Spotify opens parent-managed child accounts to free users

Spotify is bringing its child-focused Managed Accounts feature to people on its free tier, according to an announcement from the company on Wednesday. The move gives more families access to parental controls without requiring a paid subscription, a product choice that also shows how child-safety tools are becoming a standard feature for major tech platforms.

Spotify said families in the U.S., U.K., Australia, France, Germany and the Netherlands can now create a Managed Account for a child. The feature had previously been limited to paying subscribers, according to TechCrunch.

Managed Accounts, which Spotify introduced in 2024, let a parent create a separate listening profile for a child and set limits on what that child can hear. The basic mechanism is straightforward: instead of a child borrowing a parent’s account, the child gets a controlled account of their own, while the parent sets content rules.

That separation also protects the parent’s own listening data. Spotify said children’s listening activity through Managed Accounts will not shape the parent’s recommendations or appear in the parent’s annual Spotify Wrapped, the company’s year-end summary of listening habits.

Children using Managed Accounts can still save tracks to favorites, build playlists and receive their own personalized suggestions, according to Spotify. Personalized recommendations are the automated music suggestions Spotify generates based on listening behavior.

What parents can control

Spotify said Managed Accounts allow parents to block specific songs and artists. Music marked explicit is unavailable to children by default, and video playback is also turned off by default.

The company said interactive features are limited on Managed Accounts. That means children do not get access to age-gated tools such as Messages, according to Spotify. Age-gated features are services restricted based on a user’s age or age category.

The feature sits between a regular Spotify account and the separate Spotify Kids app. Spotify Kids is more restrictive, while Managed Accounts give parents more detailed control inside the main Spotify service, according to TechCrunch.

For investors watching consumer platforms, the update is less about a single feature and more about user trust. TechCrunch reported that the expansion fits a wider push among large technology companies to give parents more control over children’s online activity, partly in response to regulatory pressure.

How setup works

Spotify said account holders can set up a Managed Account from the account page in the app. The process includes choosing “Add a Member,” then selecting the option to add a listener under 13, or the local market equivalent.

From there, Spotify guides parents through the setup, including choosing a display name and setting content preferences. The company said parents can change those settings later.

Spotify said it plans to expand Managed Accounts to additional countries soon. The company did not name those markets or give a specific timeline in the announcement cited by TechCrunch.

This story draws on original reporting from TechCrunch.