What the Apple Music Family Plan costs and who it covers

Apple Music Family Plan costs $19.99 per month in the United States and covers up to six people in your household. Each person gets their own account, their own music library, and their own recommendations — Apple doesn't mix your listening history with anyone else's. You need an Apple ID for each family member, and at least one person needs an active Apple One subscription or a standalone Apple Music subscription to set up the family group.

The price varies outside the US. In Canada it's CAD $24.99 per month, in the UK it's £16.99 per month, and in Australia it's AUD $29.99 per month. If you live in a country where Apple Music is available but pricing isn't listed here, check Apple's website for your region — the cost depends on local market conditions and currency.

One person (the organizer) manages the family group and pays the subscription fee. That person can add or remove family members, but they cannot see what other people are listening to or control their accounts. If the organizer cancels the subscription, everyone loses access.

Key Takeaways

  • Apple Music Family Plan costs $19.99 per month in the US and covers up to six household members, each with a separate account and music library.
  • Each family member needs their own Apple ID, and you can only add people who live in the same household.
  • The organizer pays the bill and manages who is in the group, but cannot see what others listen to or control their accounts.
  • If you already pay for Apple One (which bundles Music, iCloud, TV+, and other services), the family plan is included at no extra cost.
  • Parental controls let you restrict explicit content for children under 18, but you cannot prevent a family member from changing their own settings once they turn 18.

How to set up a family group and add members

To create a family group, open Settings on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, go to your name at the top, and select Family Sharing. Tap Create a Family Group (or Set Up Family Sharing on older devices), then follow the prompts. You'll confirm your payment method — this is where the $19.99 monthly charge will appear. Apple will ask you to verify your identity, usually by sending a code to a trusted phone number or email address.

Once the group exists, you can invite family members by their Apple ID email address. They'll receive an invitation and can accept it from their own device. They don't need to be physically present, but Apple's terms require that family members live in the same household. If someone declines the invitation or you need to remove them later, you can do that from the same Family Sharing settings.

Each person in the group needs their own Apple ID. If a family member doesn't have one, they can create it for free on any Apple device or at appleid.apple.com. Children under 13 can be added, but a parent or guardian must create a child account first — you cannot add a child's existing personal Apple ID to a family group.

What happens if someone leaves the family group

When a family member leaves the group, they lose access to Apple Music when ready. Any playlists they created stay on their account, but they can't play songs unless they buy their own individual subscription. Downloaded music on their device remains playable offline, but once they reconnect to the internet, those downloads stop working.

If the organizer (the person paying) leaves the group, the entire family group dissolves and everyone loses access. The organizer can transfer the group to someone else before leaving, but that person must accept the transfer. If no one accepts, the group ends.

A family member can also choose to leave on their own. They go to Settings, select their name, tap Family Sharing, and choose to leave the family group. Once they confirm, they're out — they won't see the option to rejoin for 30 days.

Individual plan vs. family plan: the cost difference

A single Apple Music subscription costs $10.99 per month in the US. The family plan at $19.99 per month covers up to six people, which works out to about $3.33 per person if all six slots are filled. If you have two or more people in your household who listen to music, the family plan is cheaper than buying individual subscriptions.

If only one or two people in your household use Apple Music, an individual plan might make more sense. But if you're already paying for Apple One (which includes Music, iCloud+ storage, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple News+), the family plan is included — you don't pay extra. In that case, the family plan is worth setting up even if only a few people use it, because the cost is the same.

Student plans are not available for Apple Music Family Plan. Students can get an individual subscription at a discount (usually $5.99 per month with a valid .edu email), but they cannot be part of a family group and also use the student rate.

Parental controls and content restrictions

If you have children in your family group, you can set up parental controls through Family Sharing. Go to Settings, select your name, tap Family Sharing, choose the child's account, and select Screen Time. From there you can restrict explicit music and podcasts — Apple will filter out songs marked with a Parental Advisory label.

These controls only work if the child is under 18 and you set them up before they turn 18. Once a family member reaches 18, they can change their own restrictions, and you cannot override that choice. You also cannot see what they're listening to or prevent them from accessing explicit content.

Parental controls explore to the Music app, Apple Podcasts, and other Apple services on that person's device. If they use a different app (like Spotify or YouTube Music) on the same device, those apps have their own parental controls that you'd need to set up separately.

Comparing Apple Music Family Plan to other streaming services

Spotify Premium Family costs $16.99 per month in the US and covers up to six people. Like Apple Music, each person gets their own account and recommendations. Spotify's main difference is that it works on more devices — Android phones, smart speakers, gaming consoles, and cars — whereas Apple Music is strongest on Apple devices.

Amazon Music Unlimited Family is $19.99 per month and covers up to six people. YouTube Music Family is $22.99 per month for up to six people. Both offer similar features to Apple Music: separate accounts, personalized recommendations, and offline downloads. YouTube Music includes YouTube Premium for the organizer, which removes ads from YouTube videos.

The choice between them usually comes down to which devices your family uses most. If everyone has iPhones and Macs, Apple Music integrates more smoothly. If your household uses a mix of devices, Spotify or Amazon Music may be easier to manage across Android phones, tablets, and smart speakers.

How to cancel or change your plan

To cancel Apple Music Family Plan, go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name, select Subscriptions, find Apple Music, and tap Cancel Subscription. Confirm the cancellation. Your family will lose access at the end of your current billing cycle — if you cancel on the 15th of the month and your billing date is the 20th, everyone can still use Apple Music until the 20th.

If you want to switch to an individual plan instead, you can do that from the same Subscriptions menu. Tap Apple Music, select Change Plan, and choose the individual option. The family group will be dissolved, and only your account will remain active.

You cannot downgrade from family to individual and keep the family group active. If you want to keep the group but add or remove people, you manage that through Family Sharing settings, not through subscription settings. Changing who is in the group does not change your monthly cost — it stays at $19.99 as long as the family plan is active.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Apple Music Family Plan if we don't all live together?

Apple's terms require that family members live in the same household. The company doesn't actively verify this, but if you add people who don't live with you and Apple detects the pattern (different locations, different payment methods, unusual activity), they may remove members or cancel the subscription. It's safer to assume the rule is enforced.

What if I want to add more than six people?

Apple Music Family Plan has a hard limit of six people. If you need more accounts, each additional person would need their own individual subscription at $10.99 per month. There is no option to expand the family group beyond six members.

Do I need an Apple device to use Apple Music Family Plan?

You need an Apple ID to join a family group, but you don't necessarily need an Apple device. You can use Apple Music on Android phones through the Apple Music app, on Windows computers through iTunes, and on web browsers at music.apple.com. However, setting up the family group itself requires an Apple device (iPhone, iPad, or Mac).

Can family members share a single Apple ID?

No. Each person in the family group must have their own Apple ID. Sharing an Apple ID means you share everything — music library, purchase history, photos, messages — which defeats the purpose of a family plan. Apple Music specifically requires separate accounts so each person's listening history and recommendations stay private.

What if the organizer's payment method expires?

Apple will try to charge your updated payment method on your next billing date. If the charge fails and you don't update your payment information within a certain period, the subscription will be canceled and everyone in the family group loses access. You'll receive email warnings before this happens, so check your email regularly if you're the organizer.