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

Apple Music Family Plan costs the same as a single subscription but lets up to six family members each have their own account, music library, and recommendations. Each person gets their own login, so nobody sees what anyone else is listening to. You set it up through the Family Sharing feature built into Apple devices, and once it's running, family members can start using Apple Music on their phones, tablets, computers, or HomePods without needing their own separate subscriptions.

The person who starts the Family Plan becomes the organizer — that's you if you're setting this up. You'll invite family members one at a time, and they accept the invitation from their own device. The whole process takes about five minutes per person.

Key Takeaways

  • Family Plan costs the same as a single Apple Music subscription but covers up to six people, each with their own account and music library.
  • You must set up Family Sharing first through Settings on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac — this is separate from starting the music plan itself.
  • Family members need their own Apple ID and must be added to your Family Sharing group before they can access the music plan.
  • Once added, each person can use Apple Music on any Apple device they own by signing in with their own Apple ID.
  • The organizer (you) controls the family group and can remove members or change settings at any time.

Set up Family Sharing before adding music members

Family Sharing is the foundation that Apple Music Family Plan runs on. You need to create or join a Family Sharing group first, then add the music plan to it. If you already have Family Sharing set up — perhaps you've been sharing an iCloud storage plan or App Store purchases with family — you can skip to the next section and just add Apple Music to your existing group.

On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap Family Sharing. If you see "Create a Family" or "Set Up Family Sharing", tap that button. You'll be asked to confirm your Apple ID and payment method. On a Mac, open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), click your name in the sidebar, then click Family Sharing and follow the same steps. The process takes about two minutes.

Once Family Sharing is active, you'll see a "Family" section in Settings where you can manage members. This is where you'll invite people and where they'll appear once they accept.

Invite family members to your Family Sharing group

After Family Sharing is set up, you can start inviting people. Each person needs their own Apple ID — if they don't have one, they'll need to create it before you invite them. You can invite them through Settings on your device, or they can join through an invitation link you send them.

On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing > Add Family Member. You can either enter their Apple ID email address directly, or tap "Invite via Message" to send them an invitation through iMessage or email. If you use the message option, they'll get a link they can tap to join. Either way, they'll receive a notification asking them to accept the invitation. They need to accept from their own device before they're officially part of the group.

Children under 13 (the age varies by country) need a parent or guardian to create a child account for them rather than inviting an existing Apple ID. If you're inviting a child, tap "Create Child Account" instead of "Add Family Member" and follow the prompts.

Add Apple Music to your Family Sharing group

Once family members are in your Family Sharing group, you can add the music plan. Open the Apple Music app on your device, tap the Listen Now tab at the bottom, then look for a banner or prompt about Family Plan. Tap it and follow the steps to upgrade your subscription. If you don't see a prompt, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions > Apple Music, tap your current plan, and look for an option to upgrade to Family Plan.

The upgrade usually takes effect when ready, though it may take a few minutes to show up on family members' devices. You'll be charged the Family Plan price starting with your next billing date. If you're already mid-billing cycle, Apple typically prorates the difference.

Family members don't need to do anything on their end — once you've added the plan, they can open Apple Music on their own devices, sign in with their own Apple ID, and start using it. Their music library, playlists, and recommendations will be completely separate from yours.

Manage who can use Apple Music in your family

As the organizer, you control the Family Sharing group and can remove people or change settings at any time. If someone leaves your family group, they lose access to the shared Apple Music plan when ready, though any playlists or music they've saved stays on their device.

To remove someone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, tap their name, then tap "Remove from Family". To change who can see what in the family group, tap Family Sharing settings and look for privacy options. You can also set up parental controls for children's accounts, including restricting explicit music or limiting screen time.

If you want to stop sharing Apple Music with your family but keep Family Sharing active for other things like iCloud storage, you can downgrade your subscription back to an individual plan. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions > Apple Music, tap your plan, and select the individual option. Family members will lose access to Apple Music but stay in your Family Sharing group.

What to do if family members can't see Apple Music

If someone in your family group has Apple Music set up but can't see the app or access music, the most common cause is that they're signed into a different Apple ID than the one in your Family Sharing group. Have them check Settings > [Your Name] and confirm they're using the same Apple ID you invited. If they're on the wrong account, they'll need to sign out and sign back in with the correct one.

Another common issue is that the Family Plan hasn't synced to their device yet. Ask them to close the Apple Music app completely, wait a minute, then open it again. If they're on an older device or an older version of iOS or macOS, they may need to restart the device or update to the latest software version.

If they still can't access it after trying these steps, remove them from Family Sharing and add them back. This forces the system to resync their access. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing, tap their name, remove them, wait a minute, then add them again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add someone to Apple Music Family Plan without adding them to Family Sharing?

No. Family Sharing is required for the Family Plan to work. Everyone on the music plan must be part of your Family Sharing group, and everyone in Family Sharing automatically gets access to the music plan once it's active.

What happens to someone's music library if I remove them from the family group?

Their playlists, saved songs, and listening history stay on their device, but they lose the ability to stream music through Apple Music. If they want to keep using Apple Music, they'll need their own individual subscription.

Can family members use Apple Music on non-Apple devices?

Apple Music works on Android phones and tablets, but you can't set it up through Family Sharing on those devices. Family members need to sign into the Apple Music app with their Apple ID directly. They'll have full access to the plan as long as they're part of your Family Sharing group.

Do I need to be on the same Wi-Fi network as family members for them to use Apple Music?

No. Family Sharing works over the internet, so family members can use Apple Music anywhere they have an internet connection. They don't need to be on your home network or near your devices.

Can I have more than one Family Sharing group?

No. Each Apple ID can only be the organizer of one Family Sharing group. If you need to manage multiple groups, you'd need to use different Apple IDs as organizers.