Apple Music Family Plan lets up to six people share one subscription

Apple Music Family Plan costs $16.99 per month and gives six people their own separate accounts under one subscription. Each person gets their own music library, playlists, and recommendations — Apple doesn't mix your listening history with anyone else's. You set it up through the Settings app on any Apple device, and family members can start using it within minutes.

The person who pays for the subscription becomes the organizer. That organizer invites the other five people, and those people either accept the invitation or get added directly if they're under 13. Once someone is added, they can use Apple Music on any device where they sign in with their own Apple ID.

Key Takeaways

  • The subscription organizer starts a Family Plan in Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, then invites up to five other people by their Apple ID email address.
  • Each family member needs their own Apple ID to use Apple Music, and children under 13 can be added by a parent without needing to accept an invitation.
  • Family members can use Apple Music on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, and Apple TV, but each person's library and recommendations stay separate.
  • The organizer can remove someone from the family group at any time, and that person loses access to Apple Music when ready.

Setting up Family Sharing before adding members

Family Sharing is Apple's system for sharing purchases, subscriptions, and services across multiple people. You need to set this up first, even if you already have an Apple Music individual subscription. Open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Family Sharing. If you haven't set up a family group yet, tap "Create Your Family" and follow the prompts.

During setup, you'll choose a family organizer (usually yourself), add a payment method, and confirm your location. This takes about two minutes. Once Family Sharing is active, you can add family members and manage which services they can access.

How to invite family members to Apple Music

After Family Sharing is set up, go back to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing. Tap "Add Family Member" and choose whether to invite someone in person or send an invitation by email. If you invite in person, the other person holds their device next to yours and confirms the invitation on their screen. If you send an email invitation, type their Apple ID email address and they'll receive an invite they can accept from their own device.

The person you're inviting needs to have their own Apple ID already created. If they don't have one, they can create it for free at appleid.apple.com before you send the invitation. Once they accept, they'll automatically have access to the Apple Music Family Plan.

Adding children under 13 to the family group

Children under 13 can be added to Family Sharing without needing to accept an invitation. As the organizer, you create a child account through Family Sharing settings. You'll set a birthdate, choose privacy settings, and decide whether to allow purchases. The child account is linked to your payment method, and you control what they can access.

Once the child account is created, that child automatically has access to Apple Music. You can manage their account from your device — for example, you can turn off purchases or restrict certain content types. The child can use Apple Music on their own device by signing in with the Apple ID you created for them.

What happens when someone joins the family plan

When a family member accepts an invitation or is added to the group, they can start using Apple Music when ready on any Apple device. They sign in with their own Apple ID, and their music library appears in the Apple Music app. Their playlists, saved songs, and recommendations are completely separate from everyone else's — if you save a song, it doesn't show up in another family member's library.

Each person can use Apple Music on multiple devices at the same time. For example, one family member can listen on their iPhone while another listens on their Mac, and a third person uses Apple Music on a HomePod speaker. There's no limit to how many devices each person can sign into, though only one device per person can play music at a time.

Removing someone from the family plan

The organizer can remove a family member at any time through Family Sharing settings. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, find the person you want to remove, and tap "Remove." That person loses access to Apple Music when ready, and any shared purchases or subscriptions stop working for them.

If you remove someone, their personal data stays on their own devices — their playlists and saved songs don't disappear from their phone or computer. But they can't access Apple Music anymore unless they buy their own individual subscription. If you want to remove someone temporarily and add them back later, you can do that without losing their account.

Switching from individual to family plan

If you already pay for an individual Apple Music subscription, you can upgrade to Family Plan without losing anything. Your current subscription converts to the Family Plan, and you keep your music library and playlists. The price changes to $16.99 per month, and you can start inviting family members right away.

To upgrade, go to the Apple Music app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), then tap your profile picture. Tap "View Account" and look for the option to upgrade to Family Plan. You'll confirm the new price and billing date, then the change takes effect when ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can family members see what I'm listening to?

No. Each person's music library, playlists, and listening history are private. Family members can't see what songs you've saved or what you're currently playing unless you share a specific playlist with them. Apple Music recommendations are based only on each person's own listening.

What if someone in the family group doesn't have an Apple device?

Apple Music Family Plan only works on Apple devices — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, and Apple TV. If a family member uses Android or Windows, they can't access the family subscription. They would need to buy an individual Apple Music subscription instead, which works on those devices.

Can I change who the organizer is?

Yes. The current organizer can transfer the role to another family member through Family Sharing settings. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, tap the person you want to make organizer, and select "Make Organizer." The new organizer takes over billing and account management.

What happens if the organizer cancels the subscription?

If the organizer cancels Apple Music Family Plan, everyone in the family loses access when ready. The subscription ends on the next billing date. Each family member would need to buy their own individual subscription to keep using Apple Music.

Can family members use Apple Music offline?

Yes. Each family member can read songs to their device and listen without an internet connection. They need to be signed into their own Apple ID and have an active Family Plan subscription. Downloaded songs stay on their device even if they're removed from the family group later.