Adding family members takes five minutes and happens entirely in the Settings app

To add someone to your Apple Music Family Plan, open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top, select Family Sharing, then tap Add Family Member. The person you're adding will receive an invitation on their device, and once they accept, they can use Apple Music on their own phone or computer. You can add up to six people total to one family plan, including yourself.

The person you add needs their own Apple ID — they cannot share yours. If they don't have one yet, you can create it for them during the invitation process, or they can make one beforehand at appleid.apple.com. Once they're added to Family Sharing, they automatically get access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud storage, and any other subscriptions linked to your family plan.

Key Takeaways

  • You can add up to six people to one Apple Music Family Plan, and each person needs their own Apple ID.
  • The invitation process happens in Settings under your name, and the other person accepts it on their own device.
  • Family members can use Apple Music on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, and Android phones.
  • You can remove someone from the family plan at any time, and they lose access to shared subscriptions when ready.
  • If a family member already pays for their own Apple Music subscription, it will be replaced by the family plan when they join.

What you need before you start

The person you want to add must have an Apple ID. If they already use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, they have one. If they don't, you can create one for them during the invitation, or they can go to appleid.apple.com and set one up themselves. Either way takes about two minutes.

You also need to be the person who pays for the Apple Music Family Plan, or have permission from whoever does. If you're not the organizer, you cannot add new members — only the person who started the plan can do that.

Step-by-step: inviting someone on iPhone or iPad

Open Settings and tap your name at the very top of the screen. Tap Family Sharing. Tap Add Family Member. Choose whether you want to invite someone who already has an Apple ID or create a new one for them.

If they have an Apple ID, enter their email address or phone number. If you're creating one, enter their first and last name, date of birth, and email address. Apple will send them an invitation, and they'll see it on their device. They tap Accept, and they're in — it usually takes less than a minute.

If the person you're inviting is under 13 (or the age of digital consent in your country), you'll need to set up parental controls. You can choose what they can buy, what content they can access, and whether they can use FaceTime and iMessage.

Step-by-step: inviting someone on a Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings. Click your name in the sidebar. Click Family Sharing. Click the plus sign (+) to add a family member. Follow the same process as on iPhone — enter their Apple ID or create a new one.

The steps are identical to iPhone and iPad; the location in the menu is just different. The person you invite will still receive the notification on their own device, regardless of which device you use to send the invitation.

What happens after someone accepts the invitation

Once they accept, they can open Apple Music on their device and start listening when ready. They don't need to enter a payment method or do anything else — the family plan covers them. They can create their own playlists, save their own songs, and get personalized recommendations based on their listening.

Each family member has their own Apple Music account within the plan. Their library, playlists, and recommendations stay separate from everyone else's. If you have a HomePod or Apple TV, family members can use those too — they just need to be signed in with their Apple ID.

Removing someone from the family plan

Open Settings, tap your name, select Family Sharing, find the person you want to remove, and tap their name. Scroll down and tap Remove from Family. They lose access to Apple Music and any other shared subscriptions when ready. Their personal data stays on their device, but they can no longer use the family plan.

If you remove someone, they can still use their own Apple ID and subscribe to Apple Music individually if they want. You can add them back later if you change your mind — there's no penalty for removing and re-adding people.

What to do if someone doesn't receive the invitation

Check that you entered their email address or phone number correctly. Ask them to check their email, text messages, and the Notifications section of their Settings app. Sometimes the invitation takes a few minutes to arrive.

If they still don't see it after 15 minutes, try sending the invitation again. You can remove them from the pending list and re-invite them. Make sure they're using a device that supports Family Sharing — older iPhones and iPads running very old versions of iOS may not work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add someone who doesn't have an iPhone?

Yes. Family members can use Apple Music on Android phones, Windows PCs, and web browsers at music.apple.com. They just need an Apple ID. They won't be able to use Family Sharing features like shared photo albums or location sharing, but they can access Apple Music.

What if someone in my family already pays for Apple Music?

When they join the family plan, their individual subscription ends and they're covered by the family plan instead. They won't be charged twice. If they had a paid subscription, Apple will refund the unused portion to their original payment method.

Can two people in the same family have different Apple Music plans?

No. Once someone joins a family plan, they're part of it. If they want their own individual subscription instead, you'd need to remove them from Family Sharing first. Then they can subscribe separately.

Do family members see what I'm listening to?

No. Each person's library and listening history is private. Family members cannot see what songs you've saved, what playlists you've made, or what you're currently playing. The only shared thing is the subscription itself.

What if I want to stop sharing Apple Music with my family?

You can remove individual people one at a time, or you can cancel the Family Plan entirely and switch to an individual subscription. If you cancel Family Sharing, everyone loses access to shared subscriptions and features, but their personal data stays on their devices.