Keeping your child safe on the Internet is one of the biggest challenges parents face in the 21st century. There is something on millions of websites and apps that your child shouldn’t read, watch, or listen to. Just take a look at the music – it’s easier than ever for kids to listen to songs that mention things they just aren’t ready for.
If you’re worried about your child’s musical tastes, try Spotify for Kids. This new alternative to a full-fledged music streaming service locks up its music library, offering only safe and kid-friendly alternatives, but how different is it from the mainstream Spotify experience?
What is Spotify for Kids?
The Spotify Kids service is not a standalone service, but is available as part of the broader Spotify Premium Family subscription ($ 14.99 per month). It gives parents control – you can limit your children’s listening habits and restrict them to safer, family-friendly songs and music.
The service boasts thousands of songs specially selected by Spotify “experts†for kids to listen to. Different categories are available: music for children under 6 years old, and also a category for children under 12 years old.
It also includes controls that allow you to block a category that an account can listen to, be it older kids (under 6) or older kids (under 12). Unlike standard Spotify, Spotify Kids’ accounts are locked out – no one sees anything other than the age-appropriate, ad-free music content that Spotify chooses for the Kids app.
The Spotify Kids app is only available on mobile devices – you’ll need an iOS or Android device to listen to it. You will also need to create a Spotify Kids account associated with your Premium Family subscription.
Is Spotify Kids Really Safe for Kids?
Well, as safe as possible! Spotify is following other big services like Netflix and YouTube to launch a kid-friendly alternative to the main service it offers. However, this does not always mean that the service is safe – YouTube faced problems, for example, the appearance of unsafe content in the YouTube Kids app.
However, unlike YouTube, Spotify Kids content is not sampled by an algorithm. According to Spotify, its own team has hand-selected all the music available to kids on the Spotify Kids app. There are no ads, so your child will not see extraneous content either.
With parental controls, which you can lock with a PIN, you can even set restrictions on in-app music – for example, younger children can be protected from teen music.
This should mean you can rest easy, although it’s still worth testing the app yourself before transferring it. If you have any questions, please read the Spotify Premium Family Terms of Service before subscribing to the service.
How to Create a Spotify Kids Account
To create a Spotify account for kids, you need to use one of the available slots in your Spotify Premium Family subscription. As a Premium Family subscriber, you can associate up to six family members with your subscription.
- First, download and install the Spotify Kids app on your Android or iOS device. The first time you launch the app, you’ll need to register for an account – click Sign In and sign in to your Spotify Premium Family account first.
Only account managers can log in, so make sure your account has access rights to do so. If you don’t have a Premium Family membership, you will be prompted to upgrade to the next level.
- You will be asked if you are a suitable legal guardian for your child. Check the box, then click Continue to continue.
- Spotify Kids requires a four-digit PIN to restrict access to the Parental Controls section of the app. Enter this, click OK to continue, then repeat the steps to make sure the PIN is correct.
- In the next step, you will be able to create a Spotify Kids account. Enter your child’s name in the appropriate field. You can also enter the child’s date of birth, but this is optional – enter it if you like. When ready, click “Continue” to proceed.
- As we mentioned earlier, Spotify provides two music categories for kids. Click Older Kids Audio if your child is 5 to 12 years old (or older), or Younger Audio if they are under 6. Click Continue to proceed to the next step when you are ready.
- You can set an animated avatar for your child in the final configuration step. Select the character you (or your child) like, then click the checkmark button to complete the customization process.
Once you’ve chosen an avatar for your child, the account will be set up. Your child can start using the music playing app by selecting a category or using the search tool.
How to access Spotify Kids’ Parental Controls
From time to time, you may need to change the parental control settings in the Spotify Kids app. You can do this if you want to create another Spotify Kids account, change the PIN, change the category of music your child can listen to, or delete the Spotify Kids account entirely.
- To do this, open the Spotify Kids app and tap the character avatar icon in the upper left corner. From here click on the Parental Settings button. To access, you will need to enter an access PIN.
- If your PIN is accepted, you can view various information about your Spotify Kids account. Click Change PIN if you want to change your PIN, or click on the account listed in the Child Accounts section to make specific changes to your account.
- In your Spotify Kids account settings, you can change the name or date of birth set for the account using the text boxes provided. To change the music category, click Change in the Content Settings section, or click Delete to completely remove your account. Click the checkmark button in the upper right corner to save your changes.
Safe Listen with Spotify for Kids
With Spotify for Kids, you can be sure your child doesn’t stop listening to adult-only content. If you’re concerned about the TV, you can block Netflix so that you don’t miss adult shows as well.
For parents, peace of mind is everything, but don’t forget to take full advantage of your Spotify Premium Family account yourself using these little-known Spotify tricks to get the most out of your favorite music streaming service.
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