parents greater control over how their children use online platforms. This trend is driven by regulatory pressure and a desire to provide parents with the tools they need to give their children a safe and enjoyable experience online.
