What the Spotify Family Plan includes
The Spotify Family Plan lets up to six people in your household each have their own account with their own music, playlists, and listening history — all under one subscription. Each person logs in with their own email and password, and Spotify keeps their recommendations separate. You pay one monthly fee instead of six individual subscriptions.
Everyone on the plan gets the same features: ad-free listening, the ability to read songs to listen offline, and higher sound quality than the free version. There is no "basic" versus "premium" tier within the family plan — all six accounts are identical in what they can do.
The plan costs less per person than buying six individual subscriptions, though the exact price varies by country and changes periodically. In the United States, the family plan typically costs around $16.99 per month, compared to $11.99 for one individual premium account.
Key Takeaways
- Each family member gets their own Spotify account with separate playlists, recommendations, and listening history, all under one monthly payment.
- All six accounts have the same features: no ads, offline downloads, and high sound quality.
- You set up the plan through the account holder's Spotify page, then invite family members by their email address.
- Spotify occasionally checks that members live at the same address, and you may need to verify this through the app or website.
- If someone leaves the family plan, their account reverts to the free version unless they start paying for their own subscription.
How to set up the family plan
Start by going to spotify.com and signing into the account that will be the main account for the plan. This is usually the person paying for it, though any member can manage it later. Click on your profile icon in the top right, then select "Account" and look for "Family Plan" or "Manage Family Plan" in the settings.
Spotify will ask you to confirm your home address. This is the address where household members live — Spotify uses this to verify that people on the plan actually live together. Enter your street address, city, state, and zip code exactly as it appears on your billing information.
Once your address is confirmed, you can invite family members. Spotify gives you an option to send invitations by email. Enter the email address of each person you want to add (up to five others, for six total). They will receive an email with a link to join the family plan. When they click the link, they can create a Spotify account or connect an existing one to the family plan.
Each person who joins should use their real email address and create their own password. They do not need to use a credit card — the payment comes from the main account holder's card.
How Spotify verifies household members
Spotify periodically checks that people on the family plan actually live at the same address. This usually happens automatically in the background, but sometimes Spotify asks members to verify their location. When this happens, you will see a notification in the Spotify app or on the website saying something like "Verify your home address."
To verify, open the Spotify app on a device at your home address and follow the prompt. Spotify is checking that the device connecting to the account is in the same location as the address you provided when you set up the plan. You typically only need to verify once every 30 days or so, and only one person on the plan needs to verify at a time.
If you travel or use Spotify away from home, it does not affect your account. The verification is just a periodic check, not a constant location requirement. However, if multiple people on the plan are consistently connecting from different cities or states, Spotify may ask questions about whether you actually live together.
What happens to playlists and music when someone leaves
If someone on the family plan stops being part of it, their account does not disappear — it converts to Spotify's free version. They keep their playlists, saved songs, and listening history. They can still listen to music, but they will hear ads and cannot read songs to listen offline.
The person who leaves can either stay on the free version or pay for their own individual premium subscription. If they want to rejoin the family plan later, they can be re-invited by the main account holder.
If the main account holder (the person whose card is being charged) leaves the family plan, Spotify automatically assigns a new main account holder from the remaining members. The subscription keeps running, and the new main account holder can change the payment method or invite new people.
Managing who is on the plan and payment
The main account holder can see who is on the family plan and remove people at any time. Go to your account settings, find "Manage Family Plan," and you will see a list of all six members. You can remove someone by clicking the X or remove button next to their name. They will be notified that they have been removed, and their account will switch to the free version.
Only the main account holder can change the payment method or cancel the plan. If you want someone else to be able to manage the plan, you can change who the main account holder is through the same settings page. This is useful if the person paying for it changes.
If your payment method fails or expires, Spotify will send a notification to the main account holder. Update your card information in your account settings to keep the plan active. If payment fails for too long, Spotify will downgrade everyone on the plan to the free version.
Troubleshooting common problems
If someone you invited has not received their invitation email, ask them to check their spam or junk folder — sometimes the email ends up there. You can also resend the invitation from the Manage Family Plan page. If they still do not see it after a few minutes, try inviting them again with a different email address if they have one.
If Spotify keeps asking you to verify your home address and you live where you said you do, make sure you are opening the app on a device that is actually at that address. Using a VPN or proxy can sometimes confuse Spotify's location check. Try verifying without a VPN, or restart the app and try again.
If you see a message that says the family plan is full (six members), you need to remove someone before adding a new person. Only six accounts can be on one plan at a time. If you are trying to add someone and it is not working, double-check that their email address is spelled correctly and that they do not already have a Spotify account on a different family plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can family members listen to music at the same time?
Yes. All six people on the plan can listen to different songs on different devices at the exact same time. There is no limit to how many people can be listening simultaneously. Each person's account is completely separate, so their listening does not affect anyone else's.
What if someone on the family plan lives in a different city?
Spotify's family plan is designed for people who live in the same household. If someone moves away or lives elsewhere most of the time, they should probably have their own individual subscription instead. Spotify may ask questions if members are consistently connecting from different cities, and the plan could be downgraded if you cannot verify a shared address.
Can I change the main account holder?
Yes. Go to Manage Family Plan in your account settings and look for an option to change the main account holder. Select a different family member, and they will become the person whose card is charged and who can manage invitations and removals. The change usually takes effect when ready.
What if I cancel the family plan?
Everyone on the plan will be downgraded to Spotify's free version. Their playlists and listening history stay with their accounts, but they will hear ads and cannot read songs. If you want to keep a premium subscription, you would need to switch to an individual plan or rejoin a family plan later.
Can I use the family plan if I share a Netflix or other streaming account?
Yes, completely separate. Spotify's family plan has its own household verification and is not connected to any other streaming service. You can share a Netflix account, an Apple Music family plan, or anything else at the same time — they do not interfere with each other.